Rolling Hills Baptist
2005 Braselton Hwy
Buford, GA 30519

March 2006

"The problem arises when our teens are influenced by the media and other sources that skew God's viewpoint."

Let's face it; talking about sensitive issues with your teen seems virtually impossible at times. One such topic is homosexuality. Discussing it seems difficult, but not broaching the subject can be dangerous. The problem arises when our teens are influenced by the media and other sources that skew God's viewpoint. While teens are exposed to the idea that being gay is a widely accepted lifestyle, research shows that only approximately 2-3% of Americans say they are homosexual. The amount of attention this topic receives is actually out of proportion to the number of individuals who live this lifestyle. Teens are also told that people are born gay, but scientific evidence does not support this theory. Three ways to test for inborn traits include twin studies, brain dissections and gene "linkage" studies, none of which have concluded homosexuality to be genetic (probe.org). Teens are told that if they are attracted to a person of the same sex, they must be gay. This statement is not true. During teenage years, sexual identity is still being shaped. A survey of 34,000 students in Minnesota found that 25% of students age 12 said they were "not sure" about their sexual orientation. By age 17, only 5% of the students were still "unsure". Almost all of the rest of those who had been unsure at age 12 now felt they were heterosexual (freetobeme.com). Christian adults need to be ready and willing to lovingly direct a confused teen to God’s word and His ultimate purpose for sexuality. God’s word is explicit about avoiding ALL sexual immorality, not just homosexuality. He wants to take every situation and work it to His glory. For more information on homosexuality, check out the following websites: probe.org, troubledwith.com, exodus-international.org, and becomingreal.org.

You don't have to be an expert to help a teen struggling with sexual identity. Teens and adults can help by using some of these ideas from probe.org:

Use God's word for wisdom. Leviticus 20:13 and Romans 1:24-27 are useful scriptures. Know the background, content and how they apply to the entire Bible.

Address the issue indirectly. Same-sex strugglers wrestle with inferiority, rejection and shame. Indirect questions encourage talk about underlying feelings of disconnect with a parent or peers and depression.

Stress God's grace and restoration. We all struggle with sin and need God’s amazing grace.

Be a safe place. Allow teens to express feelings without being shamed or condemned. They need to be able to verbalize their feelings.

Follow Jesus' example. Above all, continue to show them love just as Jesus would. Tell them that you care about them and that they are not alone.

High School seniors were asked the following questions about their view of homosexuality. Here are just some of their opinions:

Gay lifestyles are morally wrong:

18% - Strongly Agree
21% - Agree
38% - Disagree
23% - Strongly Disagree

(hamilton.edu)

Do you think marriages between homosexuals should or should not be recognized by law as valid with the same rights as traditional marriage?

66% - Should be recognized.
34% - Should not be recognized.

(hamilton.edu)

Let's tackle this tough topic of homosexuality with honesty and openness using the following questions:

1. What emotions or feelings come to mind when you talk about homosexuality? Why do you feel this way?

2. Do you know someone who struggles with homosexuality? How did you find out? How is he/she treated? How do you treat him/her? How do you think Jesus would have treated him/her?

3. How do you think the media portrays homosexuals in television shows or movies? Do you think the media affects how people feel about this issue? Why?

4. What does the Bible say about homosexuality? Give some concrete evidence to back up your statements.

Pray that:

* God will give you insight into the things your teen struggles with regardless of what they may be.

* Your teen will have a Godly influence in their life that they would feel comfortable talking to whether it is you or a youth worker.

* You and your teen will learn to respond in a loving way to those around us with hurts and needs.

* God will give you and your teen convictions according to His word and that they would not waver in the truth.

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." I Corinthians 6:9-11

It seems that we all place sins in different categories with homosexuality being considered as one of the worst sins of all. These verses remind us that ALL sins are considered "wicked". We have ALL fallen short, but the great news to remember is that we can be changed because of Jesus Christ! His redemption and grace has washed our sins away. Jesus did not shun people. He loved them and met their need. Let us remember to extend grace and love to those who are in desperate need of Jesus.

Did you know...

* Roughly 80% of individuals involved in homosexual behavior come from homes where the father was a substance abuser or addicted to some other behavior. Familial abuse (sexual, physical, and emotional) and neglect are much higher among those in the gay community than the general population. (exodus-international.org)

* The following factors can contribute to the homosexual orientation: molestation, parental adultery, pornography, spousal abuse and the individual person’s self-will. (family.org)

* A study by the University of Minnesota Hospital and Clinics on homosexual and heterosexual attractions, orientation, identification, and behavior among adolescents shows that social factors, such as socio-economic status, ethnic background and religious beliefs have a major impact on a teen’s view of homosexuality. (freetobeme.com)

This page is designed to inform and educate parents and is not meant to endorse any product, music, or movie.
Our prayer is that you will make informed decisions on what your student listens to, wears, and sees!

