Christmas Eve

Student Ministry All Night New Year’s Eve Party

All Students, Grades 6-12, are invited to the Kersker’s for an a night of fun and games!

Board Games… Video Games… Movies… Munchies…. and more!

What to bring:

• Friends
• Munchies/2-Liter to share
• Sleeping Bag/pillow (if you plan on sleeping!)

Questions can be directed to Traci Kersker, Family Minister at Traci@ImagineLifeDifferently.com.

Encounter Student Ministry December Calendar

Encounter Student Ministry Calendar

December 24th – Student Christmas Skit at 9am & 11am Services (Contact Traci@ImagineLifeDifferently.com for more info!)
December 28th – Worship Team Practice 6:30pm
December 31st – Student Serve Weekend
December 31st 6pm – January 1st 8am Student All-Night New Year’s Eve Party

November Student Ministry

November Calendar for Students Grade 6th and up

November 26th – NO ENCOUNTER, but…

Here are some pics from this month:

• We have Worship God with our talents and learned about the importance of gratitude and how it effects all areas of our lives…

Fall Harvest Parties for Children THIS WEEKEND!

Children Ministry “Uniquely Me” Day!
Sunday, October 29th 9 & 11 AM

This month we have been looking at our Purpose – exploring giftedness and talents, passions, and even things we have gone through in life (i.e. moving, divorce, friendships) and how we can use these to bring God glory.

God has gifted our kids to be creative, and unique, and special.  We want to celebrate that, so children are invited to wear appropriate costumes for services as we celebrate the fall season in our classes!  Our activities will be focused on celebrating a creative God, reinforcing what we have been studying, and giving thanks to God for how He made us.

Student Service in Review

Portage Resale Shop Service Project in Review

On Saturday, October 7th nine (and a half!) of us went out to the Portage Resale Shop to help prepare for their winter coat give away.  If I remember correctly, they will give away about 900 coats!  Brandon, of Portage Resale Shop, gave us a tour and a short lesson on non profits and stewardship.  This organization is committed to serving our community and partnering with churches to meet needs.

There is a volunteer at the resale shop that oversees this project and in the past she has done all the work of sorting, tagging and hanging coats on her own.  Over lunch the students figured out that our giving approximately 3 hours of our time was equivalent to nearly 4 days of her working by herself!

Here are some pics from our day!

Encounter Student Service Project This Sunday

Sunday, September 17th 1-5pm

Encouragement Rocks

Students are invited to join us for a fun way of spreading God’s love and truth. 

Bring a lunch, pick some up near by, or come back after lunch!

We will be painting rocks to encourage others.  When they dry enough we will spread them around so that people can find them!  God will work in people’s lives as they find our rocks!

Friends are always welcome to join us! If you have any question, contact Traci at (219) 531-7777 ext. 11 or Traci@LifeBridgeAlive.com

Encounter Student Ministry

Sunday August 27th 4-7pm

Life Bridge Cafe (Carpeted Area)

We will be watching the movie that I used a clip from the day of the prayer walk, Facing the Giants (after all, it is football season)!

As we enjoy the movie, we will be eating munchies, and afterwards having some discussion.

Friends are welcome and you are welcome to bring a munchie or 2 liter to share. I will plan on providing lemonade and popcorn.

Here are a few pics from the prayer walk two weeks ago:

Encounter Student Ministry

Sunday, July 16th 1-5pm Life Bridge Cafe

Cookie Bake for Kairos Prison Ministries

Kairos Prison Ministries uses “Jesus Cookies” to help facilitate forgiveness between them and God, and between them and others.  We are going to make as many cookies as possible by 5pm and have a lot of fun doing it! 

Friends are welcome at all events and activities.

Student Serve Sunday – July 30th

Our students serve on the worship team, coffee bar, tech and more as we desire to allow them to explore their giftedness and give them an opportunity to experience God working through them in this way.  Worship practice usually takes place the Wednesday evening before, so July 26th.

Next Student Worship – August 13th, 2017

Stories – Live One Worth Sharing

Topic: Focus

Just like with our blurry pictures, we sometimes put our focus in the wrong place.  Join us as we discuss how to better focus our lives so that we can Live a Story Worth Sharing.

Celebrating Students Who “Leveled Up”

This past Sunday, we had a great time of celebrating students who moved up into Middle School/Jr. High, High School, College and life at our First Annual “Leveling Up” Life Celebration.  We recognized 15 students and their families as we came together to reaffirm faith and commitments to growing in our walks with God. 

New Middle School/Jr. High Students:

“Leveling Up” Life Celebration

Sunday, June 11th Beginning at 4pm

It is important to take opportunities along the way to pause and celebrate not just the physical accomplishments of our kids, but also the spiritual. It is also important to prepare them for the challenges of this next stage of life, and to remind them that they are not alone; there are many people who love them and desire to help them walk with God through each challenge.

This is the reason we are offering the first ever “Leveling Up” Life Celebration on Sunday, June 11^th at 4pm. This will be a relaxed celebration of the families and friends of those who are “Leveling Up” in life at this time: Entering Middle School, High School, College, and Adult Life.

All are invited to celebrate and support students taking these steps.

