AC3 VB212 Gen Z

Morph/RELIC Preview (11/5 & 11/6)

Hey Parents! 

Happy November! We had such a blast with everyone at the halloween party this last week! Back to our normal schedule this week.

Morph on Tuesday Nights for High School - 6 - 8
RELIC on Wednesday Nights for Middle School 6 - 8

Have you signed up for an interview yet? 

We would love it if students would join us for a discussion on Friday, November 23rd 6pm-7:30pm.  We will provide pizza and have a game afterwards! If you've been around AC3 at all the past month you've heard an awful lot about this "20/20 vision". AC3 is evaluating, doing our best to look at where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. Our students are the future of AC3 so their thoughts and opinions are SO valuable to us. 

If you haven't signed up for your interview with vital church yet, this would be a perfect time to do that at! Since you've got to be there to drop your student off anyways. Your opinion is valuable too. We want everyone at AC3 to do one of these interviews. Thank you in advance for your transparency and willingness to help us grow!

The interviews will be 

November 22 & 23

You can sign up for your own Interview today! Just click Events inside of your Church Center App. Or if you don't want to download the app, reply back this email and I'll have Sarah, our office administrator call you to set up a time that works for you. 

A paper sign-up is also available at the Info Center.

Questions? allencreek@ac3.org 360-659-SEEK

https://ac3.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/305360

Here is the Morph/RELIC preview for this week:

The parent preview is also posted on our facebook pages! 

Find our facebook here:

Morph :  https://www.facebook.com/AC3.morph/

RELIC: https://www.facebook.com/ac3relic/

CREEK ESPRESSO IS OPEN THIS WEEK

The espresso stand will be open an hour before youth group on the 1st and 3rd week of the month. Students can come early, buy a hot cider, a cocoa or italian soda and just hang out. We really want students to know this is a safe place that they can come and just be.

Small Groups, Game time and Hang time - We believe fun is important, especially for teenagers. These students live in world full of overwhelming expectations, they need a break from that sometimes! Fun is also the key to building relationships! We make sure fun is a big part of youth group because its part of creating a safe environment for our students to learn and grow in their relationships with others and with Christ.

November teaching - A month on waiting

It seems like in our fast paced culture, waiting is becoming a thing of the past. However in God's economy, waiting is valuable. This whole month we will be looking at the times in our life God may be asking us to wait. The next four weeks' topics will be: Waiting on calling, waiting on answers, waiting on love, and waiting on healing. 
This week Anna will be teaching us about waiting on calling. Christians are always talking about being "called" or waiting to be "called" towards a certain passion or direction for their life. We will explore what the Bible has to say about our "calling". 

Announcements for this week!

• Sunday Morning Class - Just a reminder to come check out the class for Jr. High and High School students during our 10:30 service on Sunday.
• Camp! The leader team has been working on plans for a winter camp this year! We are so excited about playing in the snow! Stay tuned for more details, we hope to have a date soon.
• Pizza for your thoughts? - (Yes I've included this in the preview TWICE because its THAT IMPORTANT!) We would love it if students would join us for a discussion on Friday, November 22nd 6pm-7:30pm.  We will provide pizza and have a game afterwards! If you've been around AC3 at all the past month you've heard a lot about this "20/20 vision". AC3 is evaluating, doing our best to look at where we've been, where we are, and where we're going. Our students are the future of AC3 so their thoughts and opinions are SO valuable to us! We hope everyone can make it, please mark your calendars. 
• If you haven't signed up for your interview with vital church yet, this would be a perfect time to do that at! Since you've got to be there to drop your student off anyways. Your opinion is valuable too. We want everyone at AC3 to do one of these interviews. Sign up in the church center app or call sarah at the church office to reserve a spot (360)659-7335. Thank you in advance for your transparency and willingness to help us grow!

That's it for this week!

-B

Morph/RELIC Preview 10/31 Halloween PAR-TAY

Short Preview this week! Here’s the info you need to know about the Halloween Party!

Find the halloween event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/629657280896941/

• No youth group tonight (Tuesday)! - The party on Wednesday is for High School and Jr. High Students!

