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Healing Prayer Ministry
Sunday, Sept. 19,
11:00 a.m. service
Sunday, Oct. 17,
9:45 a.m. (Ed. Hour)
Sunday, Nov. 21,
9:45 a.m. (Ed. Hour)
Sunday, Dec. 19,
9:45 a.m. (Ed. Hour)
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Family Ministry

Supporting Parents of Teens

Each week I receive an uplifting email with Words of Wellness from Dr. Scott Stoner of the Samaritan Family Wellness Center. This week's message, below, reminded me of our SPOT meetings and I was grateful for the drafting that occurs in our pack of riders.

Sunday morning SPOT gatherings will begin on Rally Sunday, Sept. 12, during the education hour, 9:50-10:50 a.m., in Jeff Reeves' office.

Looking forward to seeing you there,

Danette
Supporting Parents Of Teens

Weekly Words of Wellness
The Rev. Dr. Scott Stoner
 August 23,  2010

"Lessons Learned From Drafting"

Yesterday was my birthday and to celebrate I entered by first bike race.  It was a 90 mile race around Lake Winnebago, here in Wisconsin.  Prior to this I had only ridden in a couple of 50 mile charity rides and so I had no idea what to expect given that this ride was much longer than anything I had done before, and because it was a timed race as well.  I knew there would be hundreds of serious bikers there given the fact that a $20,000 prize was being offered to the winning rider if he/she set a new course record (which did in fact happen). I have never considered myself to be a serious biker, but that might change after my experience yesterday.

I trained quite a bit for yesterday's race, but most of my riding was done solo, or with one other person, usually my wife.  Before this race, I had never ridden with a pack of riders.  Soon after the 1,500 riders started the race yesterday, we formed ourselves in to packs depending on our pace, and I joined a pack of about 30 other riders who rode most of the 90 miles together.   As I rode in the midst of this large pack of riders, I very quickly learned about the power of "drafting."  I was soon flying along at a speed that I would have previously thought impossible for me, and surprisingly wasn't even getting tired.  I kept thinking this was too good to be true and that sooner or later I was going to "hit the wall" and slow way down.  My fears never materialized and I finished the race two hours earlier than I had expected.  

Today I read an article that reports that riding in a "peloton," the french word for "pack" requires 30%-40% less energy than riding by yourself.  I now know how true this is!  Members of our little peloton each took turns riding in the front for ten minutes at a time, but then were able to "rest" in the pack for the next 50 minutes.  When I finished I was less tired than I have been after many of my solo 50 mile rides.  

The message for our personal wholeness and wellness seems rather obvious here.  Riding solo requires much more energy than riding with others, where all share a turn breaking the wind.  This fact is always true in biking, but becomes absolutely essential when the headwinds are strong.  The same is true in our personal lives.  Any time we are going through a period of stress or transition, facing a strong headwind, we will find it even more necessary to face that stress or transition in a pack with others.  If you are dealing with the stress of sending a child off to school (whether it's kindergarten, middle school, high school or college), going through a job change/loss, going through a transition to retirement, dealing with a health issue, going through a divorce, or whatever the challenge may be, find a pack of fellow "riders" who are riding the same road as you are and ride together.  Take turns "pulling" in front of the pack, and then take your time in the the pack letting them pull you along.  

Family, friends, congregations, neighbors and colleagues are all natural "packs" to turn to when we need support for our ride.  But as I learned yesterday, people who were previously strangers can also turn up at just the right time to lend support when we need it most.  This explains the power of a 12-step group, a cancer support group, or a parents-to-be birthing class.  

I'm still on a high from my experience yesterday, and know that it couldn't have happened without the support of others.  It has renewed my commitment to find similar packs of support for other aspects of my life.  I hope it will inspire you to do the same.  And if you want to get a pack together and go for a long bike ride, I'm ready any time.    

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To read past issues of our Weekly Words of Wellness and/or to subscribe, visit our Samaritan Family Wellness website.

 

Weekly "Food for Thought"
Unable to attend the Sunday morning gatherings? Stay connected through the Weekly Goal, offering reflections and suggestions for building stronger relationships with our teens.

May 2: Weekly goal - The Best Gift
What was the best gift you have ever received for Mother's Day? 
A nice outfit? Dinner at a nice restaurant? A gift certificate to a spa? Jewelry? Flowers? A poem? A hug and kiss? Breakfast in bed?

Whenever I hear the phrase "the best gift", I can't help but think of a song on one of my favorite Christmas collections, "The Best Gift" on A Christmas Album by Barbara Streisand. Ask almost any mother and she would probably agree that the best gift ever was the child(ren) that God delivered to her family. Each time you look into your teens eyes, remember to thank God for this gift.

