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The Paper | Thursday, April 4, 2013
5A
Who are the 2 a.m. Churches reaching out to youth “You can plan the people you look to greatest of Bible for help, advice? studies, but the lessons By KATIE JUSTICE
kjustice@clickthepaper.com
Who are your 2 a.m. people? I know you are thinking that I either have flipped my lid or that I need someone to give me a ride home when the bar closes. This question, however, is one that I ask executive leaders. Your 2 a.m. people are individuals who care enough for you that they will answer their phone at two in the morning when they see on their caller ID that you are the one calling. I know I have some people in my life who will look at their ringing phone, but when they see my name, they will decide that they can get back to me later in the morning. My 2 a.m. people, however, realize that if I am calling them at two in the morning, I must really need them. They answer the phone willing to help me in my time of need. So why do I pose this question to business executives and now to you? I define 2 a.m. people as the ones who will be completely honest with you when you ask them a difficult question about yourself. As Paul writes in Ephesians, these people will “speak the truth in love.” They hold up a mirror in front of us so that we now have a clearer picture of how we are seen by those around us. In addition to caring for us, these friends will tell us like it is. They want the best for us but they are willing to be gut level honest with us. As one retired Pillsbury senior executive stated, you need people like this in your life because not only will they congratulate you for a newly received job promotion, they will also look you in the eye and ask how this new position will affect your time with family. Early in my career, I had a trusted colleague who was and still is one of my 2 a.m. people. He informed me that I did not do a good job encouraging others, especially those that worked for me. While I felt I had been hit right between the eyes, I knew it was true. Since I set high expectations for my own life, I did the same with staff and failed to celebrate their small successes along the way. Encouragement had not been a part of my leadership journey, and unfortunately, I had not developed this leadership behavior on my own. After my 2 a.m. colleague spoke truth to me, I worked hard to stop and appreciate individuals on my staff. From that experience, I learned the power in the words of Proverbs, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
CHURCH
Continued from 4A
Share a potluck dinner 6-6:30 p.m., followed by an adult church service focusing on prayer from 6:30-8 p.m., and Bible lessons and activities for youth and children, too. All welcome to each Wednesday’s Downpour.
Mike Day
The Pastor’s Pen
Who are your 2 a.m. people? I’m not talking about everyone you can name as a friend or work associate. You can probably count the number of your 2 a.m. people on one or two hands. These are the people who will help give you an awareness of how you are doing in relationships at work and home. Without hearing from these people, we only have our assumptions to guide us in how we are connecting and communicating with others. Since encouragement had not been a big part of my life, I never imagined that people on my team were starving for words of recognition and appreciation. Here a few questions you may ask of your 2 a.m. person: ■■ How do those around me perceive me? Remember perception is reality. ■■ What weakness do you see in my relating to others that I need to work on? ■■ What one behavior could I change that will bring the greatest impact in my life or in my business? When your 2 a.m. person gives you an answer, you must be willing to accept and begin taking steps to improve. There is no reason to debate, argue, or rationalize with this most important person in your life. Remember their goal is for you to be the best you can be. The reason why they told you what they did was for your own success. Listening to them and moving forward with change will probably help you sleep through the night and have no need to make a 2 a.m. phone call.
Mike Day, who holds a Master of Divinity and Ph.D. from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky., is pastor of Celebration Church, located on Thompson Mill Road near Reunion, Deaton Creek and Chateau Elan Subdivisions. In addition to his responsibilites with Celebration, he works with Positive Management Leadership Inc., (www. mikeday.com) a leadership development company that motivates and inspires leaders in many of the top Fortune 100 companies. Reach him at mday@celebrationfamily.com
The Springs Church is located at 6553 Spout Springs Road, in front of Flowery Branch High School. Email office@ thespringschurch.org , call 770-965-9506 or visit www.thespringschurch. org sss Submit church news to editor@clickthepaper.com
National media has been citing a decrease in church attendance for years, but a Gallup poll conducted from January to November last year shows that about seven in 10 Americans label themselves either very or moderately religious. An according to the poll, the most religious region in the country is the South. Keeping in line with the Bible Belt, around 20 churches are located in Hoschton alone, and the local youth directors are having to find new ways to keep kids and teens involved. Social media and activities may prompt some interest, but local church youth leaders say the key to keeping kids and teens involved is as simple as showing you care. “I have found that the best way to reach out to them and keep them involved is to become interested in them as individuals,” said Ashley Martin, volunteer youth director at New Liberty United Methodist Church in Braselton. “You can plan the greatest of Bible studies, but the lessons that stick with them are the ones they learn through relationships.” “Just let them know you’re thinking about them. That in itself really means the world to these kids, they don’t need
a 10-15 minute conversation talking about their day,” said Cory West, the youth pastor at Arbor Pointe Church, which meets at West Jackson Middle School each Sunday. West says that for him, the easiest way to keep connected to Arbor Pointe’s youth is by texting because “that’s what they know.” West says he frequently texts members of the Arbor Pointe youth, especially if they have a game or performance. However, the church also hosts activities and events for the youth that range from bowling nights to an upcoming trip to a Jesus Culture, a traveling organized fellowship that’s stopping in Atlanta. “Getting together to do group stuff allows for fellowship together and bonding,” he says of the kids and teens that are in different grades and attend different schools. For the youth, churches keep them coming but keeping them interested. “With a church as great as mine, how could I not be active?” said 17-yearold Hayley Kesler, who attends Living Word in Jefferson. “With such amazing youth leaders, the youth always feel welcome and right at home.” Kesler admits that having fun also keeps her excited about coming back,
that stick with them are the ones they learn through relationships.” Ashley Martin New Liberty United Methodist Church volunteer youth director
which Chris Fancher, the middle grades student leader at Crossroads Church, echoes. Fancher says youth trips to concerts and playing games each week are things Crossroads does that makes the youth want to attend church. “It’s never a cookie-cutter type thing. You have to adapt to the kids you have,” said West, who admits youth directors have to keep up with kids and teens they are reaching out to. “If you try to run the same program year after year, eventually the quality is going to go down. You have to adapt to [the youth], or else they’ll lose interest.”
Passover celebrated by Shalom Club of Village at Deaton Creek Seder celebrated at Sopranos BBQ &
For The Paper
The Shalom Club at Village at Deaton Creek hosted their fourth annual Passover Seder celebration on March 26, by breaking tradition and having the event outside the community at Sopranos Restaurant on Highway 211. Sopranos owner, Nick Baronci, assisted by the Shalom Club committee, provided a traditional meal including matzo ball soup, gefilte fish, potatoes and more. The entire staff did a wonderful job and the 43 attendees participated in a traditional Passover service that recalled the victory of Jewish rebels over Syrian forces and the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Shalom Club is one of more than 100 clubs in the Village at Deaton Creek community. It was started in 2007 and has grown every year. Shelly Bloom is chairwoman. The board includes: Pat Corner, Jan Ember, Parker Grossman, Mignon Klein, Joyce Leeson, Elise Ross and Helene Silverman. Shelly says, “We enjoy getting together to socialize and to celebrate the holidays in a traditional manner.” The Shalom Club hosts a variety of events during the year including an annual family Seder, Chanukah Candle Lighting, Sabbath gatherings, movie and pizza night, guest speakers and Sabbath dinners.
COUNTRY COOKING
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