GPS 3rd Quarter 2016

July.August.September 2016 Edition

LOVE without

BORDERS

Her World

IPHC Women’s Publication

AT HOME

with Michelle anthony 32

17

Travel

Survival Checklist

4

11

18

Love

Memories

Love Works

6

12

24

God’s Purpose

Show On Earth

Without Borders

Summertime

Displacement The Greatest

7 Principles

Filters

Internal Teachings

Designer: Lindsey Snider, Kaleigh Bishop Photo Credits: Fotolia, Michelle Drake, Pam Rooker, Kaleigh Bishop

- GPS 2 -

A Note From Sam Samantha Snipes

Director IPHC Women’s Ministries Ssnipes@iphc.org

“Love like God” Love, a simple word, yet the most powerful and complex word in our lives. Our application of it and its application toward us affects how we interact with the world every day. It is the word that is synonymous with God. As we learn who He is, we get more of a revelation of true love. This love is not as the world gives with strings and borders, but as He gives, freely without reservation. He pours more than we can contain in us, so that we can spill over on to those around us. He, in us, gives the ability to love those in our world who are both easy to love and those that are seemingly difficult. When we love like Him, the world sees Him. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

! s U h t i w t c e n n o C

Find out all the latest updates and announcements through social media

IPHC WOMEN’S MINISTRIES DEPARTMENT EMAIL: women@iphc.org PHONE: 405-792-7132 www.facebook.com/iphcwomen ADDRESS: P.O. Box 12609 Oklahoma City, OK 73157 www.twitter.com/iphcwm www.pinterest.com/iphcwm

- GPS 3 -

LOVE WithoutBORDERS Samantha Snipes

Director IPHC Women’s Ministries Ssnipes@iphc.org God is omniscient. He is everywhere. He is Love. With this understanding, we know that love is everywhere. We can easily see Him in both the sunrise and the beauty of an ocean. Where can we go that He is not there, that Love is not there? There are no borders to His love. It reaches behind the mountains to places that are hidden in the shadows. It floods into the alleys where few care to tread.

It embraces the most desolate places on earth, covered with suffering and shame. He is there. When children are abandoned and discarded, He is there with them. When people are abused, make wrong decisions, or cause pain to others, God is Love and He is there. He is not only there when success or happiness happens, but when mistakes happen, when accidents happen, and when life happens.

There are no borders to where He is…to where love is.

Let’s love where He loves. Let’s love when it hurts and eradicate the results of abuse, pain, and neglect. It is a powerful force that will lift the broken hearted. Endurance comes when we love. Hope comes when we love. Belief in ourselves, in man, and in God ignites when we love.

1 Corinthians 13:7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

When we lack love, who is the reservoir of love that we can go to? God. His very essence is love. When we say we cannot, He can. His love is borderless, and so must ours be. To the obvious evil in the world, to the person who we call brother or sister, and to ourselves we must love. He says in 1 John 4:20 NLV, “If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?”

This verse may seem to be hard because we have expectations of what a brother or sister should or shouldn’t

do. When they fail or hurt us, we put a border up and say that it will not happen again. We may then have another circumstance that provides enough hurt and pain to fill a cavernous bucket in our hearts, and build another border of protection. Love cannot go in and it cannot go out of these borders. How can we love those in the world that we are called to love if we are walled up with borders making an entrapment for ourselves?

Our capacity is limited, but our God’s is limitless. If we look to ourselves, we can see the lack of ability to fulfill the word in any scope. Specifically to love those that persecute us and say all manners of evil against us, to love our sister or brother who hurt us deeply when they lied about us or enacted a wall to protect themselves and their interests, causing pain and isolation to us. Relying on the One that can fill us past our capacity to love can break these barriers. He pours in us love that has no borders. This love fulfills what 1 Corinthians 13 says. His love is greater. He can not only go into the cracks in the walls of the hearts of others, but He can go into ours. We just need to open the floodgates and allow Him to do the work in our hearts.

