Mission Trip 2009 - Grand Rapids

Perfectionism

"Perfectionism may be the ultimate self-defeating behavior. It turns people into slaves of success—but keeps them focused on failure, dooming them to a lifetime of doubt and depression. It also winds up undermining achievement in the modern world." - Hara Estroff

MaranoPerfectionism has become so part of ourselves and our community that we fight to justify it. We have no idea the true negative impact that it is having on us and our youth. I had no idea until I read this article by Hara Estroff Marano called, “Pitfalls of Perfectionism.” The problem is the line between excellence and perfectionism is so close and it can be hard to distinguish. But they truly are very different. If parents, teachers, or anybody that works with youth understood the negative impact that perfectionism has, I think we would truly evaluate how we can better handle situations.While working with teenagers for almost four years, I have seen the way perfectionisms can affect youth and even me. When you are always trying to be perfect, you don’t allow other people to make mistakes either. You begin to criticize and put each other down. The environment is often unsafe, and scary because of the fear of being seen for who you truly are or being seen as a failure. It keeps people from opening up and sharing. I believe that we do not have to settle for living in the chains of perfectionism. I believe that Christ did not come into this world to add more chains, but came to break them. He came to set us free from the unrealisic standards. This is not an excuse to do whatever we want, but a decision to worship and honor God out of the outflow of a heart that loves Him and wants to serve him because he is God, not because we have to.How do we fight against perfectionism? I think the first step is to be educated on what it is and how it influences our behavior. The second step is to begin to see how we can change our actions to build self confident, risk taking, innovate youth who are not afraid of failing because they know that through failing they become stronger people. We as leaders, parents, and teachers can begin to break this cycle by simply being aware of how to praise youth, and what actions to reinforce.Please read the following article as it expresses the impact perfectionism has, and how to fight against it.
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20080225-000002.xml

Operation Christmas Child

“Dear Friends, let us love one another...” 1 John 4:7. On Sunday, November 16th, youth at TVPC got together to love others by putting together shoe box Christmas presents. Operation Christmas Child is a way to send Christmas presents to children all around the world. The shoeboxes are filled with toys, candy, toothbrushes, clothing, and much more. Students picked out their gifts at the store and came back to fill the shoe boxes. The students were able to put their love into action by participating in this powerful activity and giving joy and hope to others.

Confirmation fall retreat

Good News Mini Mission

Each year the Confirmation group partners with children from Roger's Park. This past Sunday the teens worked with the Good News Kids as we talked about Colossians 1:16 - "By Him all things were created". We went on a creation walk and found amazing aspects of God's creation. We sang songs, did activities, and just shared in fellowship with each other. It was a blessed day.

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Our First Love

"Our First Love" by Henri Nouwen

You are my child.
You are written in the palms of my hand.
You are hidden in the shadow of my hand.
I have molded you in the secret of the earth.
I have knitted you together in your mother's womb.
You belong to me.
I am yours. You are mine.
I have called you from eternity and you are the one who is held safe and embraced in love from eternity to eternity.
You belong to me. And I am holding you safe and I want you to know that whatever happens to you, I am always there. I was always there; I am always there; I always will be there and hold you in my embrace.
You are mind. You are my child. You belong to my home. You belong to my intimate life and I will never let you go. I will be faithful to you. Where somehow you can claim that long before your father, your mother, your brother, your sister, your school, your church touched you, loved you, and wounded you- long before that, you were held safe in an eternal embrace. You were seen with eyes of perfect love long before you entered into the dark valley of life...the spiritual life starts at the moment that you can go beyond all of the wounds and claim that there was a love that was perfect and unlimited, long before that perfect love became reflected in the imperfect and limited, conditional love of people. The spiritual life starts where you dare to claim the first love - Love one another because I have loved you first.

After reading this, what do you hear about your belovedness? What stood out to you?

Unbelief

I found the quote below on one of our student’s facebook page. Hebrews 12:1 - 2 talks how as followers of Christ we need to throw off everything that hinders our walk with the Lord. When we fail to throw off the barrier that separate us from Christ, we find we are left heavy and burdened and unable to really experience the Life that God planned; a life of freedom, love, and grace. In scripture a man prayed, "Lord I believe, but help me over come my unbelief." I have always been struck by the vulnerability and honesty in this request to Christ. God knows our hearts already, we can not hide. Therefore, we must come to Him honestly and confess to Him the true matters of our hearts. I pray that this quote is an encouragement to you too today.

"Your greatest sin is not the abortion that you've asked forgiveness for, or the adultery, or whatever it is that you did in your life in the past that you're ashamed of that keeps hounding you, your greatest sin is not that! Your greatest sin is not believing God's word when God says you're forgiven! Your greatest sin is unbelief! You wanna repent of something, friend? Stop repenting of sins that you've already repented of, and repent of your unbelief." - Preacher in "Voices" by House of Heroes