Improv comedy at church? Yes! 3-2-1 Improv came to Elevate, Willow Creek’s junior high ministry, for Fallapalooza on October 23/24. “Students who were eager to invite a friend to experience Jesus Christ, 3-2-1 Improv was the ticket,” says Scott Rubin, Elevate director. “3-2-1 Improv uses comedy to turn audience suggestions into hilarious scenes, spreading a message of true joy that can only come from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.”
Also at Fallapalooza, innovative recording artist John Reuben, known for his unorthodox hip-hope style with left-of-center pop appeal, performed songs from his latest album Sex, Drugs, and Self-Control.
Student Ministries Celebrate “New Year” August 28-29
Posted on: 08-16-2010
Coming off the momentum of two great summer camp experiences, the student ministries of Willow Creek Community Church are prepped for a powerful kick-off to a new year of ministry beginning next weekend, August 28–29.
“Parents, we invite you to make it a priority to bring your kids to church every weekend,” says Scott Rubin, director of Willow Creek’s junior high ministry, Elevate. “We want to help your kids experience community with their friends, and our Next Gen staff and volunteers are excited to build into their lives spiritually.”
Elevate, Willow Creek’s ministry for students in grades 6–8, meets during every weekend service (5:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and 9 and 11:15 a.m. on Sundays) for games, worship, teaching, and small group discussion.
Student Impact, Willow Creek’s ministry for grades 9–12, meets Sundays at 11:15 a.m. in South Barrington’s Lakeside Auditorium, followed by House Groups at 1–3 p.m. in local homes near each of the high schools in Willow Creek’s community. House Groups include free lunch, a short teaching time, and small group discussion.
“Student ministries are a great place to volunteer,” Rubin says. “Adults can really make an impact in kids’ lives by serving as small group leaders or in other vital roles. And it’s a great place to get connected at Willow. We have a lot of fun together.”
To learn more or volunteer in Student Impact, go to studentimpact.com.
To learn more or volunteer in Elevate, go to elev8world.com.
Pineapple Mayhem Comes to Willow
Posted on: 02-24-2010
Elevate, the junior high ministry of
Elevate students invite lots of friends to Pineapple Mayhem, many of whom have not been to
Volunteers help get kids checked in, run the many activities, and help make middle schoolers feel welcome at Willow Creek. Interested in a little tropical escape—for a great cause? Sign up to volunteer at pineapplemayhem.com.
I’ve Got a Feeling
Posted on: 02-04-2010
Elevate—the junior high ministry of
This year’s topics include:
§ February 6/7: God’s Original Recipe A realistic look at world’s view of sexuality vs. God’s view, with surprising statistics about the prevalence of exaggeration about sexual involvement, and its effects on peer pressure.
§ February 13/14: Traps and Pitfalls 8th graders learn what pressures they can expect in high school, how to set and stick to their own personal standards, and how to address issues of modesty (girls) and pornography (guys). 6th and7th graders are challenged with age-appropriate corollaries to these lessons.
§ February 20/21: Man or Boy/Woman or Girl? This is the only Elevate program each year where guys and girls are separated by gender. Girls tackle issues of true beauty vs. our culture’s message of beauty. Guys address true manhood vs. our culture’s image of manhood.
After each large group program, students have the opportunity to discuss the day’s topic in the safe environment of their small group, led by trained volunteers, and comprised of friends from their grade, gender, and school.
Every year, Elevate tackles these tough issues with their junior high students, and according to Rubin, the series is always well-attended.
In addition to providing students with solid, biblical teaching and community, Elevate is committed to supporting parents of middle school students by providing insights and parenting resources, especially around the complex issues of sexuality as it relates to young teens. This year, after each weekend service, Rubin invites parents for a 30-minute meeting at Willow Creek’s South Barrington campus, where he will offer each family concrete information, time-tested tips, and parenting resources, including a free copy of I Want to Talk With My Teen About Love, Sex, & Dating, by Dr. Karl and Shannon Wendt.
“I’ll give parents a brief overview of what we’ll be talking about at Elevate during this series,” Rubin says, “but primarily I’ll talk about how parents can best help their son or daughter as they’re figuring these things out.”
Category : Elevate
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