If we are to go and reach a world filled with borders and divisions created by oceans, countries, politics, and tragedies, we have to go into it with a Love that is borderless. This love comes from the One without borders. Just ask Him to touch your heart to reveal His. He is faithful to do it. “The greatest of these is love.” Love breaks down the borders and barriers and causes healing. Eternity is held in love’s hand, and we have the power to touch another life with it, to effect an eternal destination, and to impact a temporal one.

No borders! No boundaries! The time is now to be people who love without borders! Let’s do this!

- GPS 4 -

1 CORINTHIANS 13 NLV If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it;[a]but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Prophecy and speaking in unknown languages[b] and special knowledge will become useless. But love will last forever! Now our knowledge is partial and incomplete, and even the gift of prophecy reveals only part of the whole picture! But when the time of perfection comes, these partial things will become useless.

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things. Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity.[c]All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.

Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love.

- GPS 5 -

DISPLACEMENT

Proverbs 19:21 “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail” (NLT).

At the tender age of fifteen I knew my plan was to be a teacher. Dad agreed and said that I would go to college and get my degree. Everything worked out and at 22, I accepted my first teaching job. I absolutely loved it and knew I was in my place, serving God in public education. For several years teaching was my place. One year my heart was unsettled about renewing my contract. My husband, Garnet, prayed with me about it and I knew God was saying, “trust me.” I could trust Him and teach, but He wanted me to trust Him in a different place. God was displacing me from something I loved and it was hard to understand such a displacement.

After all, I was a teacher, so what would I do?

The shift from having a place to no place is what I call displacement. In such times, we wonder what on earth is God up to in our life. We feel like we have been rejected or may be worthless. We begin to realize that we were known

for our marital status or our occupation, not for who we were. When we are displaced from a role or position, we do not lose our identity, even though it feels like it.

A friend of mine was fired from her job as children’s director for the church she belonged to for 27 years. Now, that is a painful displacement. When she told me how much it hurt, she said, “but I know God has a plan.” Her perspective of her God and her life will get her into her next place.

Displacement is an opportunity for us to go to a new place.

The biblical story of Naomi and Ruth are examples of two women who were displaced through no fault of their own.

When a famine hit Bethlehem, Naomi and her husband chose to go to another land. They were strangers in a new place with two sons. Being displaced geographically has its challenges of being accepted, finding jobs, and learning the ways of the culture. The new place did provide wives for the sons, but the barrenness of the wives led to further disgrace. When it seemed everything may be working out, the father and sons die. Now the women are widows. In that day widows lost all identity and were considered the lowest of society. This was a humiliating displacement. Yet God was at work to fulfill His destiny in the lives of Ruth and Naomi.

Being displaced can be a grievous time because of the loss we are experiencing. In the midst of all our pain, fears, and doubts, God is at work to bring us into a place with Him. He is working out His purpose for our lives.

Ruth was unaware that God was bringing her into His purpose of being part of the “royal” line of the Messiah.

God’s purposes for your life are beyond any displacement you may be in.

Frances Pike

Frances Pike has been teaching the Word of God for 40 years. Her first book, Created to Rule Together, is a call for men and women to fulfill God’s mandate in the earth. Her husband, Garnet Pike, leads SpiritLife Ministries International. Their children, Janese Bennett and Jay Pike, are both in full time ministry with their families.

- GPS 6 -

- GPS 7 -

GIVING H

Opportunity

eld in autumn, Feast of Ingathering is a special time for the IPHC Institutions of higher learning to receive financial support by Women’s Ministries through each year.

Local Women Ministries groups raise funds for this special ministry in a variety of ways. Decide early how you would like to participate in this year’s FOI Offering. Some churches make plans to fundraise throughout the year, while other churches designate a portion of their annual budget. Regardless of what you decide to do, every church in the IPHC is encouraged to participate in this offering in order to support our IPHC colleges and affiliates.

One idea for raising money would be Matching Funds – Double Your Dollars Campaign. In this program, an area business will match the gift, and the individual offering will increase as well. (Match Your Gift Brochures can be obtained by contacting Emmanuel College, Franklin Springs, GA @ 706) 245-7226 ext. 2863).