• Extended Time! - The lobby will be open at 5 for kids to come and hang out! Party starts at 6 and goes until 8:30

• Creek Espresso will be open tonight with some AWESOME specials! 50 cent Italian sodas and snacks! Send your students with a couple bucks to spend if you can :)

• Invite your friends! - We’ve encouraged students to invite their friends to this party! It is for both Jr high and High School students!

• Costumes! - Students can wear their costumes! We ask that costumes be appropriate (No butts, no boobs, no belly) and not overly gory.

• Snacks! - If you have committed to bringing a snack please have it to the church early if possible! If it needs to be cooked or heated please have it here no later then 5. If you would like to bring a halloween snack to share please let B know! 

Morph/RELIC Preview (10/22 & 10/23)

Hey Parents! 

Here is the Morph/RELIC preview for this week:

The parent preview is also posted on our facebook pages! 

Find our facebook here:

Morph :  https://www.facebook.com/AC3.morph/

RELIC: https://www.facebook.com/ac3relic/

CREEK ESPRESSO IS OPEN THIS WEEK AND NEXT WEEK

The espresso stand is open an hour before youth group this week and next week for the Halloween party! Students can come early, buy a cocoa, chai tea, or italian soda and just hang out. We really want students to know this is a safe place that they can come and just be. 

Small Groups are set - You're students small group should be pretty set as to who is in it and who is leading it. The purpose of small groups is for students to have a smaller, closer knit community that they can check in with weekly. We also want students to have a specific leader that is their "small group leader" that they can talk to if they ever need a safe adult. Small group leaders should be touching base with you in the next few weeks to introduce themselves.

Game time - As usual, we’ll play some games! Games are a great way for students to build relationships and just have fun!

The "Talky" part - This week - Ghost stories with Wayne-o

This week, our resident Old guy, Wayne will be sharing some stories with us about his experiences with the spirit realm. We'll talk about those beings we cannot explain, who they are, what they are, what's their purpose and what's our part in it all.  

INVESTIGATIONS continues this week! 
Happening on Tuesday nights during youth group, this class is built on questions about faith, God, creation, or the bible. Meeting from 7-8:30 in the conference room for the month of October. 

Announcements for this week!

• Sunday Morning Class - Come check out the class for Jr. High and High School students during our 10:30 service on Sunday. Students are dismissed from the service and meet in the conference room. Bring your bible! 

• Halloween/Harvest Party -We’ll have our Halloween/Harvest Party on October 30th! This party will be for both Jr high and High School students. Students can wear their costumes and we'll have lots of fun games and food. Invite a friend!
• We need help with food this year! We are wondering if some of you might be willing to donate some snacks for the party! We’d like to provide some “heartier” and “healthier” options as well as a few treats. Please email B at Morph.AC3@gmail.com if you are able to help. Here is a link to a few halloween themed suggestions : :https://delishably.com/holidays/Party-Food-Ideas-For-Halloween
• Before you go... for Juniors and Seniors -  It's hard to be a Christian out in the real world! This is a small group designed to provide a community where students can talk about the challenges they'll face after high school. 
•  They start meeting the first Saturday in November during the "extended" portion of the service. Contact Sarah Ade to connect with this group. (425)418-2141 or sarahpearlade@gmail.com
• Kreek Kids Christmas Program is looking for actors, singers, musicians and volunteers for our Christmas Program. (If you don't know, Kreek Kids is the name of our children's ministry here at AC3.) 
  Practices will be held at 6:00 PM Oct. 27th until ‘Show Time’ Sunday, Dec. 8th.
  Some parent helpers will be needed each week at practice. Please let us know if you are available a week or two. 
• Want to know more? Contact Trina @ 425-737-4061 with your questions.

Lastly, 

Have you signed up for an interview yet? 
We really value your input and hope that each and every one of you will participate. The information collected will be confidential and not shared directly with the AC3 leadership—this is an opportunity for you to be totally transparent and authentic in your comments.