Singer/songwriter, Andrew Peterson grew up loving adventure, reading C.S. Lewis and Tolkein books and creating worlds in his head. His imagination permeates throughout his music. "The Far Country", Peterson's sixth album, was released in 2005 and showcases his "passionate acoustic sound." Of the album Peterson says, "In a sense, this album is about death. But in a greater sense it's about heaven and hope. For a Christian, death, suffering, and heaven are a part of the same conversation." Beyond his three children, some of his credits include a 2001 Top 10 radio hit and a Dove Award nomination. andrew-peterson.com

Forbes.com rated the Top 5 Smart Cars for teens in 2006. Here are the winners and the base price for each car:

• Ford Focus sedan $13,995
• Honda Accord sedan $18,775
• Honda Civic sedan $15,110
• Mazda3 $15,150
• Mitsubishi Galant $19,399

(forbes.com)

Albums:
"Back to Bedlam" (clean version) - 10/2005

Background:
This British singer/songwriter, James Blunt, holds England's Best Selling album of 2005 and is topping the charts in the U.S. Born into a military family, he was sent to boarding school at age seven. He learned piano and guitar and began writing music at age 14. He then attended Bristol University before dropping out and joining the army. After his military service, he used many of his life experiences to write his album. Popmatters.com says his "dark but hopeful" music tackles "drug addiction, death, war, family and infidelity, and love." His current album has been on Billboard for 18 straight weeks and is continuing to rise on the charts. jamesblunt.com

What Parents Should Know: Blunt has a "clean version" of his album while the unedited version contains some foul language. The overall feel of his current album is dark.

Parent/Teen Q&A:Blunt says, "Well, I wrote the songs for myself as a way of expressing things that were going on in my mind...of capturing memories and ideas." Q:Do you think it is important for everyone to express themselves? How do you express yourself and why?

A wide variety of movies open this month. Make sure you know the ratings.


TITLE	RATING	RED FLAGS	GENRE	STARRING

She's the Man	PG-13	For some sexual content	Romantic Comedy	Amanda Bynes, David Cross, Julie Hagerty

Failure to Launch	PG-13	For sexual content, partial nudity and language	Comedy	Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Jessica Parker

Goal	PG-13	For some language and a brief drug reference	Action/adventure, drama, sports	Kuno Becker, Alessandro Nivola, Marcel Iures

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
			1 6:30 Reality Check FLOOD - The Friendship Factor	2	3	4
5 5:30 Small Group Bible Study	6 6:30 Band Practice	7	8 6:30 Reality Check Q30 - How do I get plugged in to the power of the Holy Spirit?	9	10	11
12 5:30 Small Group Bible Study	13 6:30 Band Practice	14	15 6:30 Reality Check Goulash - "Leave everything at the cross"	16	17	18
19 5:30 Small Group Bible Study	20 6:30 Band Practice	21	22 6:30 Reality Check Goulash - An event that will rock your socks off!!	23	24 Dare 2 Share	25 Dare 2 Share
26 5:30 Small Group Bible Study	27 6:30 Band Practice	28	29 6:30 Reality Check Seek Week - What is sin and how does it impact my life and my relationship with others?	30	31

The insert this month details our Winter Retreats, True Love Waits and our first student lead "Girl Talk".

Recognizing that every individual is precious to God and is created for a unique purpose, THE ROCK Student Ministry exists to REACH non-believing students, to CONNECT them with other Christians, to help students GROW in their faith, and to provide opportunities for them to SERVE others, so that their lives will HONOR God.

Feel free to contact any of us at anytime with questions, concerns or comments.
Terry Taphouse
h: 770-277-0377 c: 678-357-6064 e: terrytaphouse@rollinghillsbaptist.net

Middle School Retreat

By: Morgan Heslep

On January 14^th through the 16^th, a group of middle school kids from Rolling Hills went off to Pigeon Forge TN, for the Scott Dawson Conference. The first night that we got there we attended the first nightly session. One of the neatest things about this conference is that they show you how God can impact lives in amazing ways, that night we were in for a treat. The former wrestler, known as "Sting", came and gave his testimony. It was truly awesome. After his testimony, a hilarious man named Dave Edwards came to preach. He spoke on the three stages of a Christian. Later that night we had an awesome concert, done by the number one Christian group. Casting Crowns. They were phenomenal. While their music had us worshiping our Lord, The lead singer of Casting Crowns, Mark had a message for us. Mark told us that we, as students should step up and be leaders in our youth group, and not wait around for someone else to do what we think should be done. After a long day we headed back to our hotels for a measly six hours of sleep.

That morning we woke up extra early and went to a special session with Dave Edwards. This was separate from the Scott Dawson Conference, and only a few youth groups were asked to attend. We were blessed with the message that God had placed on David's heart. He spoke on how we know God's will for our lives. Immediately after that we went to the morning session for our retreat. That afternoon we spent our free time at an arcade and go-carts. We enjoyed bonding together and having fun. We later attended the night session of the Scott Dawson Conference with the speaker David Nasser and a concert.

The next morning we packed up and attended our final session of the conference. Scott Dawson spoke to us about the theme of the conference and we were given an arrowhead to remember to ‘get moving for God’. Around noon we headed back home for carrying with us a renewed spirit and closer bonds with friends.

