4/7 – Purity

For our first week of the Love Songs series, we’re tackling the big subject of purity. If we’re going to talk about relationships that honor God, purity is a part of that. Unfortunately, many times purity gets reduced down to just what we do physically, but purity is so much deeper and greater than that. We’ll be discussing what it looks like to pursue the path towards God in purity rather than just pursue a guy or a girl, along with discussing what purity looks like practically for both students in middle school.

4/14 – Dating

Every middle school student knows at least one person his or her age that either is in a relationship, or has been in one before. Middle school is the time when the “relationship waters” are tested, but often the reasons behind the relationship aren’t the wisest. We’re talking about the reasons WHY people date in middle school, and if those reasons actually stand up when challenged. We’ll also be discussing healthy dating practices and patterns that honor God and keep us on the path towards purity that we discussed the previous week.

4/21 – Marriage

When it comes to how we date, it’s important to have vision for the future. No, you may not be in the place of thinking about who your future spouse is, but thinking forward is a wise choice when it comes to how you make decisions NOW. We’re going to discuss God’s intent behind marriage, and taking a look at the greater vision that life is bigger than having a significant other or ending up married—it’s about entering into the most deep and committed relationship you can ever experience: a relationship with God.

4/28 – Combined HS/MS Worship

We’re going to have a little surprise in store for you guys as a wrap up to this series. Stay tuned for more information

Series Overview

Whether it’s in traffic, in the mud, or in a rut, no one likes to be stuck. It’s likely that you’ve felt stuck in your faith at some point also. In the Stuck series, we’ll be discussing some of the big questions people have about Christianity. Questions that especially when we face them head on in our own life, we can get “stuck” on. From a good God allowing bad things to happen, to evolution, and lots more, this series will inform your mind and heart as you seek to get un-stuck in areas of your faith as well as help your friends around you who may also be stuck.

Week 1: Why Would a Good God Allow Bad Things to Happen? (March 3)

Week 1 kicks off with possibly the most asked question about the character of God. If he’s all powerful and loving, why would he allow bad things to happen? During this week, we’ll spend some time reflecting on what the Bible and experience says about this tough topic, as well as talk about some ways we can apply this head knowledge to everyday situations we and our friends face.

Week 2: Does God Really Exist? (March 10)

In a world that is driven by tangible evidence to prove truth, does God really exist when we can’t see or touch Him? How can we know that God is really there? Where’s the evidence that proves God exists? Join us this morning as we discuss how to know if God is real.

Week Three: Does the God of the Bible Exist? (March 17)

Allah, Elohim, Baha, Adi Purush, Ahura Mazda, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto, Embu, Adonai. All religions have gods, but how do we know that the God of the Bible is true? We know that the world was created by God, but how do we know it wasn’t a God that one of the other religions worship? How does what scientists say fit in with what the God of the Bible says? Join us this morning as we tackle how to prove that the God of the Bible is the only true God.

Week Four: Jesus and the Resurrection (March 24)

Our final Sunday of the series is going to take on the questions of “Is Jesus really the Son of God?” and “Did the Resurrection really happen?” and then we’ll explore how that applies to us as we celebrate that resurrection at Easter.

We live in a world where it’s become socially cool to get behind a cause.  From the over 2,000,000 pairs of Toms given out around the world to the increased awareness of many social issues, we’ve taken a good step.  But, as good as getting behind a cause is, is getting behind a cause really at the core of what God’s purpose for our lives?  In our 58 series, based on Isaiah 58:6-8 and compared with the life of the Apostle Paul, we’ll discover more of God’s heart for the world and the social issues we must do something about.  Even deeper, we’ll take a look into a more compelling purpose for our lives even than serving others.

Week 1: Encountering God (February 3)

Many followers of Jesus find it easier to “do” things for God than to simply “be” with God.  Yes, we eventually must get around to doing something, but the reality is that even God’s mission takes a back seat to the paramount goal of God himself.  Just like Paul encountered God on the road to Damascus, we’ll look back and review encounters we’ve had with God, with our goal of increasing the frequency and duration of those encounters.

Week 2: Listening to God (February 10)

It’s something that is so easy to say, but so hard to do.  Listening to God and hearing His voice is something that is so important, but done so rarely.  In our culture, there are hundreds of voices shouting different messages at us on a daily basis.  How do we know we are really hearing and responding to God’s voice? We’ll talk about how to hear God’s voice, and how to discern what He says over the other messages that normally shout so loud in Today’s society.

Week 3: Student Takeover (February 17)

This week we won’t be meeting in the Student Center for worship, we’ll be taking over all the CCC worship venues! From the Worship Center to Access to Bellevue Campus and the Online Campus, Students will be taking over and running everything! CCC values students as not just the future of ministry, but an integral part of ministry NOW.  Students will be doing things normally done by adults on a Sunday morning, from greeting to ushering, playing in the band and giving announcements!  If you want to sign up, you can do it on a Sunday morning or email Elizabeth Bartz at ElizabethB@cccomaha.org

Week Four: On Mission With God (February 24)

We’ll wrap up the series by discussing how we can be on mission with God.  If our faith is without action, the book of James tells us it’s dead.  God desires for us to be on mission with him – both in our personal lives and in the life of the greater community we’re all a part of.  We’ll look at Paul, who changed the course of the world with the mission God gave to him, as an inspiration to each of our lives.

