TREK is starting a four-week series called Wizdumb. Every day we make choices and decisions about our lives. We have easy choices: will we take a shower or not in the morning, do we have time to brush our teeth, are we going to have cereal or Pop Tarts for breakfast. We also make choices that are tough each day: should we actually do our homework or just cheat, do we ask her or him out or do we just keep flirting and see what happens, do we go on a mission trip this year, where do we go to college, do I listen to what my mom and dad say, and what am I going to do with my life. Our choices and decisions have consequences that ultimately will affect our lives here and now, as well as in the future. Are you making wise decisions? Are you making dumb decisions? The goal in this series is to help you learn how to make wise choices and see that the difference between a wise choice and a dumb choice could affect the rest of your life. We are going to look at the life and events of Joseph from Genesis and draw out some wisdom that will apply to all of our lives.

Join us every Sunday morning for TREK on our East Campus (2300 South Street in Geneva) at 10:45 .  Hope to see you there.

As always, email me at smoore@fbcg.com if you have any questions.

A post that is often probably forwarded through email but one that simply hit me perhaps a bit harder…as a father, son, and one with great respect for the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces.

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.
“Your son is here,” she said to the old man.
She had to repeat the words several times before the patient’s eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent.   He reached out his hand.  The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man’s limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.  The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed.

All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lightedward, holding the old man’s hand and offering him words of love and strength.   Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.  He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital -the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.  Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse.  While she did what she had to do, he waited.  Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

“Who was that man?” he asked.

The nurse was startled, “He was your father,” she answered.

“No, he wasn’t,” the Marine replied. “I never saw him before in my life.”

“Then why didn’t you say something when I took you to him?”

“I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn’t here.

When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me,

I stayed.”

I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey.

His Son was Killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. 

What was this Gentleman’s Name?

The Nurse with Tears in Her Eyes Answered,

Mr. William Grey………

The next time someone needs you ….

just be there……Stay.

ON-RAMP

Evangelism is one of those things that we normally don’t consider when we think of taking hold of Christ. We usually think that it involves sharing the Gospel with someone. While that is an important part of it, evangelism is very practically about influencing others towards Jesus so that they can truly hear the Good News that Jesus offers the world.

ONE BIG THING

KEY IDEA: Taking hold of evangelism means that we need to be active in influencing others towards Jesus.

KEY QUESTION: What are some very simple ways that we can influence others towards Jesus?

FAITH CHALLENGE

Influencing others primarily involves how we show each one of us has been transformed through Jesus. Look at the ways that you’ve seen Jesus work in your life and seek to share those ways with other people during this week.

Last month, FBCG Student Ministries hosted Dr. Rob Rienow, founder of Visionary Parenting Ministries to speak about God’s grand vision for the home. This was an important move for us at FBCG as we are seeking to discover ways to help parents BUILD FAITH AT HOME. Catching a vision for what God has to say about the home is step one!

Since we know that not everyone that wanted to attend was able to attend, below is a link to Rob’s message entitled “God’s Grand Vision for the Home”. Also, there is a link to Rob’s website which includes additional resources for free and for purchase.

http://www.visionaryparenting.com/audio/vpone.mp3

http://www.visionaryparenting.com

Our growing desire at FBCG Student Ministries is to be a resource connector with you as parents to help build faith at home. If you ever have any questions regarding resources or opportunities to help your family build faith at home, please don’t hesitate to ask!

Around this time of year, students are busy filling out their applications in preparation for any one of our summer short-term mission trips.  As I think about this summer and the 100+ students that will be heading into the inner city of Chicago, Mexico or Ecuador I think that it is worth revisiting the why behind these trips.

1. Discipleship- people almost always assume that short-term missions is about, well, missions.  For myself and the ministry partners that we work with, we recognize that the long term impact of these trips in often times in the hearts and lives of the students that attend.  Much like retreats, these trips offer ways to escape from the routine of our everyday lives and makes room for God to work in our soul.

2. Taste of missions- Despite the fact that the primary reason for these trips is discipleship, we also value the experience as a window into the world of missions for the students.  They get to experience what it is like to raise support, communicate the purpose and vision behind their trips and serve in a culture different from their own.

3. Cultural Exchange- Our perspective is limited.  Western Suburbs is our default setting and we assume that the values and world views  of our culture are shared across racial and geographical lines.  Experiencing another culture provides the opportunity to observe what is important in a community other than our own and in doing so critique and challenge our values and assumptions.

4.  Expand awareness of the body of Christ locally and globally-  in a similar fashion to the limits that we experience culturally, we can live with similar boundaries in our perspective of the Church.  We want students to worship in another language, to sit among those of another race and to see that what unites us together in a common Savior is greater than those things that make us different.

5. Teach giftedness and leadership- Finally (but certainly not least), these trips allow students to use their gifts and to step into positions of leadership.  It allows them to see more clearly how God has wired them specifically and to be encouraged in that.  These trips enable students to focus outwardly and in doing so they often times learn more about who they are internally.

For all of these reasons and many more, my experience has been that these trips play a significant roles in the faith stories of many of our students.  I hope that you will be able to be a part.

As MANY of you know I am a movie junkie. But more than that I am one who likes to use movies to foster spiritual discussions…to tease out meaningful conversation. I believe that the movie trailer for Sarah’s Choice above will do just that! And I have been invited to include our ministry in a private screening of it on February 18 at 7 pm in Aurora at the Total Living International Studio (2880 Vision Court Aurora — Right there near Rt 88).

Simply call 630-801-3838 to reserve your seats. Call around and let others know and certainly let me know you are coming so I can look for you.

In His Grip,
Pastor Bruce

Very creative and very inspiring! Please enjoy the two minutes and realize that more than you are aware of will step into the shoes of the adult community and GET IT. Get the impact that they will make on Society and Christ and His Kingdom. Be encouraged and influence a young person TODAY!

Applications are coming in quickly for the mission trips to Roseland, Mexico and Ecuador. Last Sunday morning we hosted a parent meeting to go over some of the specifics of the three individual trips and the financial make and requirements as well. If you were unable to make the meeting and are looking for more information, here are the links to each of the packets.

ROSELAND PARENT INFORMATION PACKET

MEXICO PARENT INFORMATION PACKET

ECUADOR PARENT INFORMATION PACKET

STUDENT MISSION TRIP APPLICATIONS

First, let me say that the Winter Retreat was great. Anytime that we have that many students (there were 110+ of us on the weekend)skiing, tubing and just being in the snow and ice and we walk away with no major injuries, I consider it a success. Instead of trying to log my thoughts on last weekend, I have decided to share them with you via video. This is my first attempt at a video blog so be kind. Feel free to share your thoughts as well.

This Wednesday evening, Student Ministries will be hosting Rob Rienow, founder of Visionary Parenting Ministries to begin a conversation about God’s Grand Vision for the Home. We are thrilled that Rob is going to continue our conversation with building faith at home and is designed for BOTH MOMS AND DADS. This event will take place in the chapel at FBCG East Campus from 6:45pm – 8pm.

On Thursday morning, Women’s Ministries will be hosting Rob to speak specifically about nurturing faith in preteen and teen’s lives through practicing faith at home. That event will be for MOMS ONLY and will take place at FBCG West Campus from 9:15am – 11:15am.

Resources will be available for purchase after both events. If you have any questions, please contact Bruce McEvoy (bmcevoy@fbcg.com) for Wednesday evening’s event or Lorene Coffey (lcoffey@fbcg.com) for Thursday’s event!