A Pastor's Perspective 08-08-2023

“Do you see teenagers as a problem to be fixed or a wonder to behold?” At Snyder we prefer to embrace the wonder. This is a good question to ponder and work through. The question is asked by teenage thought leader, Mark Oestreicher (MarkO) and he will be at Snyder on Saturday, September 9, leading two sessions from 9-11:30am. MarkO speaks all over the world, discussing how we can best minister to and raise our teens. He has also authored dozens of books, including A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Teenage Brains: Why They Act the Way They Do, A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Teenage Boys: Remembering Who He Was, Celebrating Who He’s Becoming, and A Parent’s Guide to Understanding Teenage Girls: Remembering Who She Was, Celebrating Who She’s Becoming. MarkO is going to lead two sessions from 9-11:30am on the nature and nurture of our teens. We will discuss why our teens act the way they do and how we can best minister to them.
Please register at Snyderstudents.com, $10 per couple, and childcare is available. This seminar is open to anyone who would like to attend and encouraged for anyone (teachers, parents, grandparents) who have a role in a teenager’s life (or soon-to-be). He will also preach in both services on September 10.
This past Sunday, we had Pop-Up Sunday, where all our kids and students officially moved to their new grades. This marks the beginning of a new school year. As a student pastor, the new school year has always been marked on my calendar, but this year will be a bit different as my oldest is entering kindergarten! Hard to believe we’re already here! Obviously, this hits with a wide range of emotions as we are concerned, nervous, a little sad and excited. We’ll see what new ideas and words she brings home. This transition is a reminder of some of the difficulties of parenting. So, you can imagine, we’ll be listening attentively to MarkO on September 9. I hope you will join me!
Pop-Up Sunday was a great way to kick off the new year, but we have a lot of awesome things coming up for our students! This weekend we are officially welcoming our 6th and 7th graders into our student ministry with our 6th and 7th grade retreat. We are heading to Great Wolf Lodge for a fun weekend of fellowship and setting some expectations for the new year. Then, on August 26, we kick off our school year activities with the back-to-school bash at Camp Dixie. This will be a fun Saturday of reconnecting, and looking forward to Youth Choir (August 20), Steps of Faith (September 6) and Life Groups (September 10)!
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the conference with MarkO and kicking off a great school year!
God Bless,
Jon