parents page

Hey there, folks!  Welcome to your own little corner of insideoutlufkin.com!  We love parents.  We could go on and on about how awesome you are, how important you are to your kids, and to the Kingdom... but you already know that, don't you? So how about we just equip you with some stuff.

10 Tips for Getting Your Student Connected:

1. Make the church a priority in your family schedule. (If your student doesn't see YOU making church a priority they are less likely to make it a priority of their own.)
2. Make attendance a habit for your student. (Bringing them consistently will help them develop a good habit of being involved AND it will soon grow to be "just what they do". There will be no question about whether or not they are going.)
3. Serve as a volunteer (not necessarily in Student Ministry , BUT showing them YOUR willing to not just show up and leave gives them more desire to want to not just go to Church but to participate in community.
4. Commit to attend a specific Sunday service (Students love to anticipate, so if you tell them "this is the service our family will go to each week" they will anticipate going each week.)
5. Take advantage of special events throughout the year. (The reason we have events in the first place is for CONNECTION! Secondary reasons are to provide opportunities for students to have some 'good, clean, fun'. The foundational reason is the get them in to a closer relationship with Jesus! The more events your students go to, the more likely they are to connect with someone they can relate to, which provides them a friend to DO LIFE with! Very strategic I know.)
6. Utilize the resources of the Student Ministry Staff. (It's not only what we do, it's not only our job, IT'S WHAT WE'RE MADE FOR! It's the way God wired us up! Take full advantage of that, we are a resource for you. We surely don't have all the answers but our ministry/job is seeking God to help find the answers to any situations are students are surrounds by.)
7. Monitor the group your student runs with. (It's a big teller for where they may be headed.)
8. Take back control of the family. (The trend of 'students running the household' should be cut off. That's all I'll say about that, i might get my self in some trouble on this one! haha, seriously.)
9. Come by anytime and observe. (You're always welcome to come see what we do so you can be educated about what your student is to expect when they come. Your student may be freaked out that you come and check it out but nevertheless you will learn very quickly what we are about and how we do things!)
10. Ask your student what they learned at re:volve, The Gathering, and lifeGroups...check this page for more tips on parenting your teens. (Engaging conversation about our gatherings show your student you're interested in THEIR WORLD. It shows them that you have a concern for what's going on in their space. This is crucial not just to get them connected to our ministry but to keep them connected TO YOU as the parent.)

FAQ's

Q: How do I get my son/daughter involved in The Student Ministry?
A: This is probably the most frequently asked question of our Student Ministry. The tough part is, there is no one right answer for every student. We do want to mention a few different ideas of getting your son/daughter involved in Student Ministry. One of the easiest ways to get your student involved is to introduce them to one of the staff at one of the Sunday services. Go ahead and come with your student and make sure that they are introduced to a student ministry staff member. Once a staff member meets them, the staff member will find a student who can show your son/daughter around during activities. Another way to get your student connected is to get them involved in a Bible study group. These groups are Bible study groups so they are a little deeper. You can call The Student Ministry office to find out more details about any event and where your son’s/daughter’s group meets. Another way to get your son/daughter involved in the ministry is to come to a major event. Because of all the events we have, it may be a lot less threatening to come to an event rather than a church service or Bible study. The student ministry staff wants to do whatever is possible in order for your student to get involved in the ministry. We believe there is no greater thing your son/daughter could be involved in than Inside Out Student Ministry of Lufkin's FBC. (also, check out top 10 list above).

Q: What are all the events available to the students at FBC?
A: There are way too many events to list for each individual ministry within our Student Ministry. The best way to find out about all of the events is to check out the events section of the website. On that site, you can find all the upcoming events within the Student Ministry. You can also call the Student Ministry office for any event questions or information.

Q: How do I, as a parent, get involved in Student Ministry?
A: There are numerous ways for you, as a parent or guardian, to get involved in Inside Out.  The easiest way to be involved is to pray for us on a regular basis. Although there are a lot of things going on in the ministry, none of those things make any kind of significant difference without God’s power. As far as physically getting involved in the ministry, there are tons of ways to get plugged in. You can be a Sunday School leader or a Bible study host home, you can be a greeter, run the gameroom, or work at the registration/sign-in table.  The student ministry staff would love to have you be a part of the team!

Q: If my son/daughter needs professional counseling, where should I go?
A: The Student Ministry staff would love to talk with your son/daughter. We are not trained licensed counselors, but we can speak with students about the spiritual nature of any issue. For any major psychological issues, we highly recommend a licensed professional counselor. We would also be happy to help you find a counselor.

Q: Why does The Student Ministry do the things it does?
A: The student ministry does things in particular ways in order to fulfill the vision of the church. Rest assured, anything that happens within Inside Out falls under the purpose of our Student Ministry itself. The purpose statement Inside Out is: We exist to help student FIND and FOLLOW Jesus.

Recommended Reading

Age of Opportunity - Paul Tripp
A Biblical Guide to Parenting Teens

Come Back, Barbara - C. John Miller
In this book, the father/daughter team of Jack and Barbara Miller chronicle their journey from grief and conflict to joyful reconciliation. This is a wonderfully realistic and hope-filled book for any parent struggling with prodigal children.

Help! There's a Teenager in My House - Wayne Rice
Edited by Wayne Rice of Understanding Your Teenager, this book covers just about every imaginable topic that parents could have about their teens, and provides solid Biblical answers.

Helping Your Struggling Teenager - Dr. Les Parrott III
A Parenting Handbook on 36 Common Problems. (Hardcover)

Mom, Everyone Else Does! - Sharon A. Hersh
Becoming your daughter's ally in responding to peer pressure to drink, smoke, and do drugs

Mom, I Feel Fat - Sharon Hersh
Becoming your daughter's ally in developing a healthy body image.

Mom, Sex is NO big deal! - Sharon A. Hersh
Becoming your daughter's ally in developing a healthy sexual identity.

Parents in Pain - John White
A book of comfort and counsel for parents

The 7 Secrets of Effective Fathers - Ken R. Canfield, Ph.D.
Becoming the Father Your Children Need

Depression - Edward T. Welch
The Way Up When You Are Down

Homosexuality - Edward T. Welch
Speaking the Truth in Love

Pornography - David Powlison
Slaying the Dragon

Self-Injury - Edward T. Welch
When Pain Feels Good

Sex Has a Price Tag - Pam Stenzel
Blunt, yet truthful look at teen sexuality from a Christian perspective

Sexual Sin - Jeffrey S. Black
Combatting the Drifting and Cheating

Teens & Sex - Paul David Tripp
How Should We Teach Them?

The Dirt on Breaking Up - Hayley DiMarco and Justin Lookadoo
A Dateable Book

The Dirt on Dating - Hayley DiMarco
A great book for teens to help them better understand everything there is to know about dating.

The Dirt on Drugs - Justin Lookadoo
Designed for teens, this book is a practical, no holds barred look at the problem of drug and alcohol abuse. The book provides an overview of the problem, while also focusing on ten specific drugs including alcohol and tobacco. Provides sound advice on how to become, or remain, drug free in the face of peer pressure.

The Dirt on Sex- Justin Lookadoo
A Dateable Book