Small Group

In our last blog post, we mistakenly posted on this coming week's curriculum. So, the lesson on work is for this Wednesday, October 9. Please refer to last week's blog for the information on this study. Last week, we talked about being "Created to Relate". In this lesson, we looked at how we reflect God through our relationships. God intended for humanity to be a growing, multiplying community of people who brings glory to Him. As people made in His image, we were made to relate to God, to one another, and to the world around us. Because of sin, we fail to relate rightly to God, to each other, and to the world. But through the work of Jesus Christ, the restoration of our relationships is accomplished. Since your student already talked through this with their small group leader, here are some good questions to ask:

1. What are some signs of a self-centered relationship? With friends? With family? With God?

2. What is the difference in a marriage that is built on a relationship with God and one that is not?

3. Do you consider your relationship with God to be your most important relationship? Why or why not?

Club

There is not Club this Sunday, October 6 due to the Bridges Event at Heinz Field. This event is for every family at OHC. If you aren't registered or don't have information, please go to www.orchardhillchurch.com - we'd love to see you there!

Week Beginning 9/29

Club
We are beginning a brand new series called "Ruled". For three weeks, we will look at some of the famous parables Jesus taught through and this concept of being ruled: the thing that gives us worth, controls us, and determines our significance. We are going to look at a common theme in them; that people are broken and let themselves be "ruled" by the things of this world, but that Jesus has done something for them that they can't do for themselves - that we are created to be "ruled" by Jesus.

This week we are looking at the parable of the Good Samaritan; a story many are familiar with, but few have actually been changed by. We are going to look at how God calls us to love the poor and brokenhearted, but not because we feel guilty or because the Bible says so, but because Jesus has loved us when we were poor, broken, had nothing to offer. Our hope is that students will walk away from Club asking themselves if they've truly been changed by what Jesus has done for them. And if so, how would somebody looking at their life know that?

Questions
1. What is something you learned about the Good Samaritan that you didn't know before?
2. What rules you most in your life? How do you know that?
3. How do you respond to Jesus's call to love the poor and brokenhearted?

Small Group
This week, we are looking at how we are "created to work". We will think a lot about the garden of Eden and how God created us to serve him through work. Through sin, work has become toilsome, exhausting, and obligatory. But, as God's children, we are created to serve him in our work with joy and thanksgiving. This will be interesting for students to think about because they don't yet have careers. Schoolwork is a clear comparison to "work" - something to be done for a goal and purpose - their "occupation" if you will. We will then learn about how since Jesus died to redeem us from our sins, we are able to live in freedom and serve God in our work firstly because it doesn't define us and secondly because we are so grateful for what He did that we can't help but serve him in gratitude.

Questions
1. What do you consider "work" in your life?
2. When is the last time this felt toilsome?
3. How can you glorify God in this place? Specific examples.

A great idea would be to set goals with one another - you set a goal in how to glorify God in your work and your student can set a goal in glorifying God in their work.

Thanks for reading and for your partnership in the gospel as a parent of a student in our church. Please, never hesitate to contact us with questions or to share about what God is doing in your child's heart.

In Christ,
OHC Student Ministry Team

This week in High School Ministry:

Club
Sunday night is the final message in our series called "Get Real" on Biblical community. We are going to talk about how true, Biblical community is humble. Has someone ever sat you down to say, "Hey, I'm concerned about this in your life." It is not an easy thing to hear - even if you know it's true. Our natural response to that is defensiveness. We start justifying why we are living a certain way, why we made a certain mistake, or why we handled something the way we did. We are self-protective people and it is not natural for us to receive accountability openly. Why? Because we are broken. That means our hearts don't work the way they're supposed to. So, what happens? We try to find fulfillment, worth, and value in the things of this world - relationships, jobs, school, sports, and friends. When we put so much weight into those things, we inevitably start treating them as a means to an end, which makes it impossible to navigate life healthily. This is where accountability from community becomes so important! When we know and understand the depth of brokenness in our hearts, we are then able to choose and trust the importance of accountability in our lives because we can't trust our hearts to choose what is good and true. All that said, the only way we can live in healthy, honest, and accountable community is by choosing humility. Only when we are able to humbly look at our hearts and say, "Because of my brokenness, I don't always know what is best or true," are we able to truly receive accountability from community that points us towards Truth in Christ; Truth that says relationships, jobs, school, sports, and friends were never meant to be the thing to give you fulfillment, value, or worth. What I've done for you does that! The way I love you does that! And suddenly, we're able to navigate relationships, jobs, school, sports, and friends in a healthier manner and love people well. And why/how can we choose humility? Because when we rightly see ourselves before God, we realize there is nothing we can do to get rid of our sin - but rather, it has been done for us. That should bring us to our knees every time we consider it - no matter how long we've known Christ.

Questions post-Club:
1. What did you learn tonight that you haven't thought about before?
2. Why do you think it's so hard to be humble?
3. Share: Share with your child the last time it was hard for you to be humble and why. Maybe think of a time when they were involved. It's important for students to see their parents choose humility and repentance!
4. It's so hard to choose to be humble. How can we do that?

Small Group
This coming Wednesday, we will look at how we reflect God through our relationships. God intended for humanity to be a growing, multiplying community of people who brings glory to Him. As people made in His image, we were made to relate to God, to one another, and to the world around us. Because of sin, we fail to relate rightly to God, to each other, and to the world. But through the work of Jesus Christ, the restoration of our relationships is accomplished.