The interviews will be 
November 22 & 23

You can sign up for your own Interview today! Just click Events inside of your Church Center App. Or if you don't want to download the app, reply back this email and I'll have Sarah, our office administrator call you to set up a time that works for you. 

A paper sign-up is also available at the Info Center.

Questions? allencreek@ac3.org 360-659-SEEK

https://ac3.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/305360

That’s it for this week! Remember Halloween Party is next week, invite a friend!

-B

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Popcorn and Parables (Disney Villain edition) - Week 1

Frozen: A Bad Parenting Story

So often I have heard myself say, “that will leave a mark” or, “they will be in therapy for that someday”.  To all my fellow parents out there we have to face it, we are not perfect, far from it at times. None of us set out to mess up or be “bad parents”.  On the contrary, we are trying hard to be great parents, sadly so much so that sometimes we get it all wrong.  

As we look at our first week in the new series “Popcorn and Parables” we take a look at villains and compare them to biblical failures.  Week one is Hans from Disney's “Frozen”, he is compared to Adonijah (1 Kings 1), both of whom try to usurp thrones from the rightful heirs.  The primary cause is the bad parenting of the villains which results in the actions they take. The blame falls largely on the parents for not speaking into the lives of their children and leaving them to sink or swim.  Yes, this is a bad parenting technique.

Before I delve further into Hans and Adonijah, I want to get back to my original statement.  None of us set out to be bad parents. Nonetheless, we, like Anna and Elsa’s parents, act in a way we think is helping, but in the end can be just as damaging as ignoring our children completely.  Anna’s parents thought the trolls advice to take away her memories was good, they agreed it was best for Elsa to hide the gift she had been given rather than embrace it, and they even felt leaving their children to live isolated lives from the world and one another was good for them.  King David, was also an absent parent for his children, he seldom gave them time, avoided conflicts among them, and even sent them away from his presence (2 Samuel). Both the Disney Parents and King David made poor parenting choices, but they were not evil or villainous.  

It is easy to sit back in a chair and judge the bad choices of others, but not so easy to look at our own failures.  How many of us get sucked into a TV program or our phones and ignore the child climbing the walls? How many times have we said “no” 10 times only to cave in on the 11th request?  How many of us still run lunches or homework to the school to save our child from the pain of failure?  The very person who claims to have coined the phrase “Helicopter Parent” (John Rosemond) now cringes because our society has made it out to not necessarily be a bad thing.  He goes on to now call parents “Blender or Cuisinart Parents” whose lives are so enmeshed in their children’s lives you cannot tell where one begins and the other ends (Rosemond “Parenting by the Book”).  Prior to looking at others, we must first acknowledge the query: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brothers’ eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? (Matthew 7:3).

Now, back to Hans and Adonijah.  Both were lost in the shuffle of where they fit in amongst their siblings.  Both seem to have had absentee parents. And both seem to have developed a ‘make my own way’ philosophy.  Hans was the 13th son of a Lord of a distant land who comes to find his purpose in marrying and then attempts to usurp the throne from Queen Elsa.  Adonijah doesn’t wait for his father, King David, to be dead before claiming the throne from David’s declared heir Solomon (1 Kings 1).  Hans and Adonijah likely had never heard their father say they “matter” let alone show them they were loved. They may have had some relationship with their mothers, but the fact is neither mother nor father had instilled in them a sense there was a right and wrong path. 

No matter if you are the good parent just making mistakes like so many of us, or if you are the parent who have lost your way and need to make things right; none of us are alone.  The Lord can show you the way to be an attentive parent and guide your parenting choices if you read His Word and listen with a soft heart.  There are resources, friends, mentors, small groups, and classes all of which are available to get better on this whole parenting thing.  We are not perfect, nor will our children be, but we are all forgiven and made righteous by His blood. Let us all do our best to leave our children a little better than ourselves and the world a better place than we have now. 

“May the Lord cause you to flourish, both you and your children.  May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalms 115: 14 – 15).

