emily calbreath-frasieur – july student spotlight winner

When God looks at Emily Frasieur’s 18-year-old heart, the book of Matthew probably comes to mind, where He instructs all believers to never be ashamed of Him before any man.

This young lady is so in love with God that she found a way to raise dialogue about her savior whenever anyone looks at her.  Her arm has the tattoo of a cross with a banner that bears the date she got saved. Emily’s church youth leader, Debbie Mullins of “Diamonds” Youth Group in South Bend, IN, describes the teen as inspiring and selfless.  “She uses (the tattoo) as an icebreaker…a way to share her faith as lots of kids ask her what the date means,” Mullins says. “And she’s never ashamed to tell anyone who asks.”

While Emily is relatively new to Christianity, she is hungry for the Word. She is usually seen with her Bible and journal – taking notes on sermons and lessons.  Hebrews 11:1 is the scripture she meditates on daily. It’s her favorite passage because it reminds believers: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

And this Niles High School student is keeping her hopes up. She desires to head to college in another year after she currently takes time now to care for her sister in California. Her parents, Dawn Frasieur and Michael Kirby, raised a daughter that has high expectations for the future.  “I want to attend UC Berkeley to become an elementary school teacher,” Emily says. But her plans are not limited to just that. “My dream is to create a church specifically for troubled young people.”

And we’re confident that you will…

Congratulations Emily on being our XYM Student Spotlight!

living sculpture

This is a fun way break the ice among new groups. It also builds teamwork and sparks creativity.

Materials Needed:

Toliet paper, saran wrap, tin foil (or anything you think can offer creativity…Just nothing sticky or messy that could harm clothing)

 

Instructions:

1.) Divide the room into groups.

2.) Have the groups designate one person to be the “artwork.”

3.) Give the teams an allotted time to make a sculpture out of the designated person.

4.) The “sculpture” volunteer stands in a position while the team wraps toilet paper, saran wrap and tin foil or any other materials around him or her to create a “work of art.”

5.) The team with the best sculpture in the allotted time wins.

You can also play fast-paced music in the back ground to add to the intensity of the game.

strategically market your ministry website – web analytics

Having a web site is key in today’s world. If you tell someone you have a ministry or a business, one of the first things they will ask is “Do you have a web site?” If you don’t have a web site, it could be beneficial for you get one. It is possible to have an awesome web site on a small budget. If you would like more information on how to do this, please feel free to contact us here.

For those of you that do have web sites, you may ask yourself, “Is my site effective?” “Are people visiting my site?” There are several things you can do to determine the effectiveness of your site, however in this article, I’m only going to introduce one of the ways – Web Analytics.

According to Wikepedia.com, Web Analytics is the measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of internet data for purposes of understanding and optimizing web usage. In other words, it is recording the activities of visitors to your web site (and possibly gathering information such as browser type, geographical location, etc.), and using this data to improve the online experience of your visitors and/or communicate more effectively with your online audience. For example, suppose you have a big event coming up, and on your web site, you have a page in which you showcase a featured video. You may discover through Web Analytics that your featured video page is very popular, and therefore it may be a good idea to promote your event using that page.

On a different note, you may discover that although your ministry is located in Florida, a huge number of vistors are from California. This may prompt the initial steps to possibly grow your ministry in that area. Do you see how important and useful Web Analytics can be? (It can also be very encouraging to see an regular increase in visitors to your site!)

There are several tools out there that will allow you to perform analytics on your site, but the one that I like the most and implement for Examples Ministries is Google Analytics. It is very robust, easy to use, understand, and is capable of growing with your ministry – and the best part about it is that it is FREE. For more information about this product, go to http://google.com/analytics.

Again, if you have any questions or need help getting started with this tool, please don’t hesitate to contact us by clicking here. We are more than willing to assist you as you seek ways to make your site have more impact.

staying plugged-in to God this summer

Summer break is probably one of the best times for a student. There is no school. No teachers. No homework. And plenty of time for God. Just because your school year has ended does not mean the growth you experienced throughout the year in your relationship with God has to end.

To illustrate this point, let’s look at a couple of items you probably own: a cell phone, i-pod, television or desktop computer. What do you and these things have in common? Do you know?

They all have to be plugged in at some point to function or continue functioning. Let’s take a closer at a couple of those items. First, let’s look at your desktop computer. You probably use it for many different things daily. But if the plug is not connected to the socket or power source, the computer is useless, functionless.

Now, let’s look at your cell phone. It does not have to be plugged in all the time for you to use it, but it can only go for so long before you have to plug it in and recharge it. You and your life are the same way. In contrast, you are the computer or cell phone and God is the socket or power source. You have to plug into God to keep you and your life functional.

So, what does it mean to plug into God. Let’s look at our examples again. Each one of the items has a cord and plug, or in other words an object that connects the particular item to the socket or power source through which the power flows to them. In our case, we have things in our lives that connect us to God (who is our power source) and allows His power to flow to us.

There are four things that I consider to be the “cord and plug” in our lives – our ways of connecting to God and His power. They are:

1. The Bible – You connect to God through the Bible by reading and studying it on a regular basis.

2. Prayer – You connect to God by praying or talking to Him on a regular basis.

3. Praise – You connect to God when you praise and thank Him for things He has done for you and your family.

4. The Local Church – You connect to God by attending church regularly, paying attention to what is taught and applying it to your life.

Now that we have identified the “cords and plugs”, lets talk about one more contrast to our original example. Remember your desktop computer. To function properly, it has to be consistently plugged in at all times. But your cell phone could function without being plugged in, but can only go so long before it needs to be plugged in and recharged.

The first three things are like your computer. For your life to function as it is supposed to, you should be reading your bible, praying and praising God consistently, daily. Attending your local church is more like your cell phone, which is where you go to get a recharge.