In support of our unified education program, we encourage the support of the following institutions:

Advantage College

Holmes Bible College (affiliate)

Emmanuel College

Southwestern Christian University These funds are sent to the Women’s Ministries conferences, and the conference WM Director presents the total offering from their conference to the various institutions on the clebration day.

Thank you to all women who have contributed over the years to our students. We believe 2016 will be another great year for our Colleges!

Patsy Deese

Secretary IPHC Women’s Ministries

- GPS 8 -

LUMINARIES yo u t h q u e s t 2 0 1 6 | j u ly 2 1 - 2 4 | d ay t o n a b e a c h f l

reflect the source

i p h c . o r g / yo u t h q u e s t # yq 2 0 1 6

Kaleigh bishop

PAM ROOKER

michelle drake

My favor ite summer Some of my favor ite My childhood summers memories were made with summer memories include roadtrips to Youth Quest with my church youth group. Memories that stick with you- from inside jokes that make you laugh so hard you cry, to staying up late for those last minute Fine Arts practices, to getting hotel security called to our room. YouthQuest will always hold a special place in my heart. I’m so grateful that I now get the opportunity to help plan this special event for the next generation of youth groups!

- Student Ministries Advisory Team Member

my husband and our two sons while camping at the lake! In the beginning we camped in a tent, and later upgraded to a pop-up camper. Though our camper was no luxury, we made the best of it by playing many fun games inside it.

We would spend much of our time fishing, occasionally eating our catch, swimming in the lake, taking bike rides through the campgrounds, and roasting marshmallows by the campfire while telling stories.

were spent outdoors! I welcomed any opportunity to go outside and play. Picking green apples at my greatgrandmother’s house, going to the park with family and friends, playing tag with cousins, and enjoying our small community pool were some of my favorite pastimes. To this day, I still get the urge to put my feet on the soft grass, feel the warm sun on my skin, and relax next to a calm lake or a roaring ocean.

- IPHC Women’s Ministries Board Member

- Cornerstone Girls’ Ministries Director

- GPS 11 -

The

Greatest Show On Earth

- GPS 12 -

T

here are many exciting things to see when you attend the circus; animals, comic clowns, juggling, acrobats, and trapeze artists. Many of the acts require exceptional body strength. When you begin an exercise regimen, your trainers may include handgrip exercises in your workout routine. Grip strength is an important component of athleticism, as well as for most everyday tasks. There are several types of grip strengths; crushing strength; used to squeeze the juice from a lemon, pinching strength; used to carry a wooden plank with one hand, and support gripping strength; used for endurance tasks like carrying a bag. Some of the common grip exercises include; squeezing a rubber ball, squeezing spring-loaded grippers, and holding weights for specific time intervals.

Building your hand strength also builds and thickens the muscles in your forearms, giving them a strong, powerful appearance (livestrong.com).

One of the most entertaining circus performers is the flying trapeze artist, who’s job is to wow the crowd by dangling from a short horizontal bar, suspended by ropes or metal straps. Can’t you just hear that song, “He flies through the air with the greatest of ease, that daring young man on the flying trapeze”? The trapeze artist jumps from a platform and swings through the air back and forth, over and over, until he/she releases the bar mid-air to grab hold of another bar or second performer. Included in the routine are somersaults, back flips, and triple twists, with each move requiring the performer to let go and grab hold; let go and grab hold. If the performers did not have the faith to let go and grab hold over and over again, they would eventually come to a halt by simply swinging back and forth on the bar until they were just hanging there, dangling … Wow, now wouldn’t that be the greatest show on earth? Not!!

