Last night I had my first small group going through the Neon Faith curriculum. My wife and I love our group and love the content!! I hope EVERYONE is jumping into this experience and giving as much as they can to growing in their faith over the next several weeks!!
One thing stood out to me through our discussion last night in the group, and that was the word LEGACY. What kind of legacy am I going to leave when I’m gone? What is my “dash” going to look like? These are questions that I found myself really wrestling with last night. I think it’s important that as parents, we are constantly asking ourselves this question along this journey: “Am I leaving a legacy of FAITH in my family?”
Josh Bollen
FUSE High School
Have you ever heard the expression, “You get what you pay for?” I have been reminded of this saying’s truthfulness on many different occasions. Just recently, my wife bought some shoes for my two girls because they were very inexpensive. Within a week, my oldest daughter’s pair was already starting to fall apart!
I believe this truth can give us insight into other areas, including how we invest our time. If we spend more time focusing on our careers or in pursuing our own pleasures and not much time with our kids, it will become evident soon enough. Just like with money, the fruits of our time investments may not be seen until much later, but they WILL be seen eventually. The evidence of our investments, whether good or bad, will be revealed as our kids become teenagers and move into adulthood.
Thankfully, if we have a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ, He extends the power of His grace to us (1 Corinthians 1:4, 2 Corinthians 9:8, Ephesians 1:18-20). In Christ, every day we are afforded the opportunity for a second chance at a new life (2 Corinthians 6:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17). Therefore, I pray you will set aside some time today and take a good look at your investments in order to see where your kids stand on your list of priorities. If you discover you haven’t been investing much time in them, today God offers you the opportunity and the power to begin to change your situation, even if things have already begun to fall apart.
Kurt Pflegl
Central Kidz
My my my! The fall season is finally here. Your students and kids are probably back into the swing of things and I assume we are all going at a pace in our lives that is sometimes overwhelming. But I would like to take some time to briefly discuss why I love the fall season so much. Yeah it is crazy but the fall means one thing…FOOTBALL. At the beginning of September I told my boss that this year football on every level would be fun to watch, especially the college and professional teams. Did anyone ever think the Broncos would be 6-0? How about old man Farve…he still has it!!!! Tim Tebow is a front runner for the Heisman…again! Not only that, the man has his team ranked number one in the country…again! Every weekend I have a chance to catch a few games and I can not explain how excited I get to chill and relax after a long week on the job.
With that said I want to encourage all of you to find some time to take a deep breath; to chill and have a coke; to go on a walk or hike; to RELAX. I will be honest and tell you I have no kids and probably do not fully understand how much time they consume but I do know that we all need a break. I know I am exhausted every week from my crazy schedule but nothing beats watching grown men punish each other. I know when I do not have this time I become cranky and agitated. My alone time means the world to me and I hope you all can incorporate it into your own lives. This is where I find my R and R and I am confident you all can find similar time in your weekJ. Enjoy yourselves and may God be with you.
Jeff Kiwanuka
Fuse Junior High Intern
“Claire had a bad day today. She didn’t do a good job following directions. She just didn’t listen.” The words flowed from Claire’s teacher’s mouth as I tilted my head and stared directly into my three-year-old’s eyes. She did not hold the stare long; her response was a head-hung-sorry-mom.
Later that afternoon, my husband asked Claire how her day was. She replied, “I had a really bad day, daddy. I don’t wanna talk about it.” After some time passed, Chris asked Claire about her day again. This time, after some gentle persuasion, she was willing to share more.
Chris could have given up after the first time he questioned her. After all, she is only three. There were other demands on him which did not involve the not-sharing-toys-drama. Instead, piece by piece, he continued to ask so he could help her make wise choices.
The lesson my kids have learned from his patience and perseverance is that Daddy will be there to listen and encourage. It’s easy in the busyness of life to just accept the “I don’t wanna talk about it” moments. As a parent, I encourage you to keep asking and listening. Keep encouraging! Keep reminding them that tomorrow is a new day!
