en-us To love God and to love others http://hpstudents.org http://hpstudents.org/img/header.jpg http://hpstudents.org Join other Juniors and Seniors with off campus privileges for Wired Student Ministry's "Dollar Day Lunch!" On December 12 from Noon to 12:45, bring a friend and bring one buck to Hiland Park Baptist Church for lunch! If you have any questions, please contact the Student Ministry Office at 850.785.6530. All teenagers will meet Friday, December 19 at 5:30 PM in the Upper Room to create baskets for Homebound members! We'll deliver these baskets and sing Christmas Carols while at their home! We will have a pizza dinner before we leave the church. Cost is $3. If you have any questions, please contact the Student Ministry Office at 850.785.6530. The Senior Class of 2009 and Hiland Park Collegiate Ministries will travel to Gatlinburg, TN for their Winter Ski Trip from December 28 to December 31! A $60 deposit by December 10th reserves your spot. If you have any questions, please contact the Student Ministry Office at 850.785.6530. Love God! Love Truth! Love Music! Air1Radio was launched in 1995 with the goal of reaching people young at heart with the message of Jesus through music that was hard to find on other radio stations. Follow this link www.air1.com to listen to Air1Radio online. Science has now caught up with what parents of teens have known for eons: Teenagers are more emotional than rational. The mood swings may have a biological base. Research now indicates that key parts of the brain related to integrating emotions with judgment (that is self-control and thinking ahead) are the last to develop. That means the emotional centers of the brain are better developed in teens than the rational ones. The bottom line is that regulating strong emotions is flat-out difficult for teenagers. Read the rest of the article by following this link http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D165836%252526M%25253D200810%2C00.html Written by Tian Dayton Tian Dayton, Ph.D., is the author of recovery bestseller "It’s My Life: A Power Book for Teens." Dr. Dayton is a counselor in private practice and the director of the New York Psychodrama Training Institute at Caron. This article first appeared in Living with Teenagers, published by LifeWay Christian Resources. In Parenting the Postmodern Teen (Part 1) http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D166288%252526M%25253D200809%2C00.html? parents looked at the postmodern mind and how teens reject ultimate standards. In part 2 parents will discover how postmodern teens value stories and can be launched into young adulthood by learning to connect God’s story in their own lives. The Power of a Good Story Postmodern students also are more biblically illiterate and less connected to the church than past generations. Over the last century, our culture has moved farther and farther away from a Judeo-Christian foundation. While we have seen major events increase the gap between church and state (like the removal of state sponsored prayer in schools), more subtle things also have been at work. Read the rest of Parenting the Postmodern Teen (Part 2) http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D166335%252526M%25253D200810%2C00.html Written by Rick Morton The postmodern teen faces stakes that are higher than they were when their parents were teens, and there are unique challenges presented by the postmodern thinker. Parents must better understand the postmodern mind and know that teens tend to ignore or reject ultimate standards. Read the rest of the article by following the link below. http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D166288%252526M%25253D200809%2C00.html? Written by Rick Morton Move over, summer—a new school year is coming! With the start of school, families face new organization challenges. School bells ring—and so do early-morning alarm clocks. Shorter autumn days bring a hectic round of sports, activities and events, and calendars fill with cryptic notes. Can the holidays be far behind? Get organized now for the best school year ever! Use these ideas to prepare your home and family for the busy days ahead: Follow this link http://www.organizedhome.com/back-to-school-tips-get-organized and read the rest of this article by Cynthia Townley Ewer. Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13 NIV). I can think of no one for whom I would give up my life more quickly than my child. A mother's love is fierce, loyal, protective, and self-sacrificing. Follow the link to read more. http://www.familylife.com/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=dnJHKLNnFoG&b=3576167&content_id={E5DBFB2D-5374-486E-B80A-B7FFECBA4EFD}&notoc=1 from FamilyLife.com written by Barbara Rainey More than two-thirds of young drivers and passengers killed in nighttime car crashes aren't wearing seat belts — deadly proof of what can happen when young people don't heed parents' pleas and authorities' threats to "click it." Read the rest of the article by following the link below. http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,356665,00.html Did you hear that? If not, you're not alone. There's a proven medical fact that the older you get the more hearing you lose. Which brings us to the Mosquito Ringtone. The short version, the