Paul told the Philippians,

“I press on to lay hold of (grasp) and make my own, that for which Christ Jesus (the Messiah) has laid hold of me and made me His own” (AMPC).

selves standing on the platform, watching the promises of God pass us by, never having the faith to take hold of them, and never experiencing the fullness of this earthly journey we call life. (GIG revised) I was thinking about this topic in reflection of the book, “From Your Head to Your Heart”, authored by Maria Durso, our special guest speaker for the “Ignite Conference” at The Cove in July. Simply having head knowledge of what you may see when you attend the circus pales greatly once you have been there and experienced it because your emotions actually feel the excitement of the performances. Do you know what I mean? I am sure that you have had moments in which your heart dropped to your feet or cold sweats ran through your body when something extraordinary happened, such as the moment the aerialist is flying through the air in somersaults from one bar to the other. Once she has a firm grasp on the second bar, you are reminded to breathe. When we move from knowing in our heads (standing on the platform) to believing in our hearts (grabbing the bar), then we can begin to experience (flying through the air with the greatest of ease).

What Jesus has already done for us is more than enough for us to experience the greatest life on earth, but we must let go of what is behind and grab hold of what

Scripture says that there are things He has for us that our eyes and ears have never seen or heard about.

is ahead.

Living a life of mediocrity is

changed to a life of abundance when we leave the platform of safe and comfortable, grab onto His promises, and swing out into the purpose and destiny that God has for our lives.

Now that is truly the “Greatest Show on Earth”!

Dr. Brenda Grasty

Assistant Director IPHC Women’s Ministries

The promises of God are meant to be claimed. It is not enough for us to simply know the promises of God; we must grab hold of those promises. If not, we will find our-

- GPS 13 -

Her

World Have you ever been the girl struggling to feel connected to her world, unconvinced of her place in it? Somehow circumstances leave her feeling like the girl who has been stripped of everything she’s known and loved. A girl questioning her purpose, her decisions, her usefulness for God’s Kingdom, and, yes, even her own worth in general. “Will God use me for His purposes?… Did I choose the right career path? Will I ever fall in love and get married? Am I making the right decisions for my life?” These doubts and questions can leave you in a mess of what if’s. Just a little bit of time, restlessly drifting through a season like this can quickly reminded you of all your weaknesses. ...Ahhh it can be stressful! Emotional you may shed many tears, doubtful you may ask many questions, jealous you may wish things were different, and fearful you may threaten to shut hopeful, dream-filled you down for good...

But this is the truth: God is faithful!

Sure, You may feel like you are riding the struggle-bus, but you can make it through this season. God will provide.

Every minute, He is there. Though you may not know what is next, He does. He remembers your desires and your needs.

My question for you: Are you embracing your world in this season? Or are you only mildly grateful and only mildly content? If you relate to the second question, maybe you aren’t experiencing Christ’s abundant life or living in His peace. Are you just getting through each day in a very unpretty fashion?

A fantastic illustration of what I’m trying to get at here is found in the Apostle Paul’s life and letters. In reading this particular letter it’s important to remember that Paul is in prison when he writes to the church in Philippi. But in spite of that, he’s overflowing with solid perspective and inspiring messages. He encourages them to live their lives worthy of

the Gospel. He states that his suffering in prison has served to advance the Gospel. He even goes as far as saying that it is because of Christ that he is in chains. Yet, in the same hand, Paul talks about rejoicing because Christ is being preached. He is confident that what has happened to him will turn out for his deliverance and Christ’s magnification through either life or death. And finally, closer to the end of his letter, Paul pens one of his most famous statements: “...I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty, I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” -Philippians 4:13 I leave you with this challenge: Make the determination to embrace Your World (your story) by submitting your mind to Christ. Maybe you’re in a season that you just don’t get along with. Perhaps you feel as though you are just existing…Don’t let that keep you from God. Rejoice! Be content in the fact that God has you right where you are for a reason. Remember, He is the author of your story. I encourage you to pray and strive for a new perspective. Look beyond what you can see. Draw close to God during this time. More than likely He is trying to teach you something, and maybe He is preparing you for something you can’t see yet. This is your World, Embrace and Rejoice!