In case you hadn’t heard, CCC Middle School Ministry’s Old Mill Campus is putting on the 2013 Journey Group Throwdown–a series of team competitions to see who reigns supreme. Students, here’s a reminder of your team names and colors:

JENSEN TEAM: ROBOT REBELLION

COLOR: GREY/SILVER

 NORDIN TEAM: ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE

COLOR: PURPLE

  BRISTOL TEAM: NINJA FORCE

COLOR: BLACK

6TH GRADE GIRLS: ALIEN INVASION

COLOR: GREEN

6TH GRADE BOYS: SCURVY PIRATES

COLOR: BLUE

Dress in your team’s colors this week at journey groups and you’ll receive extra points for your team! Also, anyone who makes a short video themed around their team’s mascot and posts it to our facebook page will receive 2,000 points for their team as well!

We’re starting off the new year right with our series called “Hot Button”! What’s “Hot Button” supposed to mean, you ask? Well, in our culture today, there’s a number of “hot button” issues that are either rarely talked about or cause tension in conversation. Good thing we’re not afraid to tackle the tough topics–here’s the breakdown of what we’ll be talking about for the month of January:

1/6 – Bullying

Most people are in agreement that bullying is wrong, but what many people don’t realize is how common it actually is. Bullying isn’t confined to being physical–it includes the words we say about others (to their face, gossiping behind their back, or starting a facebook/twitter attack on someone), they way we exclude people from feeling like they belong, and even includes those who just go along with the crowd, even if they aren’t the instigators. Maybe you are a student who is currently being bullied at school or even among your peers at church. Maybe you have always been the one who feels bad for those being picked on, but have never mustered up the courage to say something about it. Or maybe you’re the one dishing out the criticism, but never considered the long lasting effect of your words on other people. Christ calls us to live above the kind of behavior that seeks to exclude others, and rather invites us into a lifestyle that includes others and builds them up.

1/13 – Homosexuality

We all know this is an especially hot topic right now. Not only because of the recent states to legalize gay marriage, but because it’s becoming commonplace in everyday life. Homosexuality isn’t just on TV, in movies or the news–most of us know someone in our life who identifies themselves as being gay, or is currently questioning if they may have same-sex attraction. The big question is, what’s right? Is being gay but not acting on it okay, or is it wrong to have the orientation in the first place? Is okay to be in a same sex relationship? Can you be a Christian and be gay? If it’s wrong, what do I say to my friend or family member… and if I’M the one who feels this way, what do I do? Definitely be sure to make it on this Sunday morning to engage in the discussion as we look at homosexuality through the lens of Scripture.

1/20 – Other Religions (Combined High School and Middle School)

How much do you know about other religions? Have you ever been curious about what other people believe and why? We’ll be having a guest speaker that morning coming in to talk with us on this subject–not only will we be talking about what others believe, but why Scripture is the only truth that stands. It can get confusing living in a world where many people see things differently, but on this Sunday morning we’ll be bringing clarity to why we believe what we believe, while being educated on others’ beliefs in order to have meaningful faith conversations with them.

1/27 – Identity/Pornography

This morning is going to be very different than we normally do worship on Sundays. After a pancake breakfast for both high school and middle school (that’s right, we’re feeding you!), we are splitting up by gender, not by grade. The girls will get to engage in the topic of identity and body image, while the guys will be engaging in the topic of pornography. It should be an interesting morning that allows for some deeper discussion because of the gender split. Both topics relate to each other in that we as humans are broken both in our minds and bodies. We seek to have meaningful discussions regarding these topics to bring healing and restoration for those students who are struggling with these issues.

Hope you all have the opportunity to join us for this 4-week series!

Just in case you weren’t otherwise notified, 6th grade Journey Groups have been canceled tonight due to the snow storm rolling in. Stay safe, and we’ll see you in January!

Hey Parents and Students!

Just as a reminder to all of you, this Sunday the 16th is our last Sunday morning worship service for the year of 2012. That morning we’ll finally be doing our Q+A session for our Supernatural series, so students–you won’t want to miss it!

That night is also our last 7th and 8th grade Journey Group meeting for the year. We’re having a “Whoville” party, so come dressed up as your favorite Who (or maybe the Grinch?!), and get ready to have a good time (there just might be some sweet giveaways that night…). Don’t forget to bring something for our canned food drive as well!

Wednesday night the 19th is our last 6th grade Journey Group meeting for the year and is also our Christmas party bash! Boys need to bring a salty snack item to share, and girls need to bring something sweet. We’re going to have a ton of fun games and competitions, so you won’t want to miss it!