Mosquito Ringtone is a tone that is just outside the audible range of hearing for most people over the age of 30. This means that the ringtone allows users to receive phone calls and text messages in class or school without teachers or parents hearing it. Check it out at http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/12/technology/12ring.html Our kids are looking for a relationship with the Lord - something they can count on. It’s up to us as parents to show our kids what that relationship with God really looks like. The best way we can do this is to model a healthy, accepting, God-honoring relationship between them and us. Recently, I sat down with Josh McDowell, to talk about his recent book, Beyond Belief to Convictions, and he shared seven principles for helping parents do just that - and I just can’t agree more with these principles. Read the rest of the article by Jim Burns, president of HomeWord at http://www.homeword.com/Articles/ArticleDetail.aspx?iArticleId=315&sReturnUrl=%2fArticles%2fdefault.aspx%3fsOrderBy%3dsTitle%26sAscOrDesc%3dASC%26iAbsolutePage%3d3%26sKeywords%3d%26bParent%3d1%26bStudent%3d1%26bWorker%3d1 Children are not born with instructions. Even if they were, I doubt that many parents would actually read the directions. Most parents, like me, learn from experience. The following four pointers are some principles I’ve used to reduce the parent/teen conflict in my own home and to increase my teen’s involvement in making responsible choices. Follow the link to read the rest of the article. http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D166638%252526M%25253D200810%2C00.html? Written by Dr. Larry Purcell The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding offers a monthly Parent Page to distribute to the parents of teenagers. Each 2-page issue will keep parents up to date on the latest youth culture news and information. The January 2008 Parent Page is available! Pick up your January 2008 copy today in the foyer of the Hiland Park Baptist Church Worship Center! For more information contact the Student Ministry Office at 850.785.6530. "You said you would pick me up at 9:30 - and it’s 10:30! Why do I always have to be the last one to get picked up? You’re always late!" "What do you mean I can’t get my driver’s license? You said I could get it if I passed my biology class and I passed it!" Do any of these comments sound familiar? Too often, parents have not kept their word with their kids. Parents may not intentionally try to hurt their kids, but when moms and dads don’t keep their word, they cause damage to relationships and trust - sometimes creating lifelong negative consequences in kids’ lives. Someone has said, "Things are never quite the same somehow after you have to lie to a person." While I don’t agree with the "have to lie" part of the quote, I do agree that a lack of honesty damages trust in relationships. Follow the link to read the rest of this article from Dr. Jim Burns at Homeword.com. http://homeword.com/Articles/ArticleDetail.aspx?iArticleId=385 Take a moment and think about all the technology your teen uses on a regular basis. Computers, televisions, cell phones, gaming devices, "Blackberries," and iPods may come to the top of your mind. Have you ever asked yourself, "What does my teen do with all this ‘stuff’?" That’s a VERY good question! You’ve probably seen your teen doing homework, Instant Messaging (IM’ing) friends and listening to an iPod all at the same time. Multi-tasking at its finest—or is it? http://www.theantidrug.com/E-Monitoring/quiz.asp Sponsored by The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign Early adolescence is important from the standpoint of information processing. Kids are learning new ways to learn and that raises questions in their minds. Here are a few suggestions for dealing with the barrage of questions that come from the fertile minds of tweens. Read the rest of the article by following this link http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D166141%252526M%25253D200810%2C00.html Written by Bob Bunn for LifeWay.com TGIF, RSVP or even ASAP may sound familiar; however as computers have transformed communications a new dialect has emerged: Internet lingo. Acronyms or character symbols called Emoticons (mixing symbols to express emotions or moods) enable teens to communicate with others in a few keystrokes. While often just a convenient and quick means of communication, many teens use these acronyms and symbols to warn their friends when parents might be present and even to discuss drug use in a code that parents can’t decipher. Follow the this link http://www.theantidrug.com/E-monitoring/internet-lingo.asp to the The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign website for more information. When we become controlling, authoritarian parents, we suffocate our children and cause them to resent us. The jaws of the peer group are just waiting for a kid who is easily controlled. So our job is not to create a controllable kid who will be devoured by his peers. When a tween/teen does not have something positive to identify with and has no say so over his life, he is more likely to grow up with a nagging feeling that he needs to "find himself." These adolescents — when they grow up and have families of their