Girls for Truth

My mom recently reviewed this book for another website. She has been sharing the many truths that she has learned which in turn, have been encouraging to me. I’m looking forward to reading the book soon myself! As young adults, we are just as much a part of the church family as our parents and other adults. We often are looked upon differently. For example, as “the kids” in the church, as the “youth group”, or even as potential trouble makers! The truth is, as young believers, we are brothers and sisters in Christ commanded to love one another! Therefore, I recommend this book to all ages!

Stop Dating the Church! Fall in Love with the Family of God By Joshua Harris

Book Review by Tamara Thompson

After reading Joshua Harris’ book Stop Dating the Church: Fall In Love With The Family Of God, I instantly knew it was a message dear to my heart. After abruptly moving across the country for my husband’s job change, our family learned some very important lessons about ourselves. For one, we realized that we really had taken our great relationship with our church family of the last ten years for granted, and two, finding a new church is not the easiest thing to do!

As a biblical counselor, I’ve heard many excuses for why someone is no longer attending a church. Looking back, and sorry to say, I really had little compassion to offer any of these women, but over the last couple of years, while I’ve been struggling to “fit in” to a new church family, I have developed a whole new understanding of the kinds of things that held them back. I know that in God’s providence, by uprooting us from all that was comfortable, He shook up our lives to strengthen us and mature us. For this, I am thankful. I am also very thankful for all the struggles I’ve had to “fit in” to my new church family. Josh Harris’ book stirred me up and forced me to look at the sin in my own heart, deal with it, and left me in this place of thankfulness!

In light of the glorious truth that His Church is the bride of Christ, just dating the local church is not enough. In fact, it is sinful, and I’m the first to admit, before picking up this book, though I was regularly attending the same church every week, I was quickly becoming a church dater! In the Joshua Harris style that I love, Harris takes us back to his own experiences as a “church dater” and teaches us through his own growing that “God has something better for you and me than dating the church”.
Harris starts out by showing us what we are missing by just dating the church. Believe me, this alone, will whet your appetite to quickly read through the rest of the book! After this challenging introduction, Harris will change your perspective, correct your thinking, move you to love the body of Christ, and give you a vivid picture of what this will look like! Harris doesn’t leave us hanging with just a desire for a true relationship with a church family, he also clearly explains how to turn your relationship around and how to get the best out of your Sundays! Finally, he encourages us by reminding us that Jesus loves His Church, and because we love Jesus, we should love what Jesus loves!

You don’t have to be a church dater to benefit from this book. I already know that I will go back to it often throughout my life. Even if you are actively serving in your local church, this book will be very refreshing for you! I also highly recommend it as a resource for families to study together. Parents can read the book and then teach it to younger children in the home, and older children can read it for themselves! This is definitely a must-have resource if you are struggling with a child not wanting to go to church! Harris has filled his book with Scripture and timeless quotes from great men of God making this book a great tool for biblically teaching your children the importance of the local church and I pray that you and your family will be as blessed as we were after reading it!

Josh Harris has made available a study guide through his blog. Download the FREE study guide here!

Several years ago, my dad began working with the youth group in our church in Michigan. He took on the ministry role because he had a passion for the young people in the church. He had begun to see the trend of the large seeker churches pulling in kids by the hundreds with their social events, giveaways, and other forms of hoopla. Many of these kids were even being lured out of solid, Bible teaching churches like ours. After talking with many different families, he came to the conclusion that the expectation by these parents was that the church and the youth pastor were the ones responsible for their teenagers’ spiritual growth as well as their “Christian” social life. This reality sparked a passion in him that hasn’t died down since-the passion that all ministries to any age group in our church must have God’s Word and God’s Glory as the priority. He immediately turned the focus of his time with the youth to the teaching of Scripture and building relationships with not only the youth, but the families as well. As far as I can remember, he has always believed that being a youth pastor or a youth leader is not just working with teenagers, it is working with families, it is walking beside families, it is developing relationships with families, and it is living out the word of God with others in your church family!