Erica Campbell

Board Member IPHC Women’s Ministries

- GPS 14 -

I

t was an extremely windy day in Oklahoma! The smell of smoke was in the air as I left one Saturday morning event and made my way to a scheduled luncheon. As I merged onto the highway, a raging fire was engulfing the grassy field to my right. All of the sudden I could not see the road in front of me. Within seconds I was searching for my husband’s taillights to help guide me through the billowing smoke that obstructed my vision. Thankfully, within 5 minutes (through some slow driving and me periodically holding my breath), the air became clear and the sun beamed off the highway. Finally, I could loosen my grip on the steering wheel and relax.

Several days later, as I was reflecting upon that experience, it dawned on me that my passion for the Lord should be as engulfing and blazing as that ever-spreading fire on the dry, brittle field. I’ve always been one for reflection!

Wikipedia defines self-reflection as, “the capacity to exercise introspection and the willingness to learn more about their fundamental nature, purpose and essence.” In the Bible, we hear synonymous terms such as; ponder, think upon, and questioned. Remember Mary (mother of Jesus), who pondered things in her heart?

So how does one keep their passion for the Lord continually on fire? It’s like any other fulfilling relationship….time!

It is a scientific fact that the more time you spend on/with anything/anyone, the more emotionally connected you will be toward the intended. Take time to analyze your schedule to see how much time you are actually spending with the Lord in personal devotion, Bible study, church attendance, praise & worship, Christian music, Christian television, etc.

Reflection and pondering can be an eye opening and soul stirring experience.

Personally, I have found that my relationship with the Lord is quite personal, pertinent, and practical. I love that about Him! The more time I give Him, the more He ignites within me a personal passion to do His will. He prepares me to spread the Gospel like a wildfire.

Contemporary Christian Artists, Third Day, speak to the heart so powerfully through their Soul on Fire lyrics.

“God I’m running for your heart, I’m running for your heart, till I am a soul on fire. Lord, I’m longing for your ways, I’m waiting for the day, when I am a soul on fire, till I am a soul on fire.”

Michelle Drake

Board Member IPHC Women’s Ministries

- GPS 16 -

Travel Survival Checklist: PORTABLE FOOD: You can save hundreds on food costs by bringing oatmeal packets, jars of peanut butter and packaged snacks. You can even pick them up at the supermarket before checking in.

HEADPHONE JACK AND OUTLET SPLITTERS: Lets two people listen! www.homedepot.com $3 MARKER, MASKING TAPE, ZIPLOCK BAGGIES: Perfect for labeling, storing, hemming, and sorting!

2 Gallon Ziplock Baggies: Organize kids clothing by day, carry wet swimsuits, dirty diapers, wet umbrellas, half eaten snacks, and such.

Books on CD: Great for topics of interest for the entire family to enjoy.

The library offers free rentals.

- GPS 17 -

*Patient: Have self-control in difficult situations

*Kind: Show encouragement and enthusiasm *Trusting: Place confidence in someone *Unselfish: Think of yourself less

*TruthfuL:

Love Works 1 Cor. 16:14 “Let all that you do be done in love.”

We have often heard the expression, “What has love got to do with it? As leaders and women in ministry, our response should be “everything!” According to 1 Cor. 12:31 love is the more excellent way. The thought that the absence of love will render even supernatural gifts worthless is astounding. Alexander Strauch said it this way in his book, “Leading With Love.”

“Without love:

Even heavenly language sounds annoying.

Knowing it all helps no one.

Risk-taking faith is worthless.

Giving all one’s money to the poor is unprofitable.

The ultimate sacrifice of one’s life is pointless.”

I agree with D.L. Moody who said, “There is no use trying to do church work without love. A doctor, a lawyer, may do good work without love, but God’s work cannot be done without love.”

In Women’s Ministries, our goals are often dominated by what we plan to “DO.” We plan to raise funds to contribute to ministries supported by the International Pentecostal Holiness Church. We plan to contribute to a ministry in our local community. We plan to celebrate Women’s Ministries Day. “DO” goals are important, but “BE” goals are equally as significant.

In Joel Manby’s book, “Love Works,” he lists seven principles (or seven “BE” goals) taken from 1 Cor. 13, the love chapter of the Bible. These principles will result in transformation in all areas of life including our Women’s Ministries.

