An Italian Christmas at CrosStone

CrosStone will be celebrating Christmas this year with an Italian flair.  We invite all 6th through 8th grade students of Greenbrier Church to attend our Italian Christmas Dinner Party on Wednesday, Decemer 15, 2010 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.  In true Italian tradition, there will be lots of food,  fun and festivities as we explore the Christmas traditions of Italy! 

Dress in your Christmas finery and be sure to bring a hearty appetite and a $5 gift for the gift exchange. 

Call Jeff or Debbie Carlucci (546-1067) for more information.

“Modest doubt is called the beacon of the wise. ” (William Shakespeare)

Everyone has moments of doubt. We doubt if we are heading in the right direction when going someplace new. We doubt if that low-fat snack is really as healthy as it claims to be. We doubt if the people in our lives really care about us—even in spite of the evidence that they do. And sometimes our doubts are about God. Can we trust God? Does God really have our best in mind? What does a particular Bible verse actually mean?

When questions arise, they can be a little unsettling, especially questions about faith. But what if God was big enough to handle the questions? He is. What if God was secure enough to handle our uncertainty? He is. And what if doubt actually paved the way to a deeper belief, a stronger relationship with Christ? It can.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT:

The following is a summary of what we’ll be talking about in CrosStone for the next two weeks.  Listed below the summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

 Session One (November 10, 2010)

 You know those nagging questions that seem to linger in the back of your mind? The ones you hesitate to ever speak out loud, admit you have or let anyone else know you think? Questions like: “Does God hear me when I pray?” “Does He have a plan for my life?” “Does God really have everything under control?” Questions and doubts can be unsettling if they are left unsaid. We begin to think we are alone in our doubt, and often our doubts only grow until they paralyze our faith. But when we learn to admit our doubts openly, we learn that we are not the only ones—that everyone deals with questions. And when we learn to live with doubt, doubt can be a tool that strengthens our faith.

Session One Parent Cue: Do you ever have doubts about God? If so, what are they? What do you do with them—vocalize them or keep them to yourself?

 Session Two (November 17, 2010)

 It’s one thing to recognize that doubt can strengthen faith—but HOW do you get there? How do you handle a doubt that you just can’t seem to move past? One way is to look back. When you look back, you draw on the things you do know to help you live through the things you don’t know or can’t understand. When you remember the things that God has shown you, you remind yourself of a bigger picture that can help you deal with the close-up situation at hand. The ways you have learned about or experienced God in your past are still true in the present, and can be used to pave the way to belief now—in spite of and in the midst of doubt.

Session Two Parent Cue:  What are some things that God has taught you in the past about Himself? How can those things specifically help you with the doubts you now have?

GodView

              

What comes to mind when you think about God? Who do you believe God is? How do you believe God interacts with you personally and with your world? These are questions we are going to be addressing in CrosStone over the next three weeks. You see, every one of us has a Godview whether we think about it or not. For many of us, it’s just a vague impression formed when we were younger. For some, it’s an image of Someone against whom we have a strong resistance. For others, God is personal and mysterious, offering an adventure to anyone ready to pursue a relationship with Him. While we can never really know everything about God—because He’s that big and that mysterious—the things we can learn about Him shape the way we respond to whatever life brings. That’s why author A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

The following is a summary of what we’ll be teaching in CrosStone during the month of October.  Listed below each summary is a “parent cue” to help you dialog with your child about the session. The question is intended not just to be asked by you, but to be responded to by BOTH of you. Use this opportunity to find out what God is teaching your child, and allow your child to see what God is teaching you as well.

 

Session One (October 6)

No matter who we are, we all have a Godview. And the way we think about God affects how we interact with our world. Many people struggle because they have a negative or distorted view of God. This first week, we will take a look at the life of one of Jesus’ closest followers who struggled for the very same reason. In the end, we want to challenge students to begin to see how their view of God shapes the way they live.

Parent Cue:  Both of you grab a piece of paper, and take three minutes to write down all the things that come to mind when you hear the word “God.” Both of you be honest, and don’t just write the words that you think you should. There’s no grade for this!

Session Two (October 13)

Many of us have a distorted Godview because we think God’s primary goal is either for us to be good or for us to be happy. While there may be some truth in those statements, if we see those as His primary goals, then we walk through life with remarkable–and self-made–expectations. Then, when those expectations aren’t met, our faith is shattered and destroyed. This week, we want students to see that following God is bigger than our expectations. Following God requires surrendering control.

 

Parent Cue:  When you think about the things you pray for or about, or the verses you hang on to, or even the way you perceive God, are those all based on your own personal happiness? How would our prayers and likes look different if we were more concerned about surrendering control?

 

Session Three (October 20)

The tendency for each one of us is to think we have God all figured out. But this week is about one simple truth—we don’t. This week we want students to see how the more they come to know God, the more they will realize they’ll never really know Him completely. There is always more of God to know. He’s that big, that mysterious, that amazing. At the close of this series, we hope your student will walk away with the desire to pursue a relationship with God and to know God more every day.

 

Parent Cue: What is mysterious to you about God? Is it comforting or frightening to know there are things about God we don’t have figured out? Why or why not?

 

 

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DON’T MISS THE  

CROSSTONE FALL RETREAT 2010

TRIPLE R RANCH

CHESAPEAKE, VIRGINIA

OCTOBER 22-24, 2010

Do you ever have trouble defending your faith or explaining your faith to others?  It’s a common problem for all ages!  At the CrosStone Fall retreat, our speaker, a Bible and Apologetics teacher at a local Christian school will be giving us a crash course designed to teach us just that.  We will be using I Peter 3:15 as our leading verse for the weekend:

But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.