The best gift
That I ever got
Didn't really weigh a lot
It didn't have a ribbon 'round
And it sometimes made a terrible sound
The best of all it seems to me
It wasn't neath the Christmas tree
And yet, I guess I'd have to say
That it made all the other presents twice as gay
The best gift that I've ever known
I'd always wanted most to own
Yet in my dreams of sugar and spice
I never thought it could be so nice
The best gift that I'll ever get
Was sometimes dry and sometimes wet
Was usually pink but oftentimes red
As it lay so innocently in its bed
The best gift of the year to me
The one I hold most dear to me
A gift that simply drove me wild
Was a tiny newborn child ...

Wishing you a blessed Mother's Day, Danette
Supporting Parents Of Teens

 

May 9: Weekly goal - To Err is Human
Do your kids ever mess up? Have you ever found out that your teen had been pulling the wool over your eyes? It's happened to me before and it felt awful. I felt foolish, hurt and disillusioned. All of those feelings eventually morphed into anger. Spent some time thinking things over and eventually admitted that my teen hadn't done anything extraordinarily unusual -- wrong, yes, but certainly not unforgivable. Up to that point, I had unwittingly put her on a very high pedestal and my fabricated image of her came crashing down. In reality, she had only been standing on a stair and when she fell, she was able to pick herself up and try again. I removed the rose colored glasses so I could see her a little more clearly - no longer perfect, just perfectly herself. 

Last Sunday, part of our conversation revolved around forgiveness. In the Lord's Prayer we ask God to forgive us "as we forgive those who trespass against us." Sometimes I want to change the phrasing to something more like, "Thank you for forgiving me better than I forgive others." The forgiveness we offer isn't always given freely, easily and without conditions. Yet, as Paul writes in Romans 3:23-25 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. 

We have a model of forgiveness for those times when our kids fall short. To err is human, to forgive . . .

Blessings to you and yours, Danette
Supporting Parents Of Teens

 

Opportunities
Is God calling you to serve in a new way? Consider these options:
Transitions - Over 6 years ago, Cathy Laszewski, along with the St. Matthew's Youth Director at that time, saw a need for a safe place for parents with teenage children to meet and talk about the issues they were facing during these exciting, ocassionally tumultuous, years. Within a few short months, Supporting Parents of Teens was launched. Cathy has generously shared her experience with this group as a parent and teacher, making it possible for many of us to truly enjoy our teenagers. Cathy's kids are now adults and she is being lead into different areas of ministry, so this will be her last year of actively participating in SPOT. As such, we will be looking for someone to fill Cathy's shoes in assisting me with leading the Sunday morning discussions. Please give it prayerful thought.

Alterra Nights - Would anyone be interested in being the coordinator for SPOT Alterra nights? Generally, we like to schedule one Sunday night a month at Alterra from 7-9 p.m. All that is required is setting a date and being there to share some conversation with other parents. There are usually 3-4 parents in attendance.

Blessings, Danette

 

Photos of Superbowl Party Feb. 7
The Fellowship Committee sponsored a Superbowl Party on Sunday, Feb. 7. The event was open to the congregation, and a good time was had by all! Final score: New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17. Photos of the event are in the online photo album [here].

 

Family Movie Night photos
Families gathered at St. Matt's on Friday, Nov. 13 for an evening of fun and entertainment -- with the showing the Disney animated comedy, UP (rated PG). The families enjoyed fellowship, fun and food. Photos of Family Movie Night, November 2009 are in the Congregational Photo Album online [here].

 

Ongoing family ministries

Supporting Parents of Teens
Parents of teens meet to encourage and strengthen one another through Christ. Facilitators: Danette Braun (414-771-2512) & Cathy Laszewski

Crossways camping ministries
Camps are located near Wild Rose and Clintonville, WI.  Sessions for all ages run from June to mid-August.  Most are one week in length. Information on church scholarships and application forms can be obtained in the church office.
Contact: Church Office [here] or phone: 920-882-0023

Nurturing Parents
This community parent group meets on Wednesday mornings to support families with children. It offers information on developmental and health issues as well as support for arents.

Adeptus Brew City gaming club
An Opportunity for Gamers! We are a group dedicated to the Games Workshop Hobby. It’s about painting, modeling, collecting and gaming with metal and plastic miniatures. It’s about socialization and interaction with other people. It’s about having FUN! It’s for ages 5th grade and up, and adults are welcome! The Gaming Club will be meeting at St. Matthew’s May 25 and June 8 and 22 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. NO experience is needed.
Contact: Tim (414-475-0247)

Variety shows and drama
Events are sought to provide families with numerous faith experiences. They change from year to year, but the Christian expression of faith is the goal and purpose.

 

Family Camp 2009
 Family Camp was held in August 2009. Last year’s Family Camp participants, the largest group yet, enjoyed a wonderful weekend with great weather and good fellowship, as well as camping activities such as crafts, games, swimming, boating and bonfires (s’mores, too). Pastor Chris and Donna Manke led the weekend at Imago Dei’s Pine Lake Camp near Waupaca. Photo gallery of the 2009 Family Camp [here].