Define reality corporately and individually *Forgiving: Release the grip of the grudge *Dedicated: Stick to your values in all circumstances The author, Joel Manby, also challenges readers to consider and replicate what Jesus did on His last night with the disciples. Instead of giving them a written summary of His teachings, money to grow their ministry, divine powers to make believers of the disbelievers, or demonstrating His power in some memorable way, He washed their feet in a spirit of love, service, and humility. Maybe it was His intent to leave them with a final impression that the more excellent way is love. He Who had the power to do any and all things was dedicated to leading with love.

This tells me that in order to get the most important things in life done, love and power must be harnessed together.

Let us set “BE” goals for our Women’s Ministries. Let us “BE” a place where the love of God and the power of God are harnessed together, resulting in the miraculous; a place where love rules and women experience acceptance regardless of their past. Let us “BE” a place where forgiveness is the norm, confidence is gained, and where we think less of self and more of others. Let us “BE” a place where women can connect, build relationships, and express encouragement. Let us “BE” a place where deliverance is received and women feel comfortable to serve in their God-given calling.

The challenge is to let all we “DO,” “BE” done in love …

LOVE WORKS!

Janice Marshburn

Board Member IPHC Women’s Ministries

- GPS 18 -

MEETING THE NEEDS LOVING THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH SUDAN

- Leader’s GPS 20 -

- GPS 21 -

Internal Filters

A

s I began to formulate ideas for this quarter’s GPS, many of my thoughts centered around my daughter Jennifer. It was 32 years ago that I awakened my husband just after midnight and told him that we needed to go to the hospital. While I had already carried this baby longer than our first one, we were still surprised to be making the trip a month early. We had been at the hospital a few hours earlier attending the class on C-sections, so David could be in the delivery room this time.

There had been no gender reveal party with pink streamers, balloons, or colored crème inside cupcakes.

It would be the ultimate gender reveal (again) as most my age have experienced! I love it that way. And with the words, “it’s a girl” came the beginning of a journey quite different from the one that had already begun with our son.

It doesn’t take long to realize that daughters are quite

different from sons. They do, however, both face challenges in navigating the culture of the day. By the time school age rolled around, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. As a stay at home Mom, I had been able to control the influences in my children’s lives for the most part. But now, there were many new outside forces. While there were some Christian teachers, there were some who’s beliefs differed greatly from ours. There was one who believed that she had been reincarnated from a fly! There were friends from great Christian homes, and those from the not-sogreat homes. How do you combat those pressures?

Pure and simple; you help your children embed internal filters by dwelling on God’s Word and teaching them how to apply it to their daily lives. David and I not only made sure that our children were getting that at home, but we chose our church because we loved what they had to offer the

- GPS 22 -

children. Long before we had our own children, we were involved in teaching children’s church at Muse Memorial.

We believed that the church had an obligation to come alongside its parents.

Matthew 7:24-25 says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” As parents and leaders, we have the opportunity to help build those strong foundations–to embed them into the hearts and minds of our children.

Jennifer is a product of our IPHC ministry to girls–both GEMS (Girls Entering the Master’s Service) and Missionettes; and our son Ryan is a product of Royal Rangers.

Their teachers and leaders reinforced what we taught at home, and often created an even greater learning environment for them with the added positive peer-factor.

If you have attended a Girls’ Ministries LTC that I conducted, you have more than likely heard my story about Jennifer’s experience in the fourth or fifth grade. I worked part-time from home, and mostly used the Internet for email. I had not grazed the world of chat rooms, and hardly knew they existed. Until that is, Jennifer went to a sleepover at a friend’s house. The call to come get her surprised me because Jennifer had always been a social child. When I questioned her, she responded, “I’ll tell you later.”

As the story unfolded, her friends were on the computer visiting a chat room; it made Jennifer extremely uncomfortable. We had never discussed chat rooms and their underlying dangers. It was the embedded internal filters that she had been developing at home and at church that kicked in that night and said, “you know this isn’t right. Take a stand.” And indeed she did, because together we agreed that the parents involved must be told as well. She stood to lose friendships over it, but once again those internal filters guided her to the right decisions.

