"What about signing my kid up for events?" 
Junior High Ministry events tend to fill very quickly. Due to limited resources, transportation, leadership and so forth, most events have a "ceiling". Some trips fill immediately when we open up registration. We do sign-ups in three ways. The first is with major events such as Hume or other retreats - a brochure will be sent home. A medical release form and deposit are due before a student can sign up for one of these events. Please put all monies in a marked envelope.  We have special ones in E-108, the Junior High room.  All deposits are Non-refundable and Non-transferable. If you must cancel due to illness, school, or family vacation, etc. a refund will only be granted if we can fill your spot with another student. The second way to sign-up is through a sign-up list. These are events like concerts and water slides. For these types of events we  require advance payment and a medical release form before a student's name is placed on a list. This is because these events require us to purchase tickets in advance.  The third way is to just sign up so we can know how much transportation or food to arrange for, like with a beach trip. Our medical release form can be downloaded on the downloads page.  This form expires August 31 of each year and a new medical form is required for all events after September 1.

"But wait!, my kid doesn’t like the group!" 

There are teenagers who won't fit with the ministry of Wildside for a variety of reasons and some just refuse to go to church anywhere! When that happens, Christian parents often hit the panic button and sometimes, in desperation, become angry. Typically they either get mad at their kid--"Whaddayamean you're not going to church, what is wrong with you!!" Or, they get mad at the church..."Well it must be a lousy youth ministry full of stuck up kids otherwise my little angel would love it." Or, they get down on themselves..."Where did I go wrong? If I had done a better job as a parent, surely my kid would be a real follower of Christ..."

Let's get super honest here. First, it's a fact that most kids rebel, to one degree or another, no matter what. They (just like us) have spiritual high points and spiritual low points. Some reject Christ altogether for many years. Many young people walked away from Christ's own ministry! Teenagers are capable of making choices and some of those choices won't be good ones.

Secondly, in our ministry to teens--we're not kidding ourselves. We don't expect to meet everyone's needs. Spiritual interest and growth is dependent on numerous internal, family, social, even physical factors that are quite beyond our control. Obviously, it accomplishes nothing for the parent to begin making critical judgments about the efforts of others who are trying to help their teen. It could be that their teen will fit better in another environment or it could be that their teen will have difficulty in any environment. In either case, it speaks volumes to reinforce that a kid is personally responsible for his walk with God. It is not up to any one, or any group, to pull it off for them. To shift blame onto "the church" is an easy short term defense mechanism that has disastrous long term effects.

Thirdly, really good parents struggle with really "hard to reach" teenagers. Many parents are not even aware of the incredible spiritual war that is waging over the heart of their young person. Sometimes too, when a teenager is most antagonistic toward his parent’s faith, he's wrestling with owning his own convictions and that is ultimately what we want them to do! If your kid is giving you an "adolescent attitude," take heart. You're not alone in your grief and it certainly doesn't imply that you've done a poor job of parenting!

God works in amazing ways!
Despite the fraility of our efforts as parents and as a ministry, the Holy Spirit is powerful and uses us anyway! As for the Junior High Ministry, we as leaders wouldn't make it for a moment on our own strength. We're far too human. We are always aware of more needs than we can meet. Our small group leaders aren't flawless. We see the impact of a godless culture on a young kid's way of thinking...and, it hurts. The task before us is monumental. If it were up to us, we'd expire due to discouragement and exhaustion, but you know what? This ministry isn't ours. It never has been. It is God's and for now, He is doing a miracle here.

Troubleshooting Guide:
1. Watch for the calendars your child will get in the mail, pick one up in the J.H. Room, check this website like you are already doing.

2. If your teen is still having trouble fitting in, stay in contact with their small group leader to see if anything else can be done to help them build some relationships. Every regular attending student on Friday night will have a small group (Wild T Group Leader).

3. Remember, DON'T automatically assume that your kid is unspiritual, or that the group is unspiritual, or that you're a big failure if they don't buy it. Any of those possibilities may be true, but not necessarily so. Keep in mind that most students have big ups and downs in their spiritual interest! Loving, patient, non-demanding communication is the key to understanding what is going on inside your kid's head and heart.

4. Your attitude is powerful! Be "stoked" about the Junior High Ministry. Pray for us. Help out! Support us! Your enthusiasm rubs off. In fact all attitudes rub off. It's amazing. If parents are sort of "ho-hum" about church, usually it gets duplicated in their teens in a big way. If they are negative and critical their teen is a target for failure.

Parent HEROES! 
Wildside parents are HEROES. Why? Because they help us so much! Here's where we really need your help & involvement:

1. When we have a "Parent’s Meeting", ATTEND! This is an event we hold a few times during the year and it’s designed to be a real asset to parents who are raising teens. We dialogue, do a lot of laughing, pray for our kids, eat treats, tell you what is coming up, and answer questions you may have. WE WANT YOU THERE!