Questions post-small group:
1. When's the last time you had a problem in a relationship (friend, family member, etc.)
2. What did you learn about what God wants for relationships? What did he create them to look like?

Thanks for reading and for your partnership in the gospel as parents of students in our church. Please, never hesitate to contact us with questions or to share about what God is doing in your child's heart.

In Christ,
The OHC Student Ministry Team

Week Beginning 9-15

Club

This week at Club, we continue the series entitled "Get Real". We are talking all about God's plan for Biblical community. Students live in a world where community is inauthentic, unaccountable, and undervalued. We believe that God teaches us that true, Biblical community is authentic, accountable, and extremely valuable. This week, we continue the series by looking at how true community is accountable. 

When the Bible talks about the church, we are painted a picture of broken people following Jesus. This means broken people knowing and understanding the depth of their sin and their desperation for a savior. What happens when we receive the love and forgiveness of the cross? Our lives are changed. We don't follow God's good law because we can make ourselves acceptable to Him, but rather, we are acceptable to Him and follow his law because of what Jesus has done for us. This is a subtle but drastic difference in understanding the gospel. So, if our life change happens out of a changed heart, then the decisions we make and how we act as Christians directly corresponds to our understanding of how broken we are. If we truly understand how deceitful our hearts really are, then we would be clinging to accountability in all directions.

Now picture your student living in community without accountability. Maybe your child makes a decision to start having sex with his or her significant other. Or, maybe your child begins to treat people poorly - not inviting certain people to hang out, saying hurtful words, or spreading rumors about a peer -  in order to feel better about themselves. Or maybe your student decides to start dressing promiscuously or drinking alcohol for attention. Imagine that every other student in your child's life watched these things happen and never sat your child down to say, "Hey, I'm worried about these decisions you're making. Want to let me know what's going on in your heart? I'd like to share what Jesus says about these things. He loves you and offers life that is so much fuller than anything you're chasing right now." Accountability matters not to make us "better Christians" but to remind us of how deceitful the world and our hearts are, and how much grace and love Jesus offers despite that. God then uses Biblical community to draw us closer to Himself and help us pursue good, beautiful, and true things. That is a picture of healthy, true community.

Questions for this week:

1. What does God say about accountability?

2. Who is one person in your life who you feel accountable to in your faith?

3. ENCOURAGE: Instead of asking another question, take a chance to encourage your student. Tell them where you have seen them make a decision to choose the things of God instead of the things of the world (this could be as small as choosing to be kind to a sibling when they could've been hurtful). Encouragement is powerful and important.

Small Group

This coming Wednesday, September 18, we will begin brand new curriculum. This year, we are going to study through three units how God is the Father, Son, and Spirit. Seems vague, but basically, we want students to learn that because God is these things, we are created to reflect, relate, work, rest, and rule. Let's start with just this week: "Created to Reflect".

This week, we will study about how humanity does three things:

1. Reflects God

2. Is distorted

3. Glorifies God

One of the main ideas we want students to take away is the understanding that despite what culture may say or whatever they tell themselves about their own identity and self-worth, the fact is that they, along with the rest of humanity, are created in God's image, intended to reflect and mirror God with all of who they are. Regardless of how young or how old, regardless of their color or gender, regardless of their socio-economic status or what they have done in life, everyone is created in God's image.

Questions for this week:

1. How can seeing others as image-bearers change the way you see and treat people?

2. How does knowing the purpose for why you were created change the way you see your gifts? What is one gift God has given you? (caring for people, music, hobbies, being outgoing, etc.)

Hey HS Parents! Here is what we think should be on your radar this week:

Club 9/8 - Tonight, we're beginning a series called "Get Real". This series is all about community and what type of community God has created us for. Our students live in a world that is inauthentic. Social media has capitalized on this, and suddenly, they're operating in a society where they can edit their thoughts, manage the way they are perceived, and not be forced to have any true, face-to-face relationships. Tonight, will be specifically looking at how students are surrounded by community that is inauthentic, and how they are created for community that is honest, selfless, and encouraging. Here are some great questions to ask your student after club (or anytime during this series):

1. What did you learn about community?
2. Do you feel like your friends really know you? Who knows you best and why?
3. What do you think is one thing you're missing in your community?

Small Group 9/11 - On Wednesday, our small groups will kick off! The very first small group is a connection group. The students won't be going through any sort of curriculum this night, but rather just have fun with one another and get to know any new students. Your job is to encourage them to come - this is a really important group - and then ask some helpful questions afterwards:

1. What was the best part of small group tonight?
2. Who were you most excited to see tonight?
3. What are you looking forward to in small group this year?

Thank you, for the honor and privilege of serving your students at this place and time! Please continue to check the blog each Friday evening and, as always, call or email any student ministry staff at any time!

In Christ,
Sam Norris & Brandon Rickard

Welcome Parents!

This year, OHC Student Ministry is offering a blog. This is different from the Parent Newsletter because it will be a more frequent, interactive outlet. The blog will update each Friday and offer the following:

1. Small Group lesson for the coming week and questions you can be asking your student.
2. Club lesson for the coming week and questions you can be asking your student.
3. Upcoming events/serving opportunities for your student.

That's it. Instead of bombarding you with frequent emails about small group and Club, this is the place you can receive all the information you need and be plugged into what your student is learning about Jesus! Thanks for reading.

OHC Student Min Team