the idea is to read a chapter of james for a full week…the whole chapter for seven days! it sounds monotonous but its incredible…each day you learn something new, you find something you didnt see the day before and it helps you to commit the word to memory! and if you find it difficult here are a few assists in your reading…

who: who is involved? what role they play?…

what: what it is the passage supposed to mean.

when: when did the assigned reading take place?

where: where did the assigned reading take place?

why: what is the reading trying to get across?

then more follow up:
what verse(s), phrase(s) or word(s) stuck out to you…jot them down in your journal, meditate on them and write out personal thoughts

what verse(s) phrase or word(s) did you not understand, anything that youre not sure about the meaning or just sounds weird, write them down in your journal, do some research and figure out what it means…this will help the entirety of the assigned reading flow better and make more sense

write down a key verse that summaries the verses we read through, memorize this verse and apply that verse to your daily walk

and lastly write in your journal, a short summary of what you learned, changes that you can currently see in your life that you can make that match up to what you read…and lastly close in prayer, including clarity, understanding, life change for his sake

Here at Verge we dont do New Years resolutions, we focus more on new year commitments! We are committed to following Christ, seeking His face, and serving His people. And to get the new year kicked off right, i have added a handful of new year commitments that you can join us in…

Improve Your Prayer Life
Simple enough, right? Just get better at praying. It’s not that easy. A lot of Christians make this resolution and soon fail, because they take too big a step at first. If you’re not used to praying often, jumping into an active prayer life can be a daunting task. Maybe start off praying each morning when you get up, or even while you brush your teeth. Start off giving five minutes to God. Then maybe try adding another five minutes. Soon you’ll find that you’ll start going to God more often and for more things. Don’t worry about what to talk to Him about, just talk. You’ll be amazed by the results.

Read Your Bible in a Year
Getting into the habit of reading the Word is also a common New Year’s resolution for many Christians. There are plenty of Bible reading plans out there that guide you through reading your Bible in a year. It just takes discipline to open up the book every night. You may not even want to read the entire Bible, but rather use a year to focus on a specific topic or area of your life that you want God to help you improve. Find a reading plan that works for you.

Help Other People
God calls on us throughout the Bible to do good works. Whether you adhere to the idea that you need good works to get to heaven, like Catholics do, or not, like most Protestants, helping others is still a part of a Christian walk. Most churches have outreach activities or you can even find local volunteer opportunities through your school. There are so many people who just need a bit of assistance, and helping others is a great way to set a Christian example.

Get Involved in Church
Most churches have youth groups or Bible studies geared toward you. If not, why not be the one to get a group together? Start your own Bible study or put together an activity that some of the other Christians at church can enjoy. A lot of youth groups meet one day a week, and those meetings are a great way to meet new people who believe and can help you grow in your walk.

Become a Better Steward
One of the most challenging issues for Christian teens is the idea of stewardship, which is the process of tithing. Most Christian teens don’t make a lot of money, so it becomes harder to give. Typical teen activities like shopping and eating out make it difficult to have money left over. However, God calls on all Christians to be good stewards.

Use a Devotional
Reading your Bible is an essential part of anyone’s Christian walk, because it keeps your head in God’s Word. Still, using a devotional helps you take the concepts in the Bible and apply them to your everyday life. There are numerous devotionals available for Christian Teens, so you should be able to find one that fits your personality, interests, or your place in your spiritual growth.

Plant Some Seeds of Faith
How many times have you evangelized to friends or family. Make it your goal this year to talk to a certain number of people about your faith. While it would be great if someone converted or “got saved” through your discussions, don’t get too caught up on that number. You’d be amazed how many people will end up believers from a discussion you have about what God has done in your life. It just may not happen while you know them. Also, use platforms like your Facebook or MySpace profiles to demonstrate your beliefs. Plant many seeds of faith and let them grow.

Get to Know Mom and Dad Better
One of the most difficult relationships in a Christian teens’ life is with his or her parents. You’re at a time in your life when you are entering adulthood and want to start making your own decisions, but you will always be your parents’ child. Your different viewpoints make for some interesting conflict. Yet, God dictates that we honor our parents, so take some time to get to know Mom and Dad a little better. Do things with them. Share bits of your life with them. Even a small amount of quality time with your parents will go a long way in helping your relationship.

Bring Someone to Church
A simple idea, but it takes a lot of courage to ask a friend to come to church. Faith is something most Christian teens have difficulty discussing with non-Christian friends, because it is often something very personal. Yet, many Christians would never have come to Christ without that one friend who asked them to come to church or talk about their beliefs. For every person who might shoot you down, there are two or three other people who will be curious about why your faith is so important to you. Taking them to your youth group services or activities can help show them why.

I know its been a while and i know youve been watching waiting and searching for some new news and here it is! Thanks for your patience and without further ado here we go…

So we’ve started a new student ministry year and we’re super excited about it…theres been a few changes and lots of new faces but our focus on exploring the identity of Christ and finding our identity in Him has not changed…

We are still meeting at the Wonderful Smiths house @ 5127 Carter Grove Circle Roanoke, Va 24012 every Wednesday @ 6:43…but listen out for a “moving” update coming in the future

***also there is a verge 2011 calendar at the bottom of this post***

Just in case you missed us last wednesday…our lesson time was focused on prayer…it was a wonderful night of exploring multiple layers of what prayer is, how its done, and when to do it…if this interests you feel free to do your own exploration with the lesson notes pasted below…

Focused Look Into Prayer

Psalm 55: 17 (We should pray regularly)
Matthew 5: 44 (We should pray for our enemies)
Matthew 6: 5-7 (We should pray secretly and honestly)
Matthew 18: 19-20 (We should pray with others
Matthew 21: 21-22 (If we pray, we will receive)
Matthew 26: 41 (Prayer will keep us from sin)
Luke 18: 1 (Prayer will give us courage
John 14: 12-14 (We can talk to God about anything)
John 15: 7-8, 16 (We should pray with confidence)
John 16: 23-26 (Prayer involves asking. We should pray in Jesus’ name)
Philippians 4: 6-7 (Pray about everything, and be thankful)
1 Thess 5: 16-18 (We should pray at all times)
James 5: 13-14 (We should pray for the sick and others in need )
1 John 1: 9 (Prayer involves confessing our sins)

Please take some time to look up, read over and discuss these verses…talk out what the verses mean and be prepared to share your findings…when that is complete, apply some of the principles discovered in the study i.e. pray for enemies, pray for the sick, confess sin, pray for strength to overcome temptation and pray for one another…

I hope this study is as beneficial to you as it was to our group…

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2011 Important Verge Dates

Sept
1st Childrens Chapel @ the rescue mission…meet in the parking lot at 5:45
7th Registration for the new school year
14th OutReach Night
21st ConVerge
28th ConVerge

Oct
5th ConVerge
6th Childrens Chapel @ the rescue mission…meet in the parking lot at 5:45
12th OutReach Night
19th ConVerge
22nd Layman Farm – Haunted Corn Maze
26th ConVerge
28th Scaremare

Nov
2nd ConVerge
3rd Childrens Chapel @ the rescue mission…meet in the parking lot at 5:45
9th OutReach Night
16th ConVerge
20th Thanksgiving Feast
23rd Holiday Break
30th ConVerge

Dec
1st Childrens Chapel @ the rescue mission…meet in the parking lot at 5:45
7th ConVerge
14th Christmas Party
21st Holiday Break
28th ConVerge
30th WinterFest