08/24/2014: CROSSOVER-UNDER CONSTRUCTION

I can think of a thousand things God created that are not good - to name a few mosquitoes, spiders, snakes, brussel sprouts. If we turn back to the beginning of the Old Testament in the book of Genesis, God said that everything He created was good. When He created the heavens and the earth they were good. When He created the birds, fish, horses, giraffes, duck billed platypus all of them are deemed good. The first time we see that something in God’s creation that is not good is in the second chapter of Genesis. “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone.” (Genesis 2:18). It is not good because the man did not have a human companion created for him yet. God created man to be in relationship with each other. He created us to have friends. 

FRIENDS is the 2nd ‘F’ word in our series. God created us to be in community with each other. We built upon that idea as we discussed the challenges of having deep, healthy, long lasting friendships. If God created us that way, why is it so stinking hard to have healthy friendships? Here are the 4 challenges that we came up with:

1. Your friends are Sinners (If you are looking for a perfect friend you will never find one).
2. Your friends are Different (We have church friends, boy friends, girl friends, social media friends, school friends)
3. Your friends are Influences (More than any other people in our life, our friends have a greater impact in shaping who we are. Proverbs 12:16) 
4. Your friends take Energy (Jesus sets the example in JOHN 15:12-13 of what a friendship really looks like)

Remember these by the acronym SIDE - sinners, influences, different, and energy.

Our small groups helped facilitate the conversation about friends. The hope for small groups is to be an avenue of creating healthy, deep, long-lasting friendships that God designed us for. 

Questions for Digging Deeper:

• If a person has over 1000 friends on Facebook or over 250 followers on twitter, or collects a ton of likes on Instagram what does that say about that person? Can a person have that many followers online and still feel lonely?  Revisit this video we watched a couple months ago as a group.  
• How has social media redefined friendships?
• Define the word friend? What is a friend? How do friends function? Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
• What examples do we have in the Bible of friendship? 
• What are the biggest challenges to friendships? Think of a personal example. 
• Who are the friends you have that you need to let go of or pull closer towards?
• READ John 15:12-15. What does Jesus’ example of friendship look like? How does His example of friendship have bearing on your life?

Hannah Bryant (high school ministry volunteer)

Hi I'm Hannah Bryant

I lead the tenth and eleventh grade girls group. We are a pretty crazy, fun group! My husband I moved back to this area in December. We are working on fixing a house that we bought a few months ago. I enjoy cooking while dancing and listening to music. That is probably one of the most enjoyable things for me. I also enjoy camping and hiking. I love reading books almost anything other than sci-fi or horror. Movies that I enjoy are on the side of sentimental. I love working with the students because I like to see them find their passions. I know that Jesus radically changed my life and I like to see how he is affecting them.  

08/17/2014: CROSSOVER-UNDER CONSTRUCTION

The message on Sunday was the second week in our series CROSSOVER-UNDER CONSTRUCTION. The major theme of the night was the first "F" word Faith.  

Middle school service went as planned but that evening the high school kids arrived to the church and the power was out.  The first reaction is always a little anxiety but very quickly the whole group relaxed and ran with it. It was great to meet with the High School students with everything stripped down to 1877 style church. We had the worship led acoustically, which sounded phenomenal and the message was done with the aid of candle light. Andy said it was the best high school service he had been a part of since coming to the Bridge and I completely agree that the simplicity of it all was powerful.

The conversation was kick started with a statistic - 88% of those who attend the church will drop out after they leave High School. We asked the students if that was shocking and why? Most said it was due to their friend groups pulling them away from church. Others addressed the superficiality and gimmicks of youth groups. We so often don’t deal with some of the tougher questions concerning the faith. 

Our goal is to reclaim youth ministry from this idea that bigger is better and that entertainment is the core. We want Jesus to be the core. It all starts with Faith. Andy talked about why we should believe, what we should believe, and how we should believe.  

The main point of the night was faith is hard. Why is faith so hard? 

VERSES: 
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” James 4:8

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: 
• What are the greatest hurdles to Faith? 
• Why do you believe in Jesus? 
• We all know people who don’t believe. Even as a believer I have had some doubts. Why do you or your friends not believe? Is it rational, experiential, a bad experience, a good experience, or not really interested? 
• Do you think if a person took faith serious and sought after God that they would find Him? 
• Read James 4:8. How can we find God? How can we draw close to Him?

