Over the past few weeks in Fuse Jr. High, our Fuse groups have been given the opportunity to serve in a meaningful way as we end our series of living out a Neon Faith. This time of year, many families found at both Bob Miller and Mannion Middle Schools have been affected by the economy and are now homeless, struggling to make it through the holiday season. With the help of our Fuse Group Houses, these families are going to be able to make Christmas celebration a reality. We’ve asked our students to raise money in order to help meet the needs of these families and treat them to presents that would otherwise not be able to be purchased. Not only are our students raising the money, they are earning it by doing extra chores, jobs, etc. They are selflessly sacrificing their time and earnings to give to those they will never meet.

            With the help of the school counselors, each Fuse Group house will be able to sponsor a family and on December 9^th we will be shopping for presents as individual Fuse Groups. After our students personally hand wrap each gift, our staff will deliver the gifts to the schools.

       Through this process, these students will be able to experience first hand the joy of serving and share the love of Christ to ones in need. I am so humbled by this experience and so proud of our ministry. Our students are learning to step up and live out there faith in new and challenging ways. All they have learned about living brightly in their community truly is shining through.

Happy Holidays!

Shelly- Fuse Jr High Intern

Thanksgiving is here and all around us the Christmas season is upon us. Everyone always talks about the joy, the food, the shopping, the lights, the family & friends, the love and my favorite the Christmas music. But the reality is for many of us the holiday season brings hurt, pain, unwanted memories, arguing, stress of paying bills, cooking a huge meal or even dealing with misbehaving kids. Some of us may be celebrating this holiday season with family and friends and others alone.

For myself, the holidays bring mixed emotions, but one thing that always comes to mind is the Southwest commercials that always share a person in an awkward or embarrassing moment and ends with “Wanna Get away?” Many are times during the craziness of the holiday season that we can get distracted with the true meaning. There is some truth in wanting to get away.

Max Lucado writes, “Sometimes the most godly thing we can do is take a day off.”

Jesus modeled getting away, in Mark 1:35, “Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” Jesus took time to pray and be with the Father.

I love to be busy and around people. However, I have learned that whether it is a good season or a difficult season I need to stop and get away by coming to Lord in Prayer.

This Thanksgiving & Christmas don’t forget to slow down and Get Away and be with your Father.

1 Chronicles 16: 34-36

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation!
Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
and rejoice and praise you.”

Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
who lives from everlasting to everlasting!

And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

Michelle McLemore

Central Kidz

As 2009 comes to a close, I’m reminded again of what a privilege it has been to be a part of students, parents, and families lives this year. As I look back at what has happened this year, so many faces and stories come to mind. I’m grateful that I have been able to get a front row seat to the stories and the trajectory of people’s lives changed because of the hope Christ can bring.

There is nothing quite like the church when it’s working. Yes, it is flawed. It is filled with messy people like me. It’s still a work in progress. But, when the church is committed and focused on the message of radical grace, it is the HOPE OF THE WORLD.

I can’t wait to see what God does in 2010. My biggest hope is that I will get out of the way enough to see God move in a way only He can. I am humbled to be a part of it.

Robert Poliszuk | Fuse High School Pastor

As a parent it’s so easy to get bogged down in the trials of your student. As a parent of a teen I have a front row seat to the trials and temptations that my son faces. He often faces issues of integrity, character and purity. Sometimes he makes wise choices and sometimes he doesn’t and it’s the non-wise choices that can make you crazy as a parent.

You pray and you plead with God.. Please help him make wise choices and just when you think that they aren’t going to make any wise choices –ever- and that they aren’t even thinking about God.. they come up with something that blows your mind.

I was driving home with my son last night from his small group house. His group, along with the rest of us, have been journeying through Neon Faith. He got in the car and we went through the regular repertoire of questions and answers.. “How was small group tonight?” “Fine” “How was dinner?” “It was good.” Then… **silence** (sigh)

Then right before we arrived home, he asked… “Mom, I have a question about what Pastor Jud said in the video….” (wow, really?) He asked a question about sin and I answer to the best of my knowledge. There is a long pause, then he says: “I have another question: The Bible says that God grieves when we sin but if God is the creator of time and He knows already what we’re going to do.. then why does he grieve?”

Flabbergasted by the question, I didn’t have an answer but do you see what happened here? He was thinking about God. He was thinking about His word and unbeknownst to me.. he has been READING His word!

Ok.. this long ol’ blog and what’s the point, right?

Really the point is this: God is doing a work in your child whether you can see it or not. I was so consumed at what my son hadn’t done that I lost focus on what God had done. I’m thankful for that conversation in the car last night, thankful for the work God is doing in my son and thankful for the work He is doing in me as a parent.

Melissa Millwee
Central Kidz – Preschool

I relish in the moments when “coincidence’s” happen. There are several ideas of why such things happen, but I take them as blessings or humorous moments!
One of the moments happen just yesterday.
You see, I found this ring on my desk, it says “when you have faith, everything is possible.”
Not only did it remind me of Hebrews 11:1, but of how this idea has been buzzing all around Central!
The ring was found at just the right moment, yesterday was one of those days where every extreme happen and I knew the best I could do was smile, “have my game face on,” and pray to have confidence in faith.
There were definite highs and lows of the day, but every time I looked at my random find, the blessing of faith would cling to my heart, mind, and soul.
I tell this story, because of how the neon faith campaign has impacted FUSE High School in a similar way.
Faith has been a priority for the students and leaders alike to cling to.
As a part of the high school staff, more often than not I find my self participating mostly as an listening ear and praying spectator, this has brought me the blessing to hear the epiphany’s of daily life, which lately have been epiphany’s of faith, both the students and the High School team members.
Not only has Neon Faith, made faith a desirable pursuit for our students, it has given them a charge to endure.
So often I sit listening to the endless chaos that students and team members are facing, left with no particular answer, but simply hope.
Neon Faith has illuminated this hope, it has been a resonating idea in FUSE High school to rest in the peace that is having faith in the hope that is Christ.
While we don’t have the answers, we are still living in chaos, and life’s consistent bashing does not seem to back down, faith that Christ is their number one, their strength, and guide has brought out the neon to neon faith.
Just as the ring was a reminder to endure and remember faith, this mindset is happening in FUSE High School, hope has been refreshed by remembering,

“Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.”  (Hebrews 11:1)

Fuse High School
Naomi Koenig

Breakaway was amazing!!!!  We arrived about 3pm and as sad as it was to see this amazing weekend come to an end our team is just as anxious to watch what God does out of your students time at UCYC.  I want to thank all the parents that visited the parent website during our trip.  It was so cool to hear your love, encouragement and support for your student, their leaders and the ministry.  I truly believe it takes the partnership between parents and the church family to prepare His children to walk through life Gods way.  I know I speak for the FUSE junior high leadership staff and volunteers alike, when I say it is an honor and blessing to show Gods love to every student at Central.  I encourage you to continue to visit this website and participate in the blogging that happens regularly from our Central Family Ministry Team.  Your comments are a huge value to the success of this ministry and how we serve every student.  If you have any questions about FUSE Junior High, its services or Fuse Groups please feel free to contact us any time.  God Bless You, Your Student and This Ministry.

Marlene

FUSE Junior High

This afternoon was packed with fun and excitement as each team fought for the number one spot in the Amazing Race. There was everything from an eggnog drinking contest to an obstacle course. It was a really amazing sight to see all crowds of white, red, black, purple and blue chanting for victory. War paint and bandannas covered the campgrounds as students made their way through the race. Students were challenged physically and mentally during the entire event. They got a great opportunity to bond with each other and create life long friendships. This race was awesome because everyone truly found their identity within their FUSE groups. Ask your students about the “Tongue Drag”….sound gross? Well that’s because it was! Let’s just say  hot sauce, relish, chili pepper, and spam made this part of the race a crazy one! In the end red dominated as El Fuego crossed the finish line.

Kenthea

Breakaway Team

Well, it is currently lunch time here at Breakaway and we having an AMAZING time! This morning we had a great time in our session while our speaker Jenna taught about making wise decisions by pre-thinking situations, going to God, getting wise counsel, and being patient. After session, all the students went into their small groups to talk about actively applying these principles to their lives. It is cool to see how God is working in these conversations.
One of my favorite parts of camps and retreats is the competitions! We are currently right in the middle of the race for the 6 foot trophy. All of your students and dressed in their best house colors. So far today I have seen students eat spoonfuls of hot sauce, do sit ups in the dining hall and dive into puddles of mud- all towards earning points to eventually win the trophy!
Coming up later this afternoon is our main competition Amazing Race… Stay tuned for more updates.

Blessings,
Holly

We’re here!!!!! It was a great trip up to Prescott, Arizona.  Our stop in Kingman for dinner was great!  Bathroom breaks, leg stretching and fast food.  I will tell you Kingman has never seen a more bunch of polite, excited God loving Juniors HIghers like your students.  As the buses pulled up into United Christian Youth Camp, UCYC, all that crossed my mind was.  “Let the Games Begin” and they did.  My team unloaded and delivered luggage as the students soaked up the wisdom, worship and woo hoo from the first session.  Jenna challenged them to acknowledge and give up to Him the one thing that bugs them.  Wow did she do a great job!  So they took these “BUGS”, wrote them down on a piece of paper.  It was so awesome to see small groups of FUSE students pray and encourage each other just before throwing their “BUGS” paper into the blazing camp fire.  I challenge every parent to pray and encourage their student to continue to give this one thing up to God as they return from camp back to reality.  God has really used your student’s leader in setting them up for success on this one for sure.  So the brisk 37 degrees this morning has not affected your students excitement level and I’ll tell you there’s much to be excited about.  Talk to you soon.

Marlene

It is cold and cloudy out.  I thought I left Tennessee… Oh well.  Just a few minutes before I wrote this post, I ran into a few of my friends who work with Fuse on the Henderson Campus.  They’re taking their middle school students to Breakaway, one of our fall retreats, this weekend.  Last week I was part of a team that took students to our other fall retreat, Elevation.  Every time we do one of these retreats I’m reminded of something that I easily forget throughout the year- CAMPS AND RETREATS ARE SO GOOD FOR TEENAGERS!  There’s something about getting a student out of his or her comfort zone.  No cell phone or MySpace or Twitter.  They are sleeping in a cabin instead of their comfy bed at home.  They see stars at night.  And grass and trees during the day.  All these elements work together to get students a little out of their element and they always seem to be more open to the things of God.

If your student went or is going on one of these retreats, make sure to ask them about their experience.  Ask them what they learned.  Their favorite memory.  Favorite meal (the camp food is GOOD!)  And if you’re student wasn’t able to come, please know that they were missed.  We as a staff understand there are certain realities that make getting to a retreat tough- fall sports, family plans, finances- to name a few.  Just keep listening for info on the next camp or retreat, and when an event is scheduled for a time that does work for you and your family’s schedule, please do all you can to get your student there.  I promise it will be worth it.

Matt Vairetta

Southwest Student Pastor