Friday Focus

Kids at school are saying, "We want more God time."

Survey Says...

In a recent student survey on campus, numerous kids in grades 5-8 made the following suggestion for improving the school: let's have chapel every day, we want our small group to meet more often, we want more time to be with God. (Of course, this was right up there with the expected suggestions that they be given less homework and everyday should be free dress!)

This repeated suggestion does speak volumes of their spiritual maturity, though!

When I read through their responses, I wasn't expecting suggestions like this. This goes in direct opposition to the "all about me" attitude of running to the car to ride in the front seat ("SHOTGUN!") and being the first in line to eat.

In a recent article, Mark Devires in his book Family-Based Youth Ministry: Reaching the Been-There, Done-That Generation has found that most young people who disaffiliate with their church do so by the time that they have become 16 years old.

Research has confirmed that those youth who drop out of church don't do it when they leave for college, like many people assume. They do it while they are still in high school--they act on a decision that was made a year or more in advance.

So when I hear kids talking about wanting their small group to meet more often and that they want more time to be with God, I only hope and pray that in just a matter of a year or two something hasn't happened to make them change the way they feel...that church is no longer relevant for me; God isn't for me anymore; I'm checking out.

What can we do to continue to foster this desire that kids have to want to get closer to God?

I don't have all the answers yet, but you can be assured that a lot of my time is going to be invested in implementing their suggestions in this area.

Here's how we can work together to foster a desire for a closer relationship with God:

• Pray for them!
• Encourage them in their 60-day Challenge--spending a little time every day reading their Bible and having a daily hang time with God for 60 days. Ask them what they're reading. Ask them how their journaling is going. Ask them what they think God is trying to teach them. Maybe even join them with their 60-Day Challenge?
• Support the commitments they make.
• Join me in planning how to best meet their needs. I'd love to hear your ideas or suggestions, too. Please contact me by phone or by email.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

See photos of our chapels and small groups...

Trunk N Treat

On Monday evening, October 31, families are invited to Trunk N Treat. This is a a safe alternative event for kids and adults alike.

We'll have face painting, pumpkin carving, games, lots of food, and sweets, of course. At the end of the evening kids will go from trunk to treat of everyone's car to get "goodies."

Join the fun by decorating your trunk, stock up on some "goodies" to give away and join us from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in the rear parking lot of 363 El Camino Real, South San Francisco, CA 94080.

Map to Trunk N Treat...

50's Day a Big Hit!

We celebrated our 50th day at school this past Tuesday with a 50's Day celebration.

Jeans, slicked back hair, and scarves could be found all over campus. Music from the 50's played while kids participated in four events reminiscent of the 50's: jump roping, bubble gum blowing, hula hoops, and shooting spit wads! Kids never expected their principal to give them bubble gum at school, let alone shoot spit wads at the wall! When it was all over the boys got 168 spit wads on the wall while the girls got 132.

Music from the 50's...

Operation Christmas Child

Collection Week: November 14

The shoe boxes need to be returned to school by Monday, November 14, 2005. We will take them to a nearby collection center.

These boxes will reach children and families around the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Countless lives will be changed as a result of our generosity.

For more information about Operation Christmas Child, check out their website (link below):

More About Operation Christmas Child...

Compassion He Didn't Deserve

Almost a year ago now, a handful of teen-agers put a series of dreadful events in motion. They stole a credit card. Then they used it to buy some DVDs and video games. Next they went to a grocery store and bought a series of items. And they hit the road. The worst event of the night was yet to come.

From the backseat of the car, one of them got the bright idea of throwing some of the things in the grocery sack at vehicles in the oncoming lane of traffic. One of the missiles he launched was a 20-pound frozen turkey! It doesn't take a genius to figure out the lethal damage something so heavy and so hard could do at highway speeds. One could only hope nobody was hit by it.

Victoria Ruvolo was unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at that terribly wrong time. The frozen bird came crashing through the windshield of her car and hit her flush in the face--shattering every bone in Ms. Ruvolo's face. She somehow survived her injuries! Then came two weeks of drug-induced coma, several surgeries, and months of rehabilitation. She suffers several permanent impairments from the trauma she suffered that night in November 2004.

Last week she saw the young man who did her such harm for the first time. She was in court to witness the sentencing of 19-year-old Ryan Cushing. With the multiple felony charges initially lodged against him for the attack, Cushing could have been sentenced to as many as 25 years in prison.

He got only six months in jail and five years probation. Now before you go ballistic about the leniency and irresponsibility of our courts, you need to know that Ms. Ruvolo is the person responsible for the light sentence. She pressed the district attorney to temper justice with compassion--in the hope that Ryan won't lose his adult years in prison because of his stupid, criminal behavior that night.

After sentence was pronounced, Ryan approached his victim to apologize. She embraced him and tried to comfort him while he sobbed his remorse. Although Ruvolo made no statement to the press, the boy's lawyer said she whispered to Ryan that she loves him and wants him to behave and enjoy his life.

"Had she taken a different position than she did," he said, "my client would have been incarcerated for many years. This to me is a very spiritual thing."

Maybe Ryan learned that "turkey toss" is not a cute prank for the highway. And maybe the rest of us can be reminded that the mercy we have all received from God and other important people in our lives opens creative new options.

--Rubel Shelly