own — are more prone to leaving their spouse and kids in a pursuit to finally "find themselves." They end up chasing rainbows that don’t even exist. Read the rest of the article by following the link http://www.family.org/parenting/A000001199.cfm to Focus on the Family. Dr. Kevin Leman is an internationally-known Christian psychologist, bestselling author, radio and television personality, and speaker. Aly Newton doesn't know what she was thinking when she ran a stop sign last spring as a newbie behind the wheel. "I just wasn't focused," says the 15-year-old high school sophomore from Austin. "Mom was like, 'Pull over,' and we switched." Even though Aly will be eligible for a license in January, her mother, Vicki Newton, says it's not a foregone conclusion. "I keep telling my daughter the day she turns 16 'is not just when I hand you the car keys.' It depends on her grades and the choices she makes," says Newton, 45. Teens have been taught since elementary school about avoiding risky behaviors such as drinking, drugs and sex. So why, parents may wonder, do they so often slip up? One theory may be the teen brain. Read the rest of the article by following this link http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2007-09-26-teen-freedom_N.htm?POE=click-refer to USAToday.com. By Sharon Jayson from usatoday.com Photo by Joel Salcido for USA TODAY Raising kids in today’s culture is not easy. There’s no question that the way we parent is influenced by the world we live in. And what a world it is! We need to help our children deal with drugs, sexuality, movies, television, video games, the Internet, terrorism and war. It’s our goal as parents to raise our kids in this X-rated culture to become G-rated people. Follow this link http://homeword.com/Articles/ArticleDetail.aspx?iArticleId=499 and read the rest of the article from Dr. Jim Burns at HomeWord.com. Chap and Dee Clark recently combined their years of experience as parents with their respective expertise in youth ministry and family therapy to co-author Disconnected: Parenting Teens in a MySpace World. This brief excerpt from Disconnected highlights the emerging reality of midadolescence, along with offering faith-building strategies that can help parents move kids toward a growing faith in the midst of the midadolescent reality. Read the rest of the article by following this http://www.cyfm.net/article_printer_friendly.php?article=disconnected_high_school_students.html Chap Clark, PhD, is Professor of Youth, Family and Culture and Director of PhD and D.Min Programs in Youth, Family, and Culture at Fuller Theological Seminary. Adolescence, the period between childhood and adulthood, has grown longer in our time. Kids are experiencing puberty earlier and staying connected to their parents later in life than previous generations. Thus, adolescence in many instances can be just as tough a season on parents as it is on the kids! Follow the http://www.homeword.com/Articles/ArticleDetail.aspx?iArticleId=421 and read the rest of the article from Dr. Jim Burns at HomeWord.com. So you're between the ages of 13 and 24. What makes you happy? A worried, weary parent might imagine the answer to sound something like this: Sex, drugs, a little rock 'n' roll. Maybe some cash, or at least the car keys. Turns out the real answer is quite different. Follow the link http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2007/08/19/906277-poll-family-ties-key-to-youth-happiness , the answer to the Associated Press and MTV poll may surprise you. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past year or so, you’ve likely already heard about social networking websites such as MySpace, Xanga, and others. There have been a lot of media reports recently about such websites, specifically regarding the safety of those who use them. Read about these tips by following this http://www.homeword.com/Articles/ArticleDetail.aspx?iArticleId=501 . Written by Dr. Jim Burns Dr. Burns is a three time Gold Medallion Award winning author and has written books for parents, youth workers, and students. The trait that is most closely linked to the success or failure of your marriage is your ability to communicate. Sometimes in marriages, we develop some very poor communication habits. Dr. John Gottman is one of the world’s leading experts on marriage. He claims that he often can determine if a couple is on the road to divorce by observing them interact on an issue of conflict. Much of Dr. Gottman’s finding centers around the use of negativity as poor communication. Read about it by following this http://www.homeword.com/Articles/ArticleDetail.aspx?iArticleId=560 Written by Dr. Jim Burns It begins with a fantasy. First a teenager chooses the players he wants for his fantasy football team. Then he decides to wager a little money on it. He finds a fantasy football Website with a headline of "Youth: Where Fantasy is Fun," clicks back a page to the 27 listed casino sports books and betting service links, chooses one, uses his mom's credit card and - he is in! It's that simple. Read about this by following this http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/article_main_page/0%2C1703%2CA%25253D165688%252526M%25253D200810%2C00.html? No one likes to be nagged. Yet many parents resort to nagging as a