Our Blog

Student Ministry - April

Dear Church Family,

Since I last wrote a newsletter article everything in the world has changed. Except for, of course, the fact that God is on His throne, and in Him we have a firm foundation! Believing this truth has become profoundly applicational for our lives at this time in history. I hope that you are holding on to Christ (as He holds onto you) wherever you are in life. In order to help students and families focus on the important things right now, I made a series of videos called: How to Spiritually Survive a Pandemic. I want to share some of what we talked about in those videos with you here.

 Here is the main question we need to ask ourselves: What do we need during a pandemic? The answers are actually very simple but easily overlooked.
1.      We need fellowship with God.
2.      We need community with Church, Family, and Friends.

We always need these things, but it is during a pandemic that we realize that we need them a lot more than we think we do.  Things like this help us to see what is truly important in life. These are the two great commands: to love the Lord with our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love neighbors as ourselves (Deut. 6:5; Matt. 22:37-40). This is what life is actually all about… even during a pandemic.

Fellowship with God comes through communication with Him. He communicates to us through His Word, which is illumined by the Holy Spirit in us. We communicate to Him by praying to Him. This is what we need every day. Jesus tells us in Matt. 4:4 that “man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” We need communication with God more than we need food, drink, and shelter. Those things can be taken away, but when you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, you have eternal life, and He can never be taken away from you.

The second one, Christian community, is significantly harder now, but it is not impossible. I believe that we will crave this more since we know what it is like to be without. Christian Community with Church, Family, and Friends   usually looks like spending time together and encouraging one another in the gospel (1 Thess. 5:11). Well, during a  pandemic when you are on lock-down, you can’t be together. But with technology (video chats, live stream, simple phone calls and letters even), we can still spend time “together” just not together. We can encourage, pray, laugh, cry, study the Bible, and generally socialize via all sorts of social media platforms! We always say that social media isn’t bad, it’s all in how you use it. That’s why, especially now, we need to use it for God’s glory and the building up of other     believers. This is a time when we can find out just how good technology can be.

That said, your pastors are here for you. We love you and miss you all. Please reach out to us if you need anything. In the meantime, God bless you all!

Sincerely,
Brian Van Doren

Student Ministry - March

Dear Church Family,
There are some really exciting things going on in the life of our Student Ministry, and I want to make sure you know about them! Here are a few reasons you need to know: First, if you are a parent or grandparent to a student (6^th-12^th grade), then these are the things that will help he or she have a deeper commitment to and a more faithful and fruitful walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Second, these are ways to get your students’ friends involved and plugged in so they can hear the gospel and be influenced by a Christ centered community. Thirdly, whether you have a student or not, adult volunteers are necessary… not just because we need help setting up and tearing down (which is so helpful!), but also because students need meaningful relationships with adults who are investing in them. Statistics (and wisdom) tell us that those relationships are what keep students engaged in church after high school…      volunteering isn’t just about doing things, it’s about presence and relationships. And finally, we need you to pray for the students, their families, and this ministry. Without us calling on the name of the Lord, we are just spinning our wheels. So, as you read about what is happening in the Student Ministry, please pray that God would be present and active so that lives will change and He will be glorified!

Coming April 3-5 is our Student Retreat. The theme is “Restless.” We are going to spend a weekend at Crossings, Cedarmore learning about God’s desire for us to rest in Jesus. The world will run us ragged if we are not disciplined about rest. In Christ, we have an everlasting rest for our souls that begins now! My hope and prayer is that through this retreat students will be set free from the burden of pressure, anxiety, and depression as we intentionally relax in Christ. Information and registration are online at oakhillbc.org/events or in the Lobby. Registration and payment are due by March 22. Please don’t let a student miss out on this.

We’ve begun a new study during our Sunday night Student Gatherings (5pm-7pm) that has the potential to drastically strengthen someone’s faith and answer genuine questions about Christianity. The study is called, “What’s So Great About the Bible?” Many students don’t know the answer to that question. And because they don’t know why the Bible is so  amazing, they have a harder time taking it seriously. We want to bolster our understand of God’s Word so that we will want to hear it more and more. Also, we spend 45 minutes playing in the gym after our study, so it’s just a great time overall!

Finally, our Wednesday night Life Groups (6pm-7:30pm) are starting a new study this month called “The Prodigal Son.” Obviously, it will be about the parable that Jesus told, and it will focus on how a fulfilling life is found only in the arms of the Father. We don’t need to look to popularity, good grades, skill in sports, relationships, or appearance to find fulfillment. And when we try to find it in those things, they leave us depressed, upset, and feeling worthless. But because of Christ’s saving work on the cross, God’s arms are open to embrace us no matter how far away we have roamed. That is a message students need now more than ever.

Please pray for us as we seek to point our students to Christ in these ways and more. I am praying for you as you do the same in your homes.

Sincerely,
Brian Van Doren