Written by Christian Love

Leading Small to Yield God-Sized Results

"If we want to influence what kids believe about God, themselves, and the rest of the world, we need to give them somewhere to belong." Reggie Joiner

Mavis' Art Class

Kreek Kids has recently made a decision to 'Lead Small' while looking for God-sized results! What does this mean in actual practice?

1. In order to impact the next generation, we are creating intentional small group experiences where kids can have fun learning and where relationships can grow.
   
   
2. For us, this means Sunday morning breakout groups have started for our 4th & 5th graders where kids may explore the arts, learn something new or review what they've learned in their large group time for the day in a creative way. 
     
3. Starting in October, we are opening a weekly small group, for 1st & 2nd-grade girls, during Sunday morning 10:30am services with Miss Dea! Dea currently teaches our preschool class once-a-month on our Saturday team and wants to do more to impact the next generation of heroes at AC3. This group of girls will meet in our Orange Room which we love! Why? We believe the Orange strategy of partnering with parents and caring adults is a winner and we have attended the Orange Tour the last three years! What a great room to start this weekly group!
   

Below is an email from Miss Dea to our parents. Feeling the nudge?  This can be your invitation to 'Lead Small' with us. Enjoy!

Choosing to Lead Small

Dear Parents, 

For those of you who don't know me my name is Deanna Braaten. Many of you may know me as Miss Dea.

My husband and I have been long-time supporters of Kreek Kids and our adult children have all been part of children's ministry in one way or another. Our youngest daughter is currently a Kreek Kid.

I have been praying about where God is leading me in Kreek Kids. Over the last few years, several key things have taken place in my life. 

First, with my own daughter beginning elementary school, I see the need for strong faith conversations in this developmental age range. Secondly, attending the annual Orange conference reinforces my belief in partnering with families to build a strong faith foundation. And finally, I have a deep desire to serve in ministries that promote legacy.

With all that said, I'm joining Twila in the development of Kreek Kids breakouts and small group leader implemented lessons.

Your child is invited to join me and Michelle Daniels on Sundays in the orange room for small group lessons and activities. Your child will begin in 'big' church as usual and be dismissed during the service. They will meet in the blue room for the big idea and the large group time. We then will bring our small group to the orange room (Prepare the Way Classroom) for our lesson. You are able to pick up your child from us there at 11:45. This small group time is set aside specifically for 1st and 2nd-grade girls.

We are very excited to see how this small group builds strong faith foundations and positive and encouraging relationships. The idea that each child grows and develops a sense of identity, belonging and purpose in Christ is at the forefront of our approach to children's ministry.

Our initial plan is to implement our breakouts and small groups each Sunday from October to May.

Please let me or Twila know if you have any questions. You may also be thinking this sounds like something you may be interested in joining too! Come talk with us. We'd love to chat over coffee or tea.

Thank you,
Most Sincerely
Miss Dea

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Knock it Off -- Week 2

Knock It Off! —Tolerance for the Intolerant

Week 2 Series Blog

Enduring with Forbearance, without Interference

When I was a kid in the 80s, I used to hear this phrase a lot.  “While I don’t agree with what you say, I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”   I laughed when it resurfaced in an episode of Family Guy in season 3’s Fish Out of Water episode.  For many men and women in my generation this is how we view tolerance (except with our siblings), and there are a few things embedded in the phrase that should be highlighted.  

1. Freedom of expression is good.

2. Disagreement is expected, and dialogue about those disagreements is healthy.

3. If we can’t agree, we don’t have to be enemies.

According to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary: 
tolerate
■ verb

1    allow the existence or occurrence of (something that one dislikes or disagrees with) without interference.

2    endure (someone or something unpleasant) with forbearance.

Let’s face it, dealing with people that disagree with our world views is often very difficult.  Sometimes it’s downright grating. However, it’s well within our capabilities as rational human beings to accept that while we may not agree with everybody we can at least acknowledge and accept that other views do exist, and that their mere existence isn’t necessarily harmful.

At some point in the last couple of decades, the cultural definition of tolerance has had a major shift and is now in direct conflict with the first definition of what it means to tolerate, such that interference (even to the point of violence) is encouraged.    

