Post by Madison Baker, High School Junior

We made it! The ride with Northview to Lake Ann Camp was interesting, with meeting new people and trying out the “on bus” restroom. We got in around 2am but lucked out by getting the latest breakfast so we got some sleep! Check back to see what else is in store for us this great weekend of learning about our Heart!

Hello everyone! Anne here. With my due date quickly approaching, I wanted to put in writing some details about my upcoming maternity leave.

Since ministry is much more than a job, I knew it would be a challenge to navigate how to go about this. I connected with several other women in student ministry and asked them how they approached maternity leave + ministry + adjusting to family life. They all gave different advice, but with a very similar theme: this is a time for you to bond with your new child, treat it as such! 

So, here are a few responses to some frequently asked questions. If you have other questions, please feel free to ask!

How long will you be gone?
Starting this Sunday, I will be taking a 12-week leave. Unless Baby Boy Wilson comes before then, this Sunday will be my last for a little while! My (tentative) first day back will be Tuesday, April 16th. 

Will you be around on Sunday mornings? 
Short answer: not really. Long(er) answer: I’ve asked several other women in student ministry, and have heard the same thing in different words . . . find ways to stay connected to your church community outside of Sunday mornings. So I’m going with the advice of those who have been there, done that! We will be around sporadically, but as far as the entirety of Sunday mornings and evenings, we will not. We’ll be taking it one step at a time, and ask for your grace in the process! This is new territory not just for us as a family, but also for me as a woman in ministry.

How can I get a hold of you? 
If there’s something you need that relates to student ministry during that time, Nick and Donna are available. Nick’s email address is nwilkes@chapelrock.org, and Donna’s is dcaruso@chapelrock.org, or you can call the church office during the week (317.247.9739). If it’s something they need my help with, they know they can call or email me.

If it’s not related to student ministry, call Kyle or me (although I make no promises)! He will be my “phone-answerer/text-message-responder/email-backer” (and many other things, of course). His # is 513.708.5614.

Can we visit? 
Of course! We definitely want visitors. We just ask that you give us a few days to figure it out, and that you call one of us before visiting.

And of course . . . continue to pray for Kyle, myself, and this little baby. We are down to single-digits here (9 days away)! Pray for us in the labor and delivery, and also as we adjust to life with this new little guy. Thank you for all your encouragement and support; we cannot say enough how thankful we are for our church family.

We’re kicking off a new series this Sunday called FAKE I.D. It’s an age-old problem, one that begins to plague us around the time of adolescence hits and, if we aren’t careful, follows us the rest of our lives. It is the question of who we are–what makes up our identity, what defines us, what makes us.

Imagine if, instead of wrestling with these questions in the complexity of adulthood, we started to tackle them in formative teenage years? What if we took a good, hard look at some of the foundational questions during the years that shape us more than any others? Who am I? Where do I belong? What is my purpose? 

For the PARENT CUE for this series, click here.

Anne has written a little jingle for ELEVATE, sung to the tune of “Let it Snow.”

You ready for it? 

Oh the weather outside is almost frightful
But ELEVATE is so delightful
And since it’s gonna be like woah
You should go, you should go, you should go

If it wasn’t four days before my due date
I would definitely be there, so don’t hate
And since it’s gonna be full of snow,
You should go, you should go, you should go

When you finally get to Lake Ann
How you’ll love snow-tubing down the hill
And just when you think you can
All the way down you’ll be shrill 

Registration is quickly coming
And, my friends, we’re almost done humming
But since it’s gonna be like woah
You should go, you should go, you should go! 
———–
But seriously, you should go.
http://chapelrockcc.smartevents.com/

Hey parents & students!

The deadline for ELEVATE: High School Winter Retreat is fast approaching and we don’t want anyone to miss out. The weekend is full of snow-tubing, worship, great teaching, and connecting with your friends and other leaders. We’ll be joining several churches in the Indianapolis area as we go up to Lake Ann, Michigan for Martin Luther King weekend.

To find out more details and/or register, go to http://chapelrockcc.smartevents.com.