In God’s providence, we now live in Georgia, and my parents are serving as part of the student ministry team alongside Nick Kennicott, Pastor to Students at Ephesus Church, who puts Christ and the teaching Scripture as his priority with the same passion for changing student ministry.
This past weekend, my dad had the privilege of attending the reThink Conference ’08 in Raleigh, NC. It was wonderful seeing my dad come home so encouraged and filled with joy, despite having lost his brakes shortly after leaving his hotel and having to leave his car there!

Here is what my dad had to say about his experience at the conference:

“It was truly a blessing to spend time with like minded individuals and I formed many new, edifying friendships. Also, it was encouraging to hear from so many men of God who came together with the same burden to rethink student ministry in our churches.”

Alex Chediak flew in from California to live blog the event. Check out his thorough conference recap here.

Also, please check out these blogs by Mike Hall, Mike Seaver, Deb Burton, Mike Williams, and Nick Kennicott. Also, be sure to add Lasting Divergence to your must read blog list!

It’s official, I have just sent in my registration for Apologetics University at Boyce College. Thank you so much for all of your input in helping me make my decision. I would still like to attend Generation Joshua Summer Camp or Patrick Henry’s
Leadership Camp, but those will be Lord willing.
Even though many of us have a break from school during the summer months, we should still be in learning mode and equipping
ourselves for effective service and ministry!

Check out these opportunities to stretch yourselves:

Apologetics University-World Religions
Boyce College June 18th-June 21st, 2008

Patrick Henry College-Teen Leadership Camps
Roots of Leadership
July 6th-July 12th, 2008

Generation Joshua Teen Camp
Purcellville, VA June 29th – July 5th, 2008

Summer is quickly approaching and I’m having to square down my decision on Summer Camps. I’m definitely attending my own church’s camp at the end of July, but I’d like to do at least one more. I’d love your help in choosing! Please feel free to comment here or email me at alli@girlsfortruth.com with any input. I need to make my decision quickly so I can raise the money needed and buy my plane ticket!

Here are my choices so far. Please feel free to add to them by suggesting other camps or conferences!

Generation Joshua Teen Camp
Purcellville, VA June 29th – July 5th, 2008

A week for teens to discover how they can play a vital role in impacting our nation for Christ in the civic and political arena. Whether you consider yourself a political junkie or just an average American citizen, you will come away from camp with not only memories that will last a lifetime but the motivation to get and stay involved in the political process.

Few camps get people talking like GenJ’s annual Teen Camp. In 2005, ABC World News Tonight featured the camp in their nightly national telecast. Beyond the unique camp activities available due to it’s proximity to Washinton DC, the GenJ Teen Camp offers an intensive educational program. Participants are engaged by conservative leaders in daily lectures centered on what it means to be involved. In addition, and perhaps the most fun of all, interspersed between the lectures and activities, participants become immersed in mock politics, which includes a presidential campaign and legislative opportunities.

As a special celebration for Independence Day (July 4) we will be touring Washington DC and staying to see the national fireworks at night.

Apologetics University-World Religions
Boyce College June 18th-June 21st, 2008

Apologetics University is a mini camp experience for students who “aren’t afraid to think” sponsored by Boyce College and TeenPact. Each year high school and college students meet on the campus of Boyce College to study biblical answers to cultural challenges. This year students will study the major teachings of several world religions and explore avenues for providing a Christian witness to each people group.

Patrick Henry College-Teen Leadership Camps
Roots of Leadership
July 6th-July 12th, 2008

Description: Are you interested in being a Christian leader in today’s culture? If so, the Roots of Leadership camp is for you. This camp uncovers what it really means to be a Christian leader and features a variety of presentations by PHC faculty members, coordinated by PHC graduate and former Teen Camp Director, Lindsay See. The Roots of Leadership Camp explores ideas of servant leadership and apologetics, concepts like liberty and the foundations of American government, and challenges campers to grow in leadership by living a life of purpose. It is the perfect camp for everyone interested in changing the world around them.

