THEPARENTLINK ODD For God October 2016 FOR PARENTS OF FPC TEENS Dear Parents: Can you believe it’s October already? It seems like the days are flying by! As your O4G Leadership Team, we are so blessed to work with your children on a weekly basis and see the love and passion they have in their hearts for Jesus! I’m super excited that this month our Sunday Gathering classes are diving into the books of Ruth and Job. In doing so, they are going to answer some really important questions: Why trust God? (Ruth 1:1-18), How does God protect me? (Ruth 2:1-21), Will God really provide what I need? (Ruth 4:1-15), Why Me? (Job 1:1-2:10), and Is it okay to doubt? (Job 23:1-17). Our teachers are looking forward to engaging students in conversation about these issues that everyone wrestles with from time to time. If your student is in high school and schedules allow, we would love to have them join us on Sunday nights for Grow Groups. They are a great way for students to build community with one another while seeing the relevance of the Scriptures for their lives today. Guys’ group meets in the Student Center, and girls’ group meets at Cheryl Ireland’s house. I hope you’ve been receiving our weekly e-mail newsletter with up-to-the-minute info and Wednesday night discussion starters for your family. If not, please send me an e-mail so we can add you to our list. You and your family are continually in our prayers! Love in Christ, Tommy-Lee WHAT? O4G is for all students in 6 th -12 th grade. WHEN & WHERE? Sundays at 9:30am & Wednesdays 6:30-8pm + Special events and retreats, FPC Student Center Stay up to date with all the latest student happenings! Share your email address with [email protected] And be sure to pick up a “Students” brochure in the Narthex or Youth Center. O4GYouth O4GYouth O4G FPC Douglasville 4 Steps To Help A Stressed Teenager by Kara Powell October Happenings Know a stressed teenager? Me too. Lots of them. Evidence is mounting that this generation of young people experiences more stress than any previous generation. Not only that, but teenage stress is starting to reach adult levels. According to a recent survey of 1000 young people ages 13-17 conducted by the American Psychological Association, more than 27% report feeling “extreme stress” in the last year, a number that exceeds adults’ self-reported stress levels. Here’s a more nuanced look at the stress young people report: • Unsurprising to anyone who’s spent time with a teenager recently, the effort required to manage time and balance activities is a "somewhat" or "very significant" stressor to 59% of the young people surveyed. • Stress is affecting young people physically. Over 32% of respondents say they experience headaches because of stress. • Unfortunately, only about 37% of the teenagers surveyed exercise or walk to manage stress. More common are less healty healthy activities, such as playing video games (46%) and spending time online (43%). What can you do to help a stressed teenager? Beware of what your own stress is communicating. Whether you are a leader or a parent (or both), kids pick up on our stress, and it can increase their own. Ask them how they are feeling about their schedule and pace. This is a question I regularly ask my 13 year-old son to understand the demands on his time and focus, and navigate potential overloads. If you’re a parent, talk with your family about specific ways your home can be less stressful. Maybe it means getting more prepared for school the night before, or putting on mellow music right before dinner or bedtime, or creating a weekly schedule that’s in your kitchen so everyone knows what each day holds. Help them say “no.” Kids are even worse at saying “no” than adults because they don’t want to miss out. Help them say “no” to activities and invitations that are good but not great. 2 nd - Sunday Gathering, 9:30am - Middle School Bowling @ Thunderzone, 1-3pm - HS Grow Groups, 6pm 5 th - Midweek Gathering, 6:30pm 9 th - Sunday Gathering, 9:30am 12 th - Midweek Gathering, 6:30pm 16 th - Sunday Gathering, 9:30am - HS Grow Groups, 6pm 17 th - Confirmands Meet With Session, 6:45pm 19 th - Midweek Gathering, 6:30pm 21 st - HS Mystery Outing, 6pm 23 rd - Sunday Gathering, 9:30am - Grow Groups, 6pm 26 th - Harvest Festival 30 th - Sunday Gathering, 9:30am - Grow Groups, 6pm