With all the free time you will have over the summer, I encourage you to intentionally develop a habit to make sure you plug into God daily and you are getting recharged at your local church each time the doors open.

If you got up the next morning to check your Facebook page, but the computer did not come on when you hit the power button, what would be the first thing you would do? Probably check to see if it is plugged in. Now that you have checked your computer, you should also check yourself. So before you start your day, ask yourself, “Am I plugged in?” Or in other words, “Have I connected to God this morning?”

low-cost summer activities for students!

Summer is here again and it’s time to figure out what to do with kids. Perhaps you are on a strict budget and you aren’t able to do summer camp this year. Maybe you’ll be foregoing the family vacation. If you have to rely on a family member to watch the kids during the day while you work, this may not be your idea of a productive, activity-filled summer for your child. However, it may be the only option the budget will allow at this time. Just because the kids are at home all day does not mean they have to waste the day away in front of the TV or playing video games. As I begin to think about ways my son can make the most out of his days out of school, I thought I’d share a few ideas with you.

Depending on the age of your student, there are a number of ways kids can stay busy. Maybe you’d like to get their creative juices flowing. Does they enjoy drawing or writing? Why not challenge them to cultivate their interests by creating a portfolio of their artwork. Take them to an arts and crafts store and let them pick out all of the supplies they will need to create a masterpiece they’re sure to treasure for years to come. If they like to write, they can write their own book. Depending on the length of the book they choose to write, this project could span the course of the entire summer. Have them think of a plot, set up the characters and scene setting, and let them imagine away! Your local library also may offer some great summer activities that allow students to explore some of the creative gifts mentioned above.

Got future chefs in your household? What about challenging them to come up with their own culinary creations, and make their own recipe book. With a little imagination and planning, they may even shock themselves with what they come up with.

Younger and older students can benefit from becoming a part of a summer reading program. Most libraries offer them. These programs are designed to help make reading fun. While they are having fun, they are also building their vocabulary, spelling and comprehension skills; learning more about the world around them and becoming leaders.

My family enjoys board games. In addition to being a fun alternative to video or computer games, studies have shown that board games can help develop critical thinking skills. Games such as Chess, Monopoly, Scrabble, Clue, Risk, Trivial Pursuit, and Boggle are a few all time favorites.

Teenagers can benefit hugely from volunteering this summer. Asking your local church, library, or senior living home is a great way for your teenager to give back to their community, and learn the value of giving at the same time. Perhaps your teen is ready to work. Helping them gain a part time job or internship will help them gain the skills and confidence they’ll need as they get ready to move into adulthood.

So as you can see, a productive, fun, inexpensive summer is within reach. Hopefully some of these ideas help to get the ideas flowing and get you and your child on your way to making this summer one to never forget.

did ‘Jon and Kate Plus 8’ do the right thing?

Jon and Kate Gosselin broke their own ratings record when more than 10.6 million people tuned in to watch Jon and Kate Plus 8’s latest episode. But unfortunately, their 10 years of marriage snapped too.

They announced their divorce that night and a production break soon followed. During the fifth season of the show, People Magazine reported Kate saying this in an episode: “Parents of multiples have tripled the divorce rate,” Kate said through tears. “I was thinking we were going to beat that. I don’t know if I can say that anymore.”

Kate’s words are now the couple’s reality. And since Jon and Kate welcomed America into their home after the birth of their sextuplets, some viewers still haven’t left.

In an article published by the Calgary Herald online, a blogger identified Justmythoughts wrote: “The children NEED to come FIRST! You need to look at how much you’ve changed, has it been worth it? I’m sure all the nice things (perks) are great, but look at the sacrifice. I hope in 20 years, you’ll think it’s been worth it.”

But by doing the television show, is it possible that Jon and Kate did put the kids first? Most, if not all, parents want the best for their children. And for the Gosselins, the best would come at a VERY expensive price. Simply multiplying $40,000 a year for two kids headed to college simultaneously (and then calculating the costs for another six preparing to do the same!) could equal extreme debt or maybe even impossibility.

As I sat and pondered the summer clothes expense budget for my two children, I could only imagine the food and clothes expenses a family has for eight children. As my husband and I prepare to move to a larger living space this year for our family of four, I consider what the price would be for a home where a family of 10 could all live comfortably (for at least another 10 – 15 years!). Would this be possible for the Gosselins without the (up to) $75,000 per episode TLC paid the couple for a 20–show season? I’m sure other families of multiples could weigh in here.

“… It used to be fun watching this show on how a big family of sextuplets would go thru their daily routine such as naps, laundry and potty training” CijiDunne wrote on the website. “Now it’s nothing but product placement each and every week. Very disheartening. …Get off TV and take care of your “real” lives….. money isn’t everything.”

This is another thought some ponder. I remember the struggles I went through (and still go through for that matter) when I decided to not work and stay home with my children. I knew what kind of income I could bring into our home and what a difference it would make in our budget (a big one let me tell ya!). Eddie and I weighed that against our perceived benefit we thought our children would have if I was home more with them. We felt, and still feel, that for us the benefit of me being with our children outweighs the family financial benefit of me working…BUT, the struggle in our minds still lives. We are not moving at the pace we desire to move with our finances. Our budget many times does not allow our children to partake in things that we believe would benefit them. We desire to sow and give more into our ministry and others, but we are greatly limited. So, if I had the chance to stay home with my children AND bring home a significant income, I’m not sure if I would have chosen any differently than Jon and Kate.

Whatever the case may be, Jon and Kate have a heavy burden on their hands. And blogger Kriss reminds us that “People need to stop making assumptions about this family. Nobody has any idea what the truth is and all these magazines have no idea what is going on with the family either.”

Probably enough said, huh? God bless them all.