2. PRAY FOR US! We're in the heat of battle. (We've never declined any encouraging notes either...in fact, God uses them to fuel our own motivation to stay at the task.)

3. Fill out a PARENT HERO SHEET at a parent meeting. This will tell you where our needs are and how you can help. You have valuable spiritual gifts, abilities, and resources that can help us do a better job ministering to your Junior Higher and those of this church.

Fetured Article 

The Top 10 Dangers Teens Face

Remember when we were kids how easy it was to actually be “a kid?”

Pressures? Hassles? Not for us! Life was an endless bike or skateboard ride through a neighborhood of cul-de-sacs and friendly neighbors. About the biggest problems we faced were braces, acne and finding a date for Saturday night.

Well, in case you haven’t noticed, being a teenager in the 21^st century is different than it was in the 60’s, 70’s or even 80’s – a lot different. In fact, I think it’s pretty safe to say that, even though we were 8, 12 or 16 years old at some point, we were never “their age.”

Kids today aren’t dealing with the same things we dealt with when we were a kid.

That’s why I think the following list is one of the more important collections of data I’ve researched. In no particular order, here are what I feel are . . . The Top 10 Dangers Teens Face

1.      The Death of Innocence. Kids are reaching puberty much earlier now than they did a generation ago. Sex education curriculum we used to use with ninth graders we’re now using with seventh graders. TV, the internet, rap music, movies – they’re all showing images of death, violence, destruction and sexual exploitation that are robbing our children of their childhoods. As parents, we must do everything we can to protect and preserve their innocence.

2.      The Evolution of the Dysfunctional Family. True, no family was all that perfect when we were growing up. But radical feminism, divorce, homosexual influences and an overall disregard for the traditional family have left many kids growing up in severely dysfunctional family units. Studies show that kids thrive living in a home where (when possible) Mom, Dad and the children sit down to dinner together at least three times a week. I know that’s a stretch for many families . . . but it’s a goal worth reaching for. (By the way – “Millennials” born between 1982 and 2000 appear to be reversing the divorce trend. There’s hope!)

3.      The Transitional Generation. Many of today’s teens are faced with some serious choices. Will they marry and then divorce when the marriage gets tough . . . just like Mom and Dad did? Or will they tough it out and try to make it work? And what about drug abuse – if their parents are “recreational drug users,” these kids are more likely to become users as well. Teens faced with the prospect of being the “Transitional Generation” in their own families are at risk of repeating some pretty damaging behavior if they don’t make the changes. That’s a lot of pressure to put on the shoulders of a young boy or girl.

4.      Growing Up at Risk. What’s the old expression? – “The acorn doesn’t fall too far from the tree.” Children whose parents set a good example in the home often raise good kids who become responsible adults. But if the kids grow up in a home where the parents are not responsible, they’re growing up at risk.

5.      Sex. Kids are becoming more sexually active at earlier ages than ever before. In this postmodern era, they’re viewing more sexually explicit material than we ever did. And, since their parents were the product of the Sexual Revolution, they have an even more casual (spelled “liberal”) attitude about what’s acceptable and what isn’t. (eg Many middle school students think that kissing on the mouth is a more intimate form of sexual expression than oral sex.) AIDS, homosexuality, and pornography – each play a part in what your child’s idea of sex is. Do you know how they feel about sex?

6.      Substance Abuse. Parents who use drugs are more likely to have children who use drugs. But the drugs their kids are using are much more powerful (spelled “dangerous”) than anything available back in the 1960’s.

7.      Sexual Abuse. A combination of growing up at risk, sexual promiscuity in teenagers and substance abuse at every level has made sexual abuse far more common. True, more of these kinds of crimes are being reported. It’s the ones that go unreported that should cause us concern.

8.      Suicide. Thousands of teenagers attempt it each day . . . and thousands of them each year succeed. Life can seem overwhelming during the teenage years, and pain caused by what may seem like “no big deal” to us grown-ups can send some kids over the edge. Talk to your kids about how they’re feeling. Let them know there’s hope in Jesus Christ!

9.      Satanism. In the postmodern era, moral relativism rules. That means that, in the absence of absolute truth, any form of religious expression is acceptable. While that won’t ring true for you (especially if you’re a Christian), that line of thinking might seem to make perfect sense to your teenager. Look for the warning signs. Satanism is a real threat.

10.  Eating Disorders. Never in our history has our society been more obsessed with personal appearance. Remember when “a six-pack” referred to soda pop? Not any more! Kids are more susceptible to eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and overeating than ever before.

At the risk of sounding a bit alarmist here, please know that these dangers are real – and your kids are facing them every day.

Talk to your kids about what makes them happy and what brings them down. Pray with them and for them. Be a good steward of the lives God has entrusted to your care as a parent!

(Excerpted from the book, Parents Guide to Top 10 Dangers Teens Face, by Stephen Arterburn and Jim Burns, Ph.D.