Families with students in one of these categories wishing to participate, contact Traci Kersker at Traci@ImagineLifeDifferently.com or (219) 531-7777 x11

Encounter Student Ministry

The Languages of Love Re-Launch

Sundays 6-8pm

“English is such a weird language.”  This is a comment my family will jokingly use when we say something believing we have communicated clearly, yet the other person interprets it very differently.  It’s great when we can recognize the disconnect and laugh about it, but communication isn’t always that easy, especially when we are trying to communicate love to family and friends.

It is clear that most of us struggle at times to feel loved by those significant in our lives.  This is a two way street: If we are not feeling loved by those in our lives, chances are high that they may not be feeling loved by you.  God calls us to love… simply, powerfully, extravagantly… How do we learn to recognize the love given us by others and to give love in a way that family and friends will receive that love?

Well, that is probably a big can of worms, but we will be taking a step in trying to do just that as we study Gary Chapman’s, “Five Love Languages.”

The objectives of this study are:

Student Super Bowl Party

Sunday, February 5th 5pm @ the Kerskers

Not into football? There’s FUN for everyone!
Food, a variety of games (Video, Board, etc.), …
Oh, yeah, the SUPER BOWL GAME complete with Super Bowl Commercial Bingo, and more!

WHO:

• Students Grades 6 and up
• Student Families are welcome to hang out as well

BRING:

• Friends
• Munchies and/or 2-liter to share

Pie Night!

Pie Night

Wednesday, November 23rd 6:30-8pm

Life Bridge Christian Church

Join us for  a time of celebration and thanksgiving!  While we anticipate lots of special foods on Thursday with family and friends, on this night pie will be the main course!  All kinds of pie!  Bring a pie and join the fun!

As a community and Church we will take time to share and laugh together as we reflect on God’s provision in 2016 and give Him thanks!

Jr. High Believe

This weekend is Jr. High Believe in Cincinnati, OH!  February 19th-21st

Two leaders and five students will be heading to Cincinnati on Friday, February 19th.

Jr. high students have a desperate desire to know what’s real. Finding answers in today’s world is easy – from cell phones to Internet to social media. Jr. high students literally have the ability to look up any question they have in a matter of seconds.

Finding the truth is more difficult.

Family Fun Night - Tonight!

Learn More

Family Fun Night is Tonight!

Friday, Aug 1st - 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Join us for a fun night of

Food, Games, and a Movie

Admission is Free

Donations accepted for Operation Christmas Child

(Shoebox items and/or a love offerings.)

Bring your family and help a child!

New Family Tuesdays!

New Family Tuesdays?  What's that?

I'm glad you asked!  The more I prepare for this the more excited I get!  New Family Tuesdays begin this Tuesday (do you remember Tuesday yet?) March 5 6:30-8:30pm.

We are calling it New Family because that is exactly what we are!  It is not necessarily the nuclear families we live in, but it is God's Family... a family that we all have a choice in being a part of.

God Working in Children

We have made a change in curriculum in Children's Ministry for K-5th grade.  I am simply excited about the changes and what I see God doing downstairs on Sunday mornings.

The change in curriculum is enabling the adults and kids to work from the same base scripture for the weekend.  We call this same-page teaching and it empowers parents to continue the discussion with their kids over lunch and throughout the week.  Teaching has age appropriate points, but uses the same base scripture.

This parent empowerment would be enough reason to make such a change, but God is doing even more!

Over the last three weeks as we have began implementing this curriculum, ...

• Adults and teens are using their giftedness to teach, and lead worship.
• Adults and teens are also empowered to assist a small group of kids with easy scripted lessons.
• Mixed age Bible Crews have older kids helping the younger ones.
• Active learning games and objects lessons keep kids engaged the entire time.
• Bible based songs have kids singing along and doing motions in worship of our God.
• Kids are looking up and reading from their Bibles.
• Kids are actively praying... the room even gets quiet!

I know this sounds like an advertisement, but what I mean it to be is a celebration of what God is doing.  These aren't words to sell anyone on anything... these are the realities of what our kids and Children's Ministry workers are experiencing!  I have seen it!  God is doing awesome thing in the lives of our kids!  

The fun can continue too... beginning this Tuesday at 6:30 as God continues what begins on Sunday and takes it a little deeper in the middle of our week... for Adults, Students, and Children in age appropriate ways.

God Worked Through Our Students to Bless Families!

Game Time - Valentine Heart Relay

Parent Date Night this past Friday, February 15th, was a huge success!

God worked through our students to bless families and were themselves blessed in return!  Read on to hear a little of what God was up to at Life Bridge last Friday!

Christmas God Sightings!

It is always busy this time of year and it is a challenge for each of us to try to keep focus and balance in our lives this season.  As I struggle myself to do this, I am reflecting over where and how I am spending my time and I am blessed to see many God sightings!

Much of my time is being spent preparing for the Family Christmas Program on Saturday December 22nd at 6 pm.  We are having multiple practices throughout the week with different age groups and in between I'm working on props and tech.  I am threatened to become disillusioned with all the Christmas activities as my undecorated tree sits with 13 strands of lights that don't light nearby (like, really?) .  But as I step back I am encouraged to see so many preparing gifts for Jesus this season... and I am excited to see how He will use those gifts to bless others!