Have I mentioned how incredibly excited I am about our NextGen makeover!  I think we all agree that helping the next generation come to know Jesus Christ is one of the most important things we can be about as a church. The question has never been “should we reach the next generation for Jesus?”   The real question we, like many churches, wrestle with is how do we go about that?  The world has changed dramatically over the past decade.  Those changes have been particularly impactful on the generation of young people growing up right now.  This is the first generation to grow up with more computing power in their pocket than it took to put a man on the moon, the first generation with video on demand, the first generation who could not imagine a world without internet.

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The question is not whether these changes are good or bad.  This is simply our new reality.  And while much has changed, some things have not.  What has not changed is that this generation needs Jesus as much as every generation before them.  What has not changed is the gospel message itself.  But in our ever changing world, the methodology by which we share the gospel must change.  This is why I am exciting about our NextGen makeover.  We’ve made an intentional decision to redevelop our children’s ministry space and program in a way that will help us reach the emerging generation.

You can help us make this “NextGen Makeover” a complete success in a number of ways.

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  • Volunteer.  We need folks to help us in redevelopment of the space, and we need additional folks to serve in our NextGen ministry in the coming year.
  • Register.  If you have children pre K through 8th grade, register them for NextGen.  High school aged students can volunteer to serve in the Sunday morning program and then attend youth group on Wednesdays in Sandown or Sundays in Plaistow. 
  • Invite.  I bet you have at least one friend, neighbor or coworker with children in this age bracket.  Tell them about our all new, exciting and fun filled children’s experience and invite them to attend.
  • Support.  We are investing in our children’s ministry space in some significant ways.  If you would like to help support the makeover with a financial gift, that would be most welcomed.  If you would like to do that right now, you can go to www.rockgiving.org.  Scroll down the list of designated giving and you will see a line for NextGen Kids Ministry.
  • Pray.  I’m sure you know that the enemy would love nothing better than to capture the hearts of our kids.  Pray for our church, that we might effectively reach the next generation with the hope and love of Jesus.

By the time you get this blog, I will be on my way to the Men’s retreat.  I’m privileged to have been asked to be this year’s speaker.  God has placed a message on my heart that I am eager to share with the men. 

Ladies, don’t forget the women’s BBQ on Saturday at our Plaistow location.  The woman’s ministry has an amazing and fun evening planned.  And speaking of women’s ministry, don’t forget to sign up for the ALIVE women’s retreat coming up in September.  For more info, click on this link. 

Families, if you are looking for something fun to do tonight (Friday), we would invite you to join us for the family movie night in Sandown.  You can also get a sneak peek at the Sandown NextGen space.   It is nearly done and it is AWESOME!

I hope you can all join us this Sunday as we continue our series “One Another.”  This has been a great and powerful series.  You won’t want to miss this week’s message.  

God Bless,

Pastor Steve

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