primary - though negative - way to communicate their feelings and desires with family members. Positive communication is vital for maintaining a healthy family. Successful families talk and listen. Good communication does take work, but if you employ some of the following hints, you’ll be on the road to improving your communication skills and the health of your family. Read about it at this http://www.homeword.com/Articles/ArticleDetail.aspx?iArticleId=175 Written by Dr. Jim Burns Dr. Burns is a three time Gold Medallion Award winning author and has written books for parents, youth workers, and students. It’s been 20 years since The Beastie Boys burst onto the music scene to boldly trumpet their message to youth worldwide that "you’ve got to fight for your right to party." Judging from what’s happening in today’s adolescent world, a generation of teenagers who weren’t even born when The Beasties first preached their party gospel have grown up embracing, living and enjoying that right. Like most kids her age, Jenna’s online profile tells visitors to her Xanga Web site that her "interests" include "dancing, loud music, weekends and being with friends." It’s not surprising that she lists her "expertise" as "partying." When it comes to their right to party, today’s teenagers aren’t fighting. They’ve already won. http://www.cpyu.org/Page_p.aspx?id=203390 Written by Walt Mueller, founder and President of CPYU The average parent simply does not take a proactive role in building up the spiritual lives of his or her children. Additionally, there is no doubt that you have lots of priorities for your kids as they grow up. But of all the priorities you have for your children, none of them really matters unless they're built upon a foundation of faith. Follow the link and read about it. http://www.homeword.com/Articles/ArticleDetail.aspx?iArticleId=482 Do your teenagers really want boundaries? While I'm sure they will never seriously say to you, "Can you please add some more restrictions to my life?" they really do want to know what's expected of them and what the consequences of violating boundaries will be. In homes where parents set clear boundaries for their kids' behavior, kids are actually less likely to rebel - especially when parents take the time to discuss their expectations with them. Why would your kids want you to set boundaries for them in the first place? Follow the link to read about the 5 reasons. http://www.homeword.com/Articles/ArticleDetail.aspx?iArticleId=178 Written by Dr. Jim Burns Dr. Burns is a three time Gold Medallion Award winning author and has written books for parents, youth workers, and students. You may find it simpler to set a goal of reading a certain number of chapters a day than to try and stick to some of the formal schedules that are available. They work fine for some people, but for others, the (false) guilt or discouragement that come from "getting behind" is not helpful. If you miss a day or don't read the number of chapters you planned, you don't need to go back and "catch up" (though you can if you have time)-just keep going. It may take you a bit longer this way, but better to finish a little later than not finish at all. If you want to read through the Bible in one or two years, the following figures may be useful. There are 1,189 chapters in the Bible, so reading an average of 5 days a week, to read the entire Bible in one year, you would need to average about 4.5 chapters per day; in 2 years, about 2.3 chapters per day; Reading one chapter a day will take you through the Bible in about 4.5 years. Reading through the Bible in one year isn't one of the Ten Commandments, but it is a helpful spiritual discipline. Many people will find a slower pace more helpful, even if they don't keep up with Joe or Aunt Matilda. Also, try reading all the way through in a different translation some time-you'll be surprised at how much you notice that you tend to "read over" in your more familiar translation. Try the NIV or the NASB [1995 update edition] or the new ESV if you haven't read them through before. By using various markings (circle, underline, line through, hi-light, etc.) and different color inks multiple readings may be marked on this sheet. The top part of this sheet will fit in most standard-size Bibles to use as a bookmark, or it may be fastened inside the cover so that it doesn't get lost. Follow this http://www.ntresources.com/other.html to download this excellent Bible Reading Chart from New Testament Resources. Click on "Bible Reading Chart." For more information contact the Student Ministry Office at 850.785.6530. Living with Teenagers offers plenty of help and hope for parents of teenagers. Each monthly issue offers practical answers to real-life questions from a Christian perspective. Living with Teenagers helps parents develop a growing relationship with teens that guides teenagers toward responsible Christian adulthood. Pick this month's copy today in the Education Building. For any questions please contact the Student Ministry Office at 850.785.6530. Each week, parents receive two, twenty-minute Bible study devotionals via email. These studies, authored by Dr. Richard Ross, contain solid Bible teaching presented in a warm, interactive format. In addition, the devotions are set-up so that