This past weekend I traveled to North Carolina, along with my parents, sister, and family friends, to be part of the brother Harris’ first stop on The Rebelution’s Do Hard Things Tour. The conference was as amazing as I expected it to be and my friends and I returned home encouraged to live above the low expectations that we face in our society!

Alex Harris kicked off the conference by challenging our thinking about being “teenagers.” The Bible says nothing about teenagers, and the actual term wasn’t even around until 1941! The concept of being a teenager is only a modern view of adolescents when at one time in our country’s history, kids were given adult level of responsibility at an early age.
The outcome of this modern view of adolescents is that teenagers today are given very low expectations.
Several points that Alex made will forever stick with me….

1. Our sinful, lazy hearts love the low expectations.
2. We will become the men and women we strive to be!
3. Be rebelutionaries for the Glory of God and do the teen years better than it has ever been done before!

I Corinthians 13:11
“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.”

I Corinthians 14:20
“Brothers, do not be children in your thinking. Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.”

I Timothy 4:12
“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”

Brett continued into the next session with challenging us to do hard things. He reminded us that we live in a culture that expects nothing more than the basics.
“God is not glorified when His people limit themselves!” We can grow stronger by doing the hard things!

What does doing hard things look like?
1. Fighting Sin in Your Life
2. Battling Discouragement and Complacency
3. Doing More Than Expected
4. Getting over our fear of failure.
5. Looks different for each person.
6. Doing hard things is sometimes doing small things.
7. Is your BEST life, not your easy life.

Next, Alex and Brett’s dad, Greg Harris shared a powerful Gospel message! He contrasted between those that show an outward moral character, but have no faith behind it, and a true Christian.
Many are…“maintaining the appearance of godliness, but lack the power behind it-FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST!”
I pray that many hearts were changed and these teens go on to grow into strong and influential Christians!

The final session was with Alex, Brett, and their dad on the importance of Companionship in doing the hard things.

Alex shared 3 points:
1. Not just alone. We gain strength when we work with others! II Tim. 2:22
2. Not just with peers. You are who you hang out with! You should be hanging out with older teens, your youth pastor, pastor, other godly adults, your parents, etc.
3. Not just with people. Media can be a companion and we need to be careful. We don’t look at media as a companion so it can easily be effectual in influencing us.

Greg Harris challenged parents to Do Hard Things, as well. “It is hard to be obedient to parents who don’t take a risk to do the hard things.” Parents must equip their children, because young people often have the strength, but not the wisdom! The Rebelution is a partnership with parents…age-integrated partnership to do the hard things!

Proverbs 20:29
The glory of young men is their strength, but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

Brett shared 6 Types of Encouragement:
1. Must have a hero.
2. Make friends with dead people. You can read books from amazing reformers that came before!
3. Take advantage of friends you make through The Rebelution.
4. Find the secret Rebelutionaries.
5. Seek out the godly and wise people in your life.
6. Seek out the ultimate companion in Jesus Christ.

The Rebelution is a much needed stand in such a time as this. Our generation needs a spiritual uprising and there are many of us who have the burden to bring this about! I was highly motivated to move ahead in the things that God has called me to do, and completely humbled by being around so many like-minded teens with the same burden! Only God could bring us together like that and I thank God for Brett and Alex who are willing to serve the Lord in such an important leadership role as calling out and bringing together the Rebelutionaries through their ministry! Greg Harris has been a tremendous influence to parents in raising their kids for the Glory of God. I know that he has influenced and encouraged my parents over the years! Brett and Alex showed a true respect and love for their father that is glorifying to God. I pray that more teens will embrace this partnership with their parents and spend less time in rebellion against them, and more time rebelling against the low expectations that they have been given! Let’s rise above and bring glory to God!