After all of those end-of-the-year festivities, we will have no Sunday morning worship and no 7th and 8th grade Journey Groups until January 6th, and no 6th grade Journey Groups until the 9th.

We hope you have a wonderful Christmas break and we’re looking forward to all our celebrations coming up in the next week!

Series Overview

Is there more to this world than what our senses can experience?  The vast majority of our world thinks so.  We’re obsessed with spiritually charged movies and TV series, horoscopes, angels, and the afterlife.  All this obsession has only led to more confusion.  During the Supernatural series, we’ll dive into some fascinating topics from the point of view of God’s Word as we look for truth from God, the real Supernatural.

Session 1: The Truth About Satan (November 18)

This past Halloween everyone probably saw at least one kid in a devil costume.  Life would certainly be much easier if the devil were a cute kid running around with horns and a pitchfork and could be appeased with free candy.  Unfortunately that’s not the case, so join us as we talk through Satan’s origins, his schemes, what our role is in the spiritual battle against Satan.

Session Two: Angels and Demons (November 25)

Everyone can think of the funny movie scenes where a person is caught between 2 decisions, and a mini angel on one shoulder is giving one opinion and a mini demon on the other shoulder is giving another opinion.  There’s a lot of confusion about the role and power of angels and demons, and we’ll tackle some of those topics this week.  We’ll also discuss the reality of the spiritual battle that’s continually going on all around us.

Session Three: The Holy Spirit (December 2)

We tend to think of the Holy Spirit as being this Star Wars like “force” – this new age kind of power residing all around us.  But, the Bible tells us he is God, he is a person, and as a member of the Trinity, has some HUGE roles he plays in our life.

Session Four: The Afterlife (December 9)

There’s not much that interests people more than the end times.  What happens to us when we die?  What events will happen at the end of the world?  These kinds of questions can cause worry and fear, but in the life of the Christian, they are an amazing opportunity to grow in our trust of God’s plan for our lives and the world as a whole.

Session Five: Q & A Week (December 16)

We know this series will leave you with TONS of questions.  All throughout the series, you’ll have the opportunity to ask any question they want related to Supernatural topics.  During this final week, we’ll have a panel up front to help give Biblical insight to some of these topics.

12/23  NO MS WORSHIP – CHRISTMAS

12/30  NO MS WORSHIP – NEW YEARS

Calling all middle schoolers AND high schoolers: We’re having a tailgate on October 19th for grades 6-12 at Southwest Church of the Nazarene (right across the street from Millard South), for the Millard North vs. Omaha North football game! There’s going to be a lot of FREE food and prizes to win while we all hang out together before the big game. The first 250 students will get a free mini football and the raffle includes footballs signed by some of the 2012 Huskers! This is a great opportunity to invite some friends and to get connected to other students in our ministry. We’d love to see you there! What you need to know:

Who: Middle School and High School students (and as many friends as you’d like to bring!)

When: 10/19/12 from 5-6:30 PM

Where: Southwest Church of the Nazarene (14808 Q Street)

Why: Because we like hanging out with you

Incredible. Unbelievable. Extraordinary. Inconceivable. None of these words describe the work of Jesus quite like the word “miraculous”. Unreal will take us through four of the most instructive miracles in Jesus’ ministry and the lasting impact those lessons still have for today.

10/14 – Jesus heals a man born blind – John 9

In this story we see Jesus encounter a man born blind, and after healing him, sparks an investigation over what really happened and who Jesus really is. We learn from this story that Jesus not only heals the physically blind, but desires to expose the spiritual blindness in our lives. He meets us where we are at and shows our true need of a savior to take us out of darkness and into the light of truth.

10/21 – Jesus heals a paralytic – Mark 2

Many of us can recall learning about this miracle from Sunday school–when Jesus heals the paralytic who was lowered through the roof to see him. Jesus does not merely heal the man of his paralysis, but declares his authority to forgive his sin. Once again, this sparks an argument among the crowd over who this Jesus really is. Jesus is not merely a healer physically, but heals our relationship with the Father.

10/28 – Healing at the pool – John 5

This part of scripture describes Jesus’ healing of another paralyzed man, but this time the situation is a little different than the previous week’s story. Rather than the man doing whatever it takes to get to Jesus to be healed, Jesus approaches this man–and when he asks the man if he wants to be healed, he brings up what sounds like an excuse. This week we’re talking about the excuses that people who are in serious need of Christ’s healing make to stay in their situation , and the excuses that others make to avoid coming alongside and helping those who need that healing.

11/4 – Jesus heals a sick woman – Mark 5

In our final week of this series, we’ll be looking at the story of Jesus healing a sick woman in the midst of an enormous crowd. In this story, the woman merely touches Jesus’ clothes and she’s healed! We are going to be taking a deeper look at what God is like by looking at the person and character of Jesus. Furthermore, we’ll be taking a look back at all the miracles we’ve discussed in this series and consider what this means about the person of Jesus–what do we do with Jesus and how does his life impact our own lives now?