students & parents alike are involved - each given specific things to say or do. A meaningful way to pray as a family is also included at the conclusion of each study. Begin imparting biblical truth to your teenager. Follow the link and sign up today. http://www.heartconnex.org/ HomeWord is a Christian organization designed to provide assistance to adults worldwide as they help young people make wise decisions and lead positive, vibrant, Christian lifestyles. Multiplication and Leverage: While absolutely committed to young people, HomeWord equips parents, grandparents and youth leaders; those who daily reach out to kids. By equipping adults, and leveraging those adults to reach kids, HomeWord reaches more young people more cost effectively. http://www.homeword.com/ The Center for Parent/Youth Understanding is a nonprofit organization committed to building strong families by serving to bridge the cultural-generational gap between parents and teenagers. At a time when an already confusing youth culture is changing quickly, CPYU helps parents, youth workers, educators, and others understand teenagers and their culture so that they will be better equipped to help children and teens navigate the challenging world of adolescence. Founded in 1990 by Walt Mueller, CPYU has developed an international reputation as a voice providing cutting-edge information, resources and analysis on today's youth culture. The mission of CPYU is to work with churches, schools, and community organizations to build stronger relationships between young people and those charged with helping them grow into healthy adulthood. http://www.cpyu.org Almost all teenagers are religious, but their views of God and faith vary widely. Most seem to think God exists but don't believe He is very involved in life on earth. This has serious implications for Christian parents and the role they play in helping their kids. Parenting with Kingdom Purpose from youth ministry pioneer Dr. Richard Ross (True Love Waits, 24-Hour Counselor) and respected Christian author Dr. Ken Hemphill will help Christian parents see what the reality is instilling in their students a faith that has a foundation. Dr. Ross and Dr. Hemphill will help parents see what they need to be and what they need to show students for faith to be a reality for teenagers today. http://www.lifeway.com/product/?isbn=080543299X Blueletterbible.org is an on-line interactive reference library continuously updated from the teachings and commentaries. http://www.blueletterbible.org/ BibleGateway.com is a free service for reading and researching Scripture online—all in the language or translation of your choice. http://www.biblegateway.com/ For over 30 years Youth Specialties has worked alongside Christian youth workers of just about every denomination and youth-serving organization. We're here to help you, whether you're brand new to youth ministry or a veteran, whether you're a volunteer or a career youth pastor. Each year we serve more than 100,000 youth workers worldwide through our training Seminars and Conventions, resources, and here on the Internet. http://www.YouthSpecialties.com/ Hiland Park Baptist Church, a church "Where everybody is somebody." http://www.hilandpark.org/ Hollywood Jesus reviews current films, television shows, and music from a Christian perspective. http://www.hollywoodjesus.com/ GoodSearch.com is a search engine which donates 50-percent of its revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users. So use Goodsearch.com and help raise money for Hiland Park. http://www.goodsearch.com/ Plugged In Online is a Focus on the Family publication designed to help equip parents, youth leaders, ministers and teens with the essential tools that will enable them to understand, navigate and impact the culture in which they live. Entertainment is a potent influence on our culture for both good and evil. Through reviews and discussions of that entertainment, Plugged In Online hopes to spark intellectual thought, family discussion, spiritual growth and a strong desire to follow the command of Colossians 2:8. "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ." http://www.pluggedinonline.com/ Understanding the Relationship Between Abortion and Prejudice Throughout the history of our nation there have been great times of hope, development, and peace. Unfortunately, there have also been times when the weak, the poor, and the socially disadvantaged have faced oppression and hostility. Most of these times, some form of prejudice was at the heart of the problem. http://www.stopprejudice.com/ The Parents Television Council was founded in 1995 to ensure that children are not constantly assaulted by sex, violence and profanity on television and in other media. A nonpartisan organization that works with elected and appointed government officials, the PTC produces critical research and publications documenting the dramatic increase in sex, violence and profanity in entertainment. This information is provided free of charge so parents can make informed viewing choices for their own families. http://www.parentstv.org/ Ravi Zacharias International Ministries a ministry that seeks to reach and challenge those who shape the ideas of culture with the credibility of the gospel of Jesus Christ. http://www.rzim.org/