High School Leadership Ski Retreat

By: Lauren Colburn

Our youth ministry’s annual high school winter retreat occurred on January 27-29. It is an amazing trip every year and this year was no exception (even though half the people on the trip were sick!) We drove up to North Carolina on Friday afternoon stopping only to grab dinner and snow tube. However, the main attraction came Saturday morning with our first trip to the ski slopes. We had a great time skiing, and those who didn’t ski had a blast with a Bop-it Extreme as well as playing Catch Phrase. With all this fun, it’s hard to believe that we actually had time to study God’s Word! Terry brought us three different sessions that taught us the importance of spiritual growth in our lives. Sessions consisted of everyone being broken up into groups. We then would participate in different activities as a group. For instance, we would get a certain scenario that we would have to respond to using biblical standards. We also got to hear a message on God’s will by Dave Edwards. It gave a new insight into God’s will in our lives. At a point in our lives when we are trying to plan for our futures, knowing God’s will is an ever present thought on our minds. Dave Edwards’ message helped to teach us how to better know God’s will. All in all the trip was a blast. We had a great time learning more about God and bonding. We, as youth, are lucky to a have such an amazing ministry team that is willing to take us on this trip. We can’t wait to go back again next year.

Girl Talk

By Morgan Heslep

Girl talk was an idea formed by THE ROCK Student Ministry Leadership Team. It held its first meeting on the 10th of February. Lauren Colbum, Loren Heslep, Lindsey Cape , Julia Harden, and Morgan Heslep, were the leaders who put it together. Ms. Janice Blackwell was the chaperone. All grades of girls in the youth group were invited to come wearing their PJs and bringing their favorite stuffed animals. When the girls walked in they were greeted with rose petals leading the way to a circle in the youth building covered with blankets and stuffed animals. The girls got comfy and engaged in a conversation led by Lauren Colbum about biblical relationships, God's love for girls, and how the media fools us about the needs for a boyfriend. The talk seemed to be a big hit, and even though there was a cute "chick flick" planned for later on, it was skipped because the girls just wanted to talk. It was a great success and will be held again sometime in the future.

51 STUDENTS MAKE PURITY PLEDGES AT DACULA HIGH SCHOOL

At a time when students are often viewed in a negative spotlight, THE ROCK Student Ministry of Rolling Hills Baptist Church make a decision to positively affect their lives. On Saturday, Feb 4th, at Dacula High School , 51 students made a pledge of purity until marriage. This year marked the 7th True Love Waits commitment ceremony. From the beginning, we have witnessed a total of 207 first time commitments.

This year’s ceremony brought to close a month long study on purity and sexual abstinence until marriage. Wednesday night Reality Check covered a variety of studies from PURE JOY, a study of purity in all areas of your life, and the Sunday night small group Bible study was A Student's Guide to the Five Love Languages, a study that looks at the different ways we show love and how and why we want to receive love. There were 19 first time commitments and 32 recommitments. Along with the 51 students there were 122 parents, sponsors, and special guests in attendance. The night began with a light dinner and special music by the Judd Wright Band. Kevin Nowak shared a personal testimony and Loren Heslep and Austin Chambers shared a drama about the importance of protecting God’s gift of our sexuality. Rev. Blaine Tarnecki, of Grove Level Baptist Church , presented a powerful message and challenge to the students and adults alike. Melba Harden gave a special music presentation of Rebecca St. James’ Wait For Me. The evening closed with each student standing with his or her adult sponsor(s) and taking the pledge of purity. The adults also took a pledge of commitment and purity in their own lives. Each student committing for the first time received a sterling silver purity ring from their sponsor as a reminder of the commitment they made.

Area businesses came alongside THE ROCK Student Ministry in support of this program and these students. They were: The Hilton Garden Inn (Sugarloaf), Holiday Inn (Gwinnett Civic Center), The Loafing Leprechaun, Bahama Breeze, Ted’s Montana Grill, Golden Corral, Venus Nails, Tropical Nails & Tan, Cluckin’ Pig (Buford), Stevi B’s Pizza, Johnny’s NY Style Pizza, Publix, Kroger, Sam’s Club, O’Charley’s (L’ville), Lifeway Christian Stores, Guven Jewelers, Hair Cuttery, Brickhouse Pizza, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and Chick Fil-A Restaurants.

WEB Site

Our Student Ministry Web site (www.rockstudentministry.net) is coming along. Several pages are already complete. The main page is still under construction but there are pages up and ready. The links are below.

The forum (www.rockstudentministry.net/forum) is place where current information is kept. If you don’t get the Wednesday night flyer from your students you can get it here. If you get a letter and then lose it, you can get it here. Have questions or comments you can post them and get answers here. Information galore for both parents and students can be found here.

The calendar (www.rockstudentministry.net/calendar.htm) is where our calendar is kept. This calendar is the year long calendar and has all major events. This calendar is a great resource but as the year goes on we add events. We will add them as soon as we can, but it may not be current all the time. The forum is the place to get the most current information.

TheParentLink (www.rockstudentministry.net/theparentlink) is online and past issues can also be reviewed. If you missed one and need to review it or you want to reread one. There are also other helpful links for parents on this page.

Keep watching as our WEB site gets closer to its final stage.