If you have any questions, or would like to ask about scholarship help, please email awilson@chapelrock.org. Thanks!

Hey parents! We kicked off a new series this past Sunday called The Thrill of Hope. Our goal is to come alongside you, in what you’re already doing, to help grow your student in their walk with Christ. This Parent Cue is specifically for you–to hear what they’re hearing on Sunday mornings/evenings, and for you to be as well-equipped as possible to continue the conversations at home. It’s divided up into three sections: 1) Be a student of what they’re learning, 2) Be a student of your student, 3) Action Point. To download the PARENT CUE for December, click here.

Also, we’ve got some important dates coming your way:

1. Multi-Generational Christmas Cookie Day (December 8th) 10:00am-12:30pm, Fellowship Hall. Come dressed to get messy! We’ll make cookies all morning and then end with a light lunch together.
2. Cookie Delivery to Shut-Ins around the community (December 9th),
Meet at Chapel Rock @ 4pm, we’ll be done around 7pm!
3. ELEVATE (High School Winter Retreat) Deadline: December 17th
To register and/or find out more information, visit http://chapelrockcc.smartevents.com.

Registration is NOW OPEN for ELEVATE 2013! Over MLK weekend (January 18-21st, 2013), we’ll be traveling up to Lake Ann, Michigan for an amazing weekend full of worship, teaching, snow-tubing, and plenty more. To register online, click here. Here are some details:

January 18-21, 2013 (No school January 21st because of MLK Day)
Lake Ann, Michigan

FEATURES:
Speaker: Jared Herd (jaredherd.com)
Worship Leader: Joel Larison (Oakbrook Community Church in Kokomo, Indiana)

COST:
$185 = Retreat + Snow Tubing + Skiing and/or Boarding with Rentals
$145 = Retreat + Snow Tubing

TRAVEL DETAILS:
Housing, Sessions, and Snow Tubing: Lake Ann Camp & Retreat Center in Lake Ann, Michigan

DEADLINES:
Deposit and all form are due by Monday, December 17th at 5pm. Cancellations made after December 18th cannot receive a refund if their trip has already been paid in full. Full payment is due by January 6th, 2013.

DEPARTURE:
*We will meet to leave on Friday, January 18th @ 4pm at the main entrance at Chapel Rock.
*Bring dinner with you to eat on the bus.
*Travel time is roughly 8 hours.

RETREAT SCHEDULE:
Friday: Travel to Lake Ann Camp
Saturday: Main Sessions 1 & 2, Snow-Tubing, Coffee House, etc.
Sunday: Main Sessions 3 & 4 Skiing and boarding at the Homestead Resort, or snow-tubing at the camp.
Monday: Travel home to Chapel Rock!

RETURN SCHEDULE: We will arrive back by Monday, January 21st at 5pm. Lunch will be fast food on the way.

*If you would like to apply for a family scholarship (if you have more than one student going in your family), please email Anne at awilson@chapelrock.org.

“God bless you.” We say it all the time in all sorts of situations. But what does this little word “blessed” actually mean? Too often, we use it when we feel good and everything is going our way. But if this is our definition of being blessed, what happens when things aren’t picture perfect? Because ultimately, being blessed isn’t about the things we have or the way we feel. It’s about becoming who God is shaping us to be.

Marengo Cave Adventurers: Please be at the church by 5:15 PM this Friday for our trek to Marengo, IN. Make sure to download the release form and bring it with you if you haven’t already turned it in. We’re looking forward to a great underground adventure with you! Also please bring a few bucks for a dinner stop on the way down and back.

Click here for the forms you need.

We’re staring out a brand new series tomorrow called The Invisibles, and the PARENT CUE is up! Our goal is to come alongside parents to help students grow in their walk with Christ. This Parent Cue is specifically for you–to hear what students hear on Sunday mornings/evenings, and for you to be as well-equipped as possible to continue the conversations at home. It’s divided up into three sections: 1) Be a student of what they’re learning, 2) Be a student of your student, 3) Action Point.

To download the Parent Cue for The Invisibles, click here.