Simply stated, it goes something like this: If you don’t agree and accept my view as true, you’re intolerant.  

Or the even more extreme version: If you don’t agree and accept my view as true, you’re a bigot and I have the right to harm you in order to change your mind or remove your harmful presence from my space.

We’re facing two distinct views of what tolerance is, then.  The first that acknowledges the existence of other views and encourages a spirit of dialogue and truth seeking to resolve differences.  The second which says disagreements shouldn’t exist at all and we must accept all views as true, lest we be labeled as intolerant!  Yikes!  

What Does the Bible Teach?

How are Christians supposed to navigate this mess?  It’s impossible for all things to be true at the same time.  Based on the second definition of tolerance we’re all intolerant bigots!  How as a Christian can I tolerate Islam if that means I must now accept Islam as truth to avoid being labeled Islamophobic in the process?  Should I tell people they’re intolerant bigots for not accepting my Christian worldview? Somehow I think spreading the Gospel would be less effective if after sharing the message I add “and by the way, if you don’t believe Jesus was the Son of God, you’re an intolerant bigot” at the end.  

Navigating the balance of holding to objective Christian truths in a world that’s increasingly hostile to Christian faith is tough.  Let’s be honest, much of the intolerance floating around is directed at Christians, because from the outside looking in, we’re the very definition of intolerant bigotry.  Why? It’s because we pin what we hold as true, good, and right onto God, and not man.

Here’s the TL;DR answer:  Holding to the first view of tolerance will more and more bring with it a high cost, from those who think you hate them or even want to harm them if you disagree.   That said, the Bible has some things to say about all this and what to expect.

1. Persecution should be expected (John 15:18-25)  

It’s harder to get upset by something you were told in advance would happen.  I don’t mean you have to be happy about it. I’m just saying that if we remember this fact, it can take some of the personal edge off accusation of intolerance (and every colorful metaphor that goes with it) when they come.

2. The Bible’s high view on peace (Romans 12:8, Jeremiah 29:7)

We’re not doing the Gospel any favors if we’re fighting all the time.  Pick your battles. Let compassion and the Holy Spirit be at the center of all disagreement.  Some questions to ask yourself that might help with this one:

• If I don’t speak up, (in a compassionate way) is someone’s salvation at stake?
• Am I being pressured into accepting a view or action that would cause me to violate God’s Word?
•   Is my acceptance of a view or action impeding my willingness to carry out The Great Commission to spread the Gospel?

3. Be prepared to defend yourself (1 Peter 3:15)

If the answer is “yes” to any of those things, then by all means engage in winsome apologetics to draw someone into the beauty of the kingdom, remembering that Peter put a condition on this imperative.  

but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

Have you ever walked away from a discussion or debate knowing that you spoke Truth and yet known at the same time that not one word of it pierced the heart and mind of the listener for the Kingdom?  Yea, I’m guilty as charged on that one. It’s because my delivery of that truth was completely devoid of compassion, gentleness, and respect. These things must be part of our toolkit as we engage with a post-truth culture that’s desperate for truth but is deaf to it when presented harshly.  Makes sense, right? If people view the church as full of hate because we don’t affirm and agree with every whim and desire of humanity, then a harsh delivery of truth pretty much confirms that view to the person we’re sharing with.  

Conclusion

I’m fond of saying this: “The further this country gets away from God, the worse things are going to get.”  Things are going to get worse, and the worse it gets, the more the culture around us will need what we have to offer them.  The Gospel.  

As Christians we can be model citizens of the first brand of social tolerance (endurance without interference) without sacrificing the truth of the Gospel in the process.  Like anything else in the Bible that Christ followers are asked to do, it’s just not easy. Expect conflict as our placement of objective truth and morale values upon God flies in the face of the ongoing culture war that says such things don’t exist.  Be effective peacemakers within our neighborhoods and workplaces by choosing our battles wisely. Finally, when those battles do come, defend the faith winsomely, respectfully, and gently to the glory of the One who is eager to welcome all who will come to Him.   Given the stakes, I think that’s something we can all tolerate.

-Written by James Boerner