We have come a long way since the days of basic chat rooms, and the dangers are even greater and much more accessible. Where the dangers for Jennifer’s classmates were delivered through a towering desktop computer; today’s threats and temptations come through laptops, tablets, and smartphones that are carried around by hand..

These technology advances require us to be smart.

While the ultimate goal is to embed the spiritual filters into our children, God also expects us, as parents, to act with wisdom and integrity and be protectors. It is an over-

whelming world of apps, many of them free with a simple click and download. Take the time to review some of the websites we have listed as a companion to this article. This information, coupled with your goal of embedding your child with spiritual filters, will make an effective combination.

I love our Girls’ Ministries theme Scripture, Philippians 4:8. “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” If the filters listed here were truly embedded and practiced, what a different world it would be!

Irvina Parker

iparker@iphc.org Director IPHC Girls’ Ministries

ps p A s u o Danger

Ask.fm

Yik Yak

GPS can reveal your child’s location, potentially exposing them to predators.

There is no age requirement, allowing adults to contact children.

Kik Messenger An easy way for your kids to sext friends and diligent predators.

Device Filters Placing filters on all of your devices keeps accountability both spiritually and physically.

You can help protect the relationships you greatly value.

- GPS 23 -

TOOLS for the FAMILY Talk Now and Later

>>QUESTION

“My teenager doesn’t want to go to youth group anymore. I want her to be surrounded by Godly role models yet I don’t want to turn her off from church by making her go. What do I tell her? >>ANSWER by Student Ministries Team Leader, Stephen Jones

I would start by looking at the youth leader… A biblical model for youth ministry is one built on a partnership between the ministry, its leaders, and parents. The events, activities, and processes that comprise a youth group’s calendar best serve a church when they support the parents in their role as the primary disciplers of their children. With this philosophy, begin to seek out the youth leader-not to criticize and critique programs or processes, but rather to strengthen the partnership and find ways to reach your teen. Share your struggles and concerns, pray for solutions and strategic relationships, and then work together to engage your teenager. In nearly every instance, the youth leader is just as highly motivated to serve and reach your student, especially when they have the prayerful support of you as the student’s parent! Take the opportunity to affirm and encourage!

Keep in mind, not every teenager will respond to the youth group of your local church. As you well know, there are a million variables that influence what your student chooses and how they spend their time. If your teen does not seem to fit (or does not want to fit!) in the youth group, do not limit their involvement to youth group activities. Partner with the church leadership and seek out other adult influences for your child. Facilitate ministry opportunities and mentoring relationships within the larger church body that activate their particular interests, talents, and abilities. (Maybe your student could connect with the audio/visual team, or perhaps enjoy working in the nursery.) God created each one of us with gifts and abilities to contribute—train your teen to find their niche and then fill it! Just because your child is not active in their youth group, does not mean that they will not or cannot be discipled. Be proactive as the parent, and recruit the rest of the church body to reach your teen.

Don’t wait until something big happens to talk to your kids, start now! In Talk Now and Later, author Brian Dollar presents 10 common topics your child deals with, or will soon, and detailed advice on how to approach and discuss the issues with them. Learn to have these conversations early, have them often, and have them wisely so that when the difficult topics come up, the lines of communication will already be open. Provides conversation starters on the following issues: -God -Death and Tragedy -Sex -Self-Image -Making Wise Choices -Divorce -Friendships -Money -Bullying -Restoring Broken Relationships. Get ready to talk to your children about the big issues in life now and later.

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with MICHELLE ANTHONY Discipleship Ministries is excited to introduce Dr. Michelle Anthony as the Family Ministry Consultant for the IPHC. She is the Pastor of Children and Parents at New Life Church and the Family Architect at David C. Cook. Michelle is the author of three of our favorite books- Spiritual Parenting, The Big God Story, and 7 Family Ministry Essentials. In her free time, Michelle enjoys being with her family, reading a good book, and the beach while drinking a strong cup of coffee.

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