http://parents.ncbcsrhigh.org I strive to post things NCBC parents of teens will find useful and perhaps other parents as well. Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:08:20 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en   Yesterday, Pastor Erin preached a great sermon about living in the sweet spot which balances grace and truth.   He shared how some of us are wired to be more harsh, or “truth oriented” and others naturally are overly “grace oriented” so that we relax our standards. It made me think of ... http://parents.ncbcsrhigh.org/archives/167 The other day my 14 year old Brenda and I were essentially stranded in our mini-van for an hour, fully expecting to be bored.  On a whim, I said five words that transformed our time into one of our most meaningful conversations ever! "Let's ask each other questions."   It was that simple.  What followed ... http://parents.ncbcsrhigh.org/archives/161 I blogged about a suggested parental response to the day of silence on my personal reflections blog at http://pastormark.ncbcsrhigh.org/2008/03/07/47/ http://parents.ncbcsrhigh.org/archives/156 I was invited to come to the Families On Target ABF this past Sunday morning at 9:20 in room 128.  It was a great experience.  If you're a parent of a teen--and you come on Sunday mornings--this would be a super place to plug in for encouragement, fellowship, and study.  ... http://parents.ncbcsrhigh.org/archives/154 In last Saturday's Gazette, in the Faith & Values section, I was interviewed with regard to how Facebook can be a ministry tool.  I thought you parents would be interested to hear my thoughts on this subject, since most of you are probably faced with the Facebook issue in your ... http://parents.ncbcsrhigh.org/archives/149 I want to explain to parents why we divide our youth group up into four "Quads" every 1st and 3rd Wednesday. Definition of Quads.  Quads are simply the Sr. High large youth group broken down into four mid-sized groups.  In New Covenant terminology, it's moving from the Front Porch to the ... http://parents.ncbcsrhigh.org/archives/144 I'd like to take this opportunity to welcome the parents of the new freshmen.   I've really enjoyed getting to know many of the new students this summer through our "8 Great Escapes" as well as the Canoe Trip and last Wednesday's Bonfire.  You've obviously produced some pretty amazing offspring and I consider ... http://parents.ncbcsrhigh.org/archives/142 Summertime is here and that means that there will be LOTS of get-togethers and activities among the youth group members.   Some will be sponsored by our youth group, such as the upcoming "8 Great Escapes."  Others events will spontaneously be generated by students or parents and may or may not ... http://parents.ncbcsrhigh.org/archives/140  Each year we invite all parents of teens to join us in Sr. High for a few weeks to foster understanding and insight between the generations.   The dates this year are June 10, 17, and 24.  Please join us at 6:45 or come earlier if you want to worship with ... http://parents.ncbcsrhigh.org/archives/138 I want to share Two Powerful Words I learned years ago from my friend Brian Carroll that every parent should know and use.  But first: one word not to use. When parents use the word "why" it almost always backfires, resulting in defensiveness, anger and frustration.  Billy, why are you so disrespectful to ... http://parents.ncbcsrhigh.org/archives/136