Hello church family!

We are well on our way into a new year, which has been an exciting time for our youth. For our first Wednesday back to normal activities, Jake shared a message with the students about the opportunity that a new year brings to intentionally refocus on growing in your relationship with God. He presented three challenges to our students, which I felt were great challenges for everyone who is contemplating a new year of possibilities and what it will mean for them.

Be excited and passionate about your faith!

– Get excited about the things in your faith that people have told you not to be excited

about! Read your Bible with Passion, pray without ceasing, be passionate about learning, loving, serving. And remember, your excitement and passion are contagious!

Be driven and compassionate when it comes to your relationship with

God and others!

– Within your faith walk, be driven and determined to put in the work toward your goal of

Knowing God. Remember that you are driven because the goal is WORTH all of your

“drive” and much more! As you work out your faith, remember that Jesus always had compassion for the people around Him and let the love of God flow beyond Him into

every situation He was in. As you walk out your faith and chase after God, remember to

be compassionate and loving toward the people God has placed in your path.

Be committed and invested. Be ALL IN when it comes to living out your faith!

– Show up and commit to asking questions, diving in, exploring your faith with the amount

of attention and effort it deserves! Be where your feet are, and put your whole heart into

your relationship with God and His church… this is the most important investment you can possibly make.

I hope these challenges can inspire you as they have Jake, myself, and our students. We appreciate your continued prayers for our students and our ministry to them. We are so very thankful for the support of our church family.

Blessings,

Emery Spratlin

P.S. Our annual DiscipleNow weekend will be February 9-11th. If you are interested in

volunteering or supporting through prayer, helping with meals, or anything else, please reach out to Jake or the church office, we would love to help you get involved in our student ministry!