 

Come prepared for an awesome weekend of fun and fellowship as we meet the challenge of the low ropes course, climb the rock wall, have a bonfire, go on a horse drawn hayride, and,  yes, for those who were with us last year, we WILL be playing WallyBall!

The cost is $75.00.  (For those who participated in serving at the Applebee’s Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser, this cost will be reduced by $50.00, so only $25.00 will be due for the retreat!)  Please make your checks payable to Greenbrier Church and turn in the Release Forms (which can be obtained at CrosStone on Wednesday night) with your checks by October 10, 2010.

We are anticipating a great weekend!  If you have any questions, please call Jeff or Debbie Carlucci at 546-1067.

 

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CrosStone Fall Retreat on the Horizon

Do you ever have trouble defending your faith or explaining your faith to others?  It’s a common problem for all ages!  At the CrosStone Fall retreat, our speaker, a Bible and Apologetics teacher at a local Christian school, will be giving us a crash course designed to teach us just that.  We will be using    I Peter 3:15 as our leading verse for the weekend:

                   But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. 

Come prepared for an awesome weekend of fun and fellowship as we meet the challenge of the low ropes course, climb the rock wall, have a bonfire, go on a horse drawn hayride, and,  yes, for those who were with us last year, we WILL be playing WallyBall!

The cost is $75.00.  (For those who participated in serving at the Applebee’s Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser, this cost will be reduced by $50.00, so only $25.00 will be due for the retreat!)  Please make your checks payable to Greenbrier Church and turn in the attached Release Forms with your checks by October 10, 2010. 

We are anticipating a great weekend!  If you have any questions, please call Jeff or Debbie Carlucci at 546-1067.

WinterJam Concert Postponed!

The CrosStone group will not be attending the WinterJam 2010 concert tonight, as the concert has been postponed until March 3, 2010, due to the snow.   We hope you will all take the opportunity to stay safe and warm at home, and have a great evening with your family. Play a game, watch a movie together (complete with popcorn, of course!) or just do whatever your family likes to do.

Remember our lesson about creating “margin” in our lives?  Well, God just created some for you!  Take advantage of it, and enjoy the evening.  See you Wednesday!

Soup Kitchen Outreach Cancelled

The CrosStone outreach to the Oasis Soup Kitchen, originally scheduled for Saturday, January 30th, has been cancelled due to the predicted heavy (for our area!) snowfall. When talking with the director of the ministry, she assured me that she did not wish to endanger any of our students and that the ministry has a backup plan in line so that the hungry will indeed be fed. We will reschedule our service just as soon as they have another opening.

CrosStone Upcoming Events

The weekend of January 30th and 31st will be a busy one for CrosStone youth.  On Saturday, we will serve lunch to the homeless at the Oasis Soup Kitchen in Portsmouth.  Please meet us at the church at 10:00 and we will drive to the soup kitchen together and prepare to be the hands and feet of Christ as we serve others.  If you haven’t already turned in your permission form, please call Debbie Carlucci @ 546-1067 and leave a message letting us know you will be attending.   After we prepare, serve and clean up from the lunch at Oasis, we will stop at a local fast food restaurant and have lunch together.   Be sure to bring your lunch money!

On Sunday, January 31st, we will meet at the church at 3:00 to head out to the Winter Jam 2010 concert at Norfolk Scope.   The cost is $10 (cash) at the door.   We will return to the church between 10:00 and 10:30 p.m.  Invite your parents, siblings and friends–all are welcome!

This is always an amazing concert, so plan to be there!  To find out more details about the concert, go to www.hearitfirst.com/WinterJam/default.aspx.  

Hot Chocolate + Cookies + Friends = Warmth on a Cold Night

I can’t believe its been three weeks since we were last together at our CrosStone Christmas party!  It will be great to see everyone tomorrow night.  We’re looking forward to kicking off the new year with challenging ourselves to extreme growth in our relationship with God.  Top that off with cookies and hot chocolate, and we’re in for a great night.

CrosStone Christmas Party

Just a reminder that the CrosStone youth will be having their annual Christmas party on Wednesday, December 9th, from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.  Continuing in our tradition of “Christmas Around the World”, this year’s celebration will highlight Christmas in the Philippines.    Having the Parroco’s heading up the event will ensure true Philippine authenticity in our  festivities and cuisine!

The only things you need to bring are an expectancy of a great night and a small, wrapped gift for the gift exchange (valued at approximately $5.00).

Please plan to arrive on time so that we will have plenty of time for feasting and celebrating the birth of Christ!  Looking forward to seeing all of our CrosStone Youth at the party!

Nor’easter didn’t put a damper on CrosStone Outreach!

Our church family should be very proud of our CrosStone students.   In the midst of a dreary, rainy afternoon, fifteen smiling, cheerful CrosStoners arrived at Chesapeake Commons ready to serve the elderly residents.   They assisted residents in filling out “What I am thankful for” leaves to decorate a Tree of Thanksgiving, which we made as a reminder to these seniors that they do indeed have much for which to be thankful.  Many acted as waiters, serving food to those who attended the dinner, as well as delivering meals directly to the apartments of residents who were physically unable to attend.  Others prepared and served beverages, and at the end of the event, the kids helped with the cleanup.

I was priviledged to stand back at times, just watching the interaction of our youth with these seniors.  They were polite, respectful and in general brought great joy to these residents, many of whom do not have much occasion to spend time with young people.  I watched as our youth talked and laughed with residents, helped them with walkers and wheelchairs and took care of anything else that they saw was needed.  Over and over, I was called aside by residents expressing their gratitude and pleasure at having our young people come out to assist them with their Veteran’s Day/Thanksgiving dinner.   This morning, I was called by the manager of Chesapeake Commons requesting copies of pictures that I took so that they could be published in their monthly newsletter.

What can I say, other than, “Well done, CrosStone students, well done!”

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