Kim Trethewey
Central Kidz
Not right now…
You probably all have heard that at one point of your life and if you are a parent, you probably said it a few times too.
Have you ever had your heart set on something and instead of getting it, you heard “Not right now”. Remember how you felt? Now think about having your heart set on something bigger… maybe its a job, a promotion, a child, or a relationship. Instead of getting it you hear, “Not right now”, and this time its our Lord saying it.
In some people’s lives that can be devastating. For one reason or another our Lord thinks the time isn’t right. The easiest thing we could do is get discouraged, but just because our Lord is saying “Not right now” doesn’t mean he is saying “Never”.
I was once told; “You do what God tells you to do, until He tells you to do something else”. In the case of hearing “Not right now” from God… You can’t get discouraged. You have to keep doing what He has told you to do and patiently wait for the day when “Not right now” becomes the day He says “NOW”.
Jessica Dillon
Preschool Team
Let’s face it, nobody gets excited when their kid talks about sex or anything closely related to it. It’s awkward.
However sex is everywhere! Living in Las Vegas I see billboards, commercials, and cab advertisements every day promoting sex. It’s un-avoidable, and that’s why in Fuse this weekend we are talking about those three little letters to all of our students. We will be talking directly to students, not avoiding or watering down anything, and saying exactly what God has to say about sex in the bible.
My main advice to you as parents. Get your kids into Fuse THIS WEEKEND. Someone told me a story once that one weekend they were talking about sex in their youth group. A concerned parent said to their daughter that they didn’t want her going to church, because the topic was too racy and she had a great understanding of the topic, and didn’t need to hear about it. After her family left for church, her boyfriend came over to their house… and 9 months later they had a baby.
Okay I’m not saying that if your son or daughter misses this weekend they will end up pregnant or with an std or something. But what I am saying is that in our world today it is very easy for kids to get mixed up in this whole sex thing. Not many kids do know what the bible says, and understanding that could be what influences their judgement when they have to make those tough decisions when they are in those moments when temptation is at it’s highest.
Get your kids to church this weekend.
Guy Johnson
Fuse Henderson
When I was a kid, I loved spending the night at my grandmother’s house. One of the things I enjoyed most was the way she would wake me up in the morning. It was always the same. She would walk in the bedroom with a big smile on her face and say, “Good morning sunshine!” It may sound corny or even insignificant, but it made my day. It still brings a smile to my face when I think about it.
Sometimes as parents, we become consumed by the big events we are planning for our kids. We get wrapped up in the soccer practices, the choir rehearsals, and the birthday parties. All those are good things, but don’t forget the small events too. Don’t forget to give a hug to your kids for no reason. Be deliberate in making a big deal when they put their plates by the sink. Choose to go into their bedrooms and wake them up in a way that will get them excited about the day, no matter how late you think you’re running. Take it from me; performing these simple gestures will produce huge dividends that your kids will never forget. As the suit and tie guy in those commercials says, “I guarantee it.”
Kurt Pflegl
Central Kidz
As the fall semester has come upon us and kickoff has flown by- it’s the time of year again to begin the heart of Central’s student ministries: Formerly known as Small Groups- our new Fuse Groups have begun! Fuse Groups are a chance for your student to join with 7-10 other age and gender specific students and 1-2 quality adult leaders in a group that dives deeper into the message heard on the weekend, the scriptures, and accountability all while building lifelong friendships. Fuse Groups are the heart of our ministries- and are a great next step for your student in their relationship with Christ- you want to get your student involved! Groups meet in houses throughout the valley on Wednesday nights (Fuse Junior High and High School- Henderson Campus, Fuse Students- Summerlin and Southwest Campuses- happening now!) and Sunday Nights (Fuse Students-Weekends on Wednesdays Campus- beginning November 1st). You can sign your student up right now under the Small Groups tab on the Central Parents website, and get your student on the path to growth!
Frank Tappe
Fuse | Wednesdays