Changes In The MSM

This is a partial copy of a letter sent out by Joe Casiglia, the Executive Director here at Faith Lutheran last Thursday:

I’d like to update you as to a change in our staff. Pat has been offered, and accepted, a position at Cross of Christ Lutheran in Bloomfield Hills. He will serve them as the Director of Student Ministries. This is a great opportunity for Pat and Melody, it allows them to stay in a local congregation, while at the same time allowing Pat the opportunity to  build and lead his own ministry team. Pat’s last day will be October 21st.

We are very thankful for the 8 years of ministry and leadership Pat and Melody have provided here at Faith, as well as their friendship, they will be missed. We also know and trust that God has great things planned for their future and look forward to hear of how He uses them to bless Cross of Christ. Please take a moment to congratulate Pat and Melody on this new ministry opportunity.

I know for many people this was a surprise.  After talking with a few people on Sunday I figured I would try to answer a few of the common questions that people have already brought forward to me:

Why are you leaving?
As Joe stated, this truly is a great opportunity for Melody and I.  I have loved every minute of serving as the Middle School Minister here at Faith over the last 8 years (yes, even the 2am jogs around SpringHill camps).  After lots of time thinking and praying over the last several months both Melody and I feel it is the right time for me to use my gifts to help grow and develop ministries at another place.  This was an incredibly difficult choice for us because we have such a rich and amazing history here at Faith, and such a connection with so many families.

What are you going to be doing at Cross of Christ?
I will be the Director of Student Ministries, overseeing both Middle School and High School ministry.  As only the 3rd full-time staff member at the church I will also be able to give guidance and direction in a few other areas as well.

Who will replace you?
I know that Dave Frank, the Director of Student Ministries, is working very hard to find the best possible replacement for the Middle School Ministry.  He is currently taking resumes and will begin interviews, etc. in the near future.  Until a replacement has been found many of our volunteers have stepped forward to run, teach, etc. at all of our programs.  So the Ground Floor, 2nd Floor, Castaway Winter Retreat and Christmas Blitz will all still happen.

When is your last day?
My last Ground Floor is Sunday, October 18th.  My last 2nd Floor (and last day) will be on Wednesday, October 21st.

What’s this we hear about a party?
Faith has been gracious enough to throw a farewell/celebration of service party for Melody and I on Sunday, October 18th at 12:30pm in Room 16.  We will have pizza and other food for any families and students that would like to come and hang out with us and say “see ya later”.  Everyone and anyone is invited, and I’d love to be able to see all of you there!

With the Fall…

With the Fall season right around the corner we’re (the whole MSM team) both excited and nervous!  We’re excited to see what God’s going to do in the lives of the Middle School students both at Faith and in the community around us.  We’re nervous because, well it’s Middle School students and you never know what’s going to happen!

One of the most amazing things about our ministry is that we’re able to do so many great things because we have such a great group of volunteers (mostly parents!) that give of their time and energy to help make things happen.  Over the past several months a few of our staff have moved on and we find ourselves in need.

Wednesdays @ 6:30pm

Our biggest need is on Wednesday nights at The 2nd Floor.  The 2nd Floor is our small group class.  Each week we’ll spend time hanging out with our students, play group games, listening to a stage teaching, and then spending about 30 – 45 minutes together in table groups.  Each table group has 1 leader and about 6 students in it.  These students and leaders sit together almost every week giving the leader a great opportunity to get to know these students!  We provide group questions in advance and attempt to give our leaders as much guidance as possible.  We’re looking for about 6 people that might be interested in being a small group table leader.

Sundays at 9:15am

Our other need is on Sunday Mornings at 9:15am for our Ground Floor class.  The Ground Floor is a great class for any Middle School student to be a part of.  We’ve got great games, lessons, videos, comedy, and much more.  Our leaders at the Ground Floor get to hang out with students, sit in with them throughout the lesson, and lead a small breakout session.  We’re looking for about 3 new leaders for this class.

If you’re a parent (and we’re assuming that you are because no student would have read this much of the post!) then we’d love for you to consider joining our volunteer staff.  You’ll have the opportunity to get to know and connect with our other leaders, develop relationships with some great students, and play an active role in the lives of not only your own kids, but many others as well.  If you might be interested in this please contact Pat Williams by phone at 248.404.6246 or email at pwilliams@faithtroy.org.