Dale Jones (high school ministry volunteer)

I grew up just down the interstate in Sugar Hill, GA.  I grew up being involved in various youth groups but really started to embrace my own faith when I got involved with Young Life in high school.  I transitioned within about six months from a visitor to a student leader, it challenged and excited me in ways I had not experienced in my faith before.  I met my husband Kyle in high school and was unbelievably surprised and delighted to find him as early in life as I did.  We got married in 2008 and have an adorable little dog that we spoil like crazy, his name is Divot.  Kyle and I have been volunteering with the high school ministry here at the Bridge for six and a half years now and it’s been an amazing journey.  I’m so thankful that we’ve been able to serve together.  We’ve been through 2 date/time changes and 3 pastor changes and 1 name change so call us crazy or committed or both.  I truly see God at work in the students here and spending time with them in our high school service is one of my favorite parts of the week.  Jesus is the best thing that has ever happened in my life and I want to do anything I can to help students explore their own faith and build their own relationship with their Savior. 

I am an IT Manager for T-Mobile so while I spend a lot time on conference calls and being in a cubicle I get to help deploy game changing projects to production which can be really exciting.  I also love being able to mentor and grow the members of my team. I am a total nerd for things wireless related and I love being part of such an exciting and dynamic industry.  My hobbies outside of work include dancing, photography, listening to music, reading, crafting, and blogging.  I grew up dancing and was blessed to get to be a Georgette (member of the football dance line) while I attended the University of Georgia.  Go dawgs!!! 

My favorite bands are Imagine Dragons, City and Colour, Emery, Linkin Park, Echosmith, No Doubt, Paramore, and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis.  I’m not a movie buff like my husband but if you ever need a book recommendation I’ve got your back!  

Kyle Jones (high school ministry volunteer)

I'm a language arts and technology teacher by day, and a complete music and cinema nerd by night (or all the time really). I've worked with our high school students for nearly seven years now. Wow! I've loved every moment; God has given me a big heart for teenagers, which is why I volunteer and teach. I'm married to the beautiful and impeccable Dale Jones who is also a high school leader. I have a cool little dog named Divot. (He's a cockapoo, but don't say that to his face; he gets upset.) I'm currently working on a doctorate degree in English education, and much like our ministry proclaims, I believe Jesus is the best thing that ever happened! Alright, quick stats--Favorite Books: Ender's Game, The Reason for God, Child of God, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lord of the Flies... Favorite Movies: The Goonies, Vertigo, Cool Hand Luke, The Neverending Story, Django Unchained, Dumb & Dumber, It's a Wonderful Life (I could go on forever probably)... Favorite Bands: Thrice, Emery, Echosmith, Imagine Dragons, Incubus, Mumford & Sons, Van Halen, and I love some Billy Joel. I'll finish by explaining that the most important experience and trait I think we can give any of our children is to empathize. Jesus is the greatest example we've ever had of what true empathy looks like.

08/10/2014: CROSSOVER-UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Colossians 3:23
“Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men”

The message on Sunday kicked off our new series CROSSOVER-UNDER CONSTRUCTION. The major theme of the night was passion.  We looked at the above verse from the book of Colossians.  If you look at the Greek word for “heartily" it is soul.  This verse is encouraging us to be intentional with our actions and to carry out all tasks big or small with a passion that radiates from within our soul.  It has often been said that the current generation of youth is apathetic.  We have seen the potential within our students when the intent and action are fueled by passion. 

Our sincere hope is that our students will become increasingly more passionate about their faith.  There is a beautiful worship song by Jesus Culture that sums this up well.

“Set a fire down in my soul,
That I can’t contain and I can’t control,
I want more of You God, I want more of You God.”

We asked the students to reflect this week on their passions.  What are they passionate about? Is it a subject in school, a sport, a cause, an art form, etc.?  Once they have recognized their passions and gifts, we want to help them look at how they can use that passion in their everyday lives, in their school, and in their community. Ask yourself what are my passions? 

A Reflection on the Dominican Republic Mission Trip

I'm so excited to post this amazing reflection from one of our students Megan Pruitt (11th Grade Student).

