NYM Parent Blog | April 2023

NYM Parents, 

April is upon us! We are closing out our series on Colossians. Our journey through the book of Colossians has been great for our students. We have learned a lot about the supremacy and the sufficiency of Jesus in our lives. I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity I have had to teach in this series, and have been most impacted by the call of Paul to focus our hearts and minds on things above. I recall Psalm 19:14 as I write this email to you : “May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” 

This month we will begin a new series on loving the people around us, and what it looks like within the different relationships in our lives. We will first talk about our living God and how He is love. We will then begin talking about how to love our friends, our future spouses, our parents, and the people that are hard to love around us. I am looking forward to looking at the relationships in our lives, and seeing what the Bible has to say about them. Here is our April schedule : 

*Yes, we are meeting over spring break! 

April 5th : A Study on Colossians | 6:30-8:30pm  

April 12th : Worship Night | 6:30-8:30pm 

April 19th  : Relationships : God is the God of love | 6:30-8:30pm 

April 26th : Relationships : Friendships | Slumber Party Night | 6:30-8:30pm  

* Have your students come dressed in their best slumber party attire as we celebrate the last Wednesday of the month with our PJ’s and a cereal bar for snack! 

Saranac Summer Camp : 

The Dates : Friday, August 11th - Monday, August 14th

The Cost : $350

Volunteer Opportunities for Camp : 

Parents, I wanted to begin to prepare you with the news of summer camp transportation. Due to the extreme costs of bus transportation, and inability to secure enough 12-15 passenger vans we will be asking people to drive to Saranac this August. With more information to come, I would ask that you begin to pray about serving NYM by driving students to Saranac this year. You will be accommodated with pay for your time and travels. We will begin to start asking for drivers next month. If you are interested in driving, or have any questions, please contact me. Thanks in advance for understanding. 

We will also be bringing a kitchen work crew. I have spoken to some of you about coming along and helping but if you are interested, please reach out to me! 

 Spiritual Encouragement : 

The mind can be an intimidating place. In fact, so intimidating that we will do whatever it takes to not encounter what is going on within the deepest parts of our thinking. It's why we will fill our life with noise. From headphones, to media, to work, to school, to constant doing, we would rather do anything under the sun, rather than face the depths of our mind. I am guilty of this. Recently Psalm 16:8 has been a conviction from the Holy Spirit : “I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken (ESV).” In the NIV : “I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.” Have I set the Lord always before me? Do I keep my eyes always on the Lord? While i'm working to be this person, It is challenging to say this of my life and of my mind. I am distracted, we are distracted people. In Psalm 16, we learn of the light of God’s teaching - the light of his words. David, the Psalmist, makes it his goal to have the ways and the teachings of Jesus always before his mind. By the meditation of Scripture, by living in God’s presence, by prayer, David keeps his eyes on the Lord. In a life of noise, I want to hear clearly the words of Jesus. That will not come unless I intentionally have time without noise, listening to the good shepherd. John 10:4-6 : “When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Do you know the shepherd's voice, amidst the noise of life? I want to know his voice more than any other. 

Partnering with you, 

Conell Christiansen & NYM Team 

Resources : 

Hearing God’s Voice : Henry Blackaby 

The Great Omission : Reclaiming Jesus’s Essential Teachings On Discipleship : Dallas Willard 

Psalm 16:8 is other translations with some study 

What does it mean that “my sheep hear my voice”?