Visionary Parenting

This Friday and Saturday is the Visionary Parenting Seminar here at Faith.  Rob Rienow, our guest speaker, has a ton of great information on how you can help be the spiritual lead in your homes.  Here’s a copy of the information available on the Faithtroy.org website:

Friday, March 20, 7 to 9 pm
Saturday, March 21, 9 am to Noon
(Doors open at 6:30 pm & 8:30 am)

God blessed you with children for a reason. Come and discover it! Through this workshop, with Guest Speaker, Dr. Rob Rienow, parents and grandparents will be inspired to:

• Create a less chaotic and more peaceful home.
• Catch a vision for the spiritual life of your family.
• Develop practical tools for dealing with repeated discipline issues.
• Win the heart of your preschooler or reconnect with your teen.

$25 per person/$40 per couple
($35/$50 after March 16)
Refreshments Friday Night, Breakfast Saturday Morning
Free Childcare for Birth—Grade 5

Download Registration Form HERE!
(Adobe Acrobat Reader Required)
For more info, contact the church office at 248.689.4664.

“Visionary Parenting” was born when God brought Dr. Rob Rienow to a place of repentance for investing more time and energy in other people’s children as a pastor than his own children as a dad. As Dr. Rienow shares his journey, he will challenge and equip parents and grandparents with tools to bridge the gap between where your family is today and where God is calling you to go.

New Parents Section

We’re slowly rolling out our all new Parents section to the website.  By clicking on the Parents heading at the top you will be directed to an area that is designed just for you.  Let me give you a brief look at each of the pages included in this section:

Parents Main – This is a brief message from us to you (especially if you’re new to the Middle School Ministry at Faith).  We’ve got a few tips and thoughts for you there as well as a brief description of our other pages.

Upcoming Parent Stuff – I know it’s not the catchiest title in the world, but this page has information on any upcoming parent events that we are hosting our feel may be useful for you to partake in.

Rewind – Each week our hope is to post a brief look at our upcoming classes.  We’ll have a downloadable sheet with what we’re talking about and even a few tips or questions you can ask your student.

F.A.Q’s – Our Frequently Asked Questions section will be up shortly but it shouldn’t be to hard to figure out what’s going to be on it.  We’ll try our best to answer any regular questions that we get and if you submit any questions of your own you’ll find answers on that page.

We hope this Parents section of the website is useful for you and if there is anything else that you would like to see on it feel free to let us know and we’ll do our best to get it there!

Visionary Parenting

We’ve got two great new offerings for parents coming up in this new year. First is a class led by Pastor Tony and Jennifer Boos. Every Wednesday night between January 7 and February 18 they will be leading a DVD based discussion series from 6:30pm – 8:00pm in Room 2. I had the privelage of sitting through this series early in 2008 and it was a truly wonderful experience. The lessons do a great job of challenging parents in a variety of areas. There is no registration needed so feel free to stop by and engage.

A second opportunity is a weekend seminar coming up March 20-21, 2009. This seminar will be lead by Dr. Rob Rienow a Family Pastor at Wheaton Bible Church in Illinois. He will spend time challenging and helping parents through a variety of topics in parenting. This seminar is $25 per person and $40 per couple ($35/$50 after March 13). Refreshments are available on Friday and Breakfast will be served Saturday. To register contact Vivien in the Main Office at (248) 689-4664.

For more info or to register click here!

Parents And Teens: Help For Challenging Times

This eight-week class will begin on Sunday, September 7th at 9:15am in Room 2.  Each class will focus on tips and techniques parents can use to help their children work their way through the teenage years.  Topics will cover a wide variety of areas including:

- Communication
- Changing Attitudes
- Self-Image Issues
- Today’s Media
- Sexuality
- Helping Teens Grow Spiritually

The class is aimed specifically for parents with children entering or in the middle school years.  Don’t forget that your student can attend the Ground Floor in Room 16 while you are attending this class in Room 2.  Our instructor will be Mike Meyerand.  Mike is an elder here at Faith, a parent of 3 “grown up” kids, and a very insightful and funny communicator.  If you have any questions you can email him at mgmeyerand@aol.com.