I have a very big God. By my side, by my side.
Day three of our trip in the Dominican, we started running a sports camp at a local park. Our team had been split into different groups to run three-hour long stations, and I was with the crafts group. We had been planning this camp for weeks before we arrived in the DR, but the moment my group walked into the white room filled with twenty-something 8 to 10-year-old girls in plastic chairs, clapping, smiling, and staring at us as they awaited our instruction, our neatly prepared crafts agenda got thrown out the barred window, and the improvising began. After playing “pato, pato, ganso” and attempting to learn the girls’ names, we all gathered in the center of the room and started singing that song.

Tengo un Gran Dios. A mi lado, a mi lado.”
And those words pretty much sum up the trip.
No matter where we were or what we were doing, God was by our side and doing big things.
He was with me day one as I flew across the border and entered a bigger reality. Jesus was the answer as I lay in bed the second night, discouraged by the poverty I had seen and wondering the solution to it all.

God was the topic during devotional time with the kids at the sports camp. As Nadia and Angel met and spoke with women in the streets of Boca Chica. While my dad and Andy taught a bunch of young pastors about theology.

God was bigger than my insecurities when I had to use my three years of Spanish for something way more important than passing a class. He was by my side, letting me learn, when things were awkward and I didn't know what to say.

Jesus was the reason we handed out sandwiches to the window washers and armed guards and gas station workers from the street. Why we played in a dusty, trash-covered field with a group of little kids.

He was bigger than the stars I saw as I stood outside with my dad one night and tried to look for constellations.

He was with my team as we walked through the streets of the local villages, as we met so many people who recognized God as holy but didn’t realize what that made them. As I bought sandals from a lady who believed in the Gospel but didn’t think she was a Christian because the local church said Christians had to wear nice clothes. As we prayed with the Haitian refugee who lived in her house. As he, too, became a Christian.

God was in control as I stumbled over words while explaining what the colors of the beads on our bracelets meant to a circle of children. When I felt completely useless, God was still there.

He was listening as a group of us prayed with a man named Julio who lives in a village for Haitian refugees and uses a wheelchair.  As Julio prayed for us. “My needs are small,” he said, “but their needs are big.” Wow. That was humbling.

The biggest thing I learned in the DR is that God is huge, and powerful, and the only thing that can meet our needs. Jesus is the answer to everything and, I’ve got to say it, the freakin’ best thing that ever happened. The trip was amazing.

Here is a video recap she created using photos and video from the trip:

Back to School Launch and Upcoming Dates

Hey Everyone,

I’m excited about this weekend. The first weekend of Crossover! I’m starting a new series and it will go into the heart and mission of Crossover. I’ll be talking about the 6 F words of Crossover (FAITH, FRIENDS, FOOD, FRUIT, FORCED, and FORGOTTEN). Each of the F words categorizes the students in our group. I want to teach on each of the terms for the next 6 weeks. 

After this 6 week series I plan on jumping into a new series, a study in the book of Jeremiah called Crash Course. The teaching calendar is set up until Christmas. 

I’ve got a few more important dates you will want to put into your calendar:

Corn Maze (Sept 28)

Unplugged MS retreat (Nov 21-23)

I’ll give you more details about the events in the coming weeks. I’m looking forward to serving with you this fall. Praying for an amazing school year that we get to see God use each of you. Thanks

Andy Bedford

Student Pastor

The Bridge Church

Middle School Crossover will be doing it's second annual UNPLUGGED retreat November 21-23. The location of camp will be an upgrade from last year. We will be at the Woodlands Camp in Cleveland, GA. Here is the website for Woodlands so you can get a feel for it.

http://www.woodlandscamp.org

More details to follow in the coming weeks...

Andy Bedford (MS & HS Youth Pastor)

This is the first in our series of leaders posts to help you get to know the staff and volunteers that are working with your kids.  We'll post a new leader each week.  First up is our amazing student pastor Andy Bedford!

In Christ,

The Crossover Leadership Team

Power of Prayer

Thanks to all the students and leaders who came out tonight to pray over one another and the ministry. The evening was an awesome outpouring of love for our God and one another. Remember, next Sunday is our big back-to-school launch. Invite a friend and come enjoy the festivities as we all get ready for an exciting new year. We can't wait to see what God has in store for Crossover @ The Bridge Atlanta this year!

Next Meeting: Sunday, August 10th 6PM -- Back-to-School Launch!

Follow us on Twitter! @crossoverga

Next Post: Get some insight into our youth pastor, Andy Bedford. The next post will provide part of his testimony and his vision for the ministry.

In Christ,

The Crossover Leadership Team