Keeping Your Kids Safe Online:4 Guidelines For Parents

Earlier this week, I posted about 5 Social Media sites your kids are probably using. (You can check it out here.)  It's always good to know where our kids & teens are hanging out...even online. But it's even better to set some standards in our families to help keep our kids safe online & to help them win with things like social media.

So here are four guidelines that can help your family develop a plan for keeping your kids safe online.

4 Ways To Keep Your Kids Safe Online

#1: Know your kid's usernames and passwords. Regardless of how much or how little you allow your kid to be online, you should have access to their online passwords and usernames.

#2: Check your kid's profiles regularly..and communicate this to them! If your child was hanging out at someone's home or in another neighborhood on a regular basis, you'd check out the environment. It's no different online. As parents, we should consistently check our child's online activity and profiles. But be sure you communicate to your child that you'll be doing this. You don't have to tell them when you'll do it, but communicating to your child that you will be checking from time to time does two things: First of all, it helps them have accountability to you on the front-end. Secondly, it allows you to build trust because you're not spying on them if you've already communicated you'll be checking in on them.

#3: Set time limits & "hours of operation" for online activity and social media usage.  As a family, set standards for how long per day your kids can be online and what hours of the day you expect for their social media activity to be "closed." Remember to include phone usage into these limits, since much of social media is done through smartphone apps.

#4: Keep your computer in public places. One of the best ways you can help your children stay accountable in their online activity and relationships is to be sure that you keep all computers in your home in public places, like the living room, family room, or office. The accountability that this provides helps your kids avoid visiting questionable sites and engaging in dangerous relationships.

Your Kids & Social Media

If you have a preteen or teenager, chances are they are using social media of some kind. As a parent, navigating this ever-changing world of online connections can be daunting and overwhelming.  

Here are five social media sites - along with some brief descriptions - that kids are using:

Tumblr - Current stats show that over 60% of Tumblr's users are teens. Tumblr also links with facebook and allows people to share across platforms. Teenagers love tumblr for it's fast pace sharing of photos and quotes. 

Instagram - Instagram allows users to upload pictures and short videos to share with their friends and followers. Instagram’s main functions are done on its mobile app for iPhone and Android. You can start an Instagram account where you are able to search for people by looking up their name or importing your Facebook contacts.

Twitter - Twitter is a social media site that allows people to connect through short, text-like, 140 character updates. If you sign up for your own twitter account, you can search your child's name to see if they use twitter. Even if their username isn't their real name, you should still be able to find them by searching their real name.

Snapchat - Snapchat is a photo messaging app for smart phones. Snapchat’s users consist of mainly kids and teens. Snapchat allows users to send and receive photos that disappear after a short time limit. The dangerous thing is that  once the time limit is up, the photo is hidden and hard to retrieve. 

Facebook - Facebook currently reports that just over 50% of their users are teens. If you are on Facebook, you've probably realized that the activity of younger users on this site is starting to be slow and that many teens are moving to newer social media sites. However, there is still a strong teen presence on Facebook simply off of sheer number of users alone.





As a parent, it's good to know the neighborhoods that our kids hang out in. And that truth may be even more true when it comes to social media and the online neighborhoods they create. Be informed. Be proactive. Know what's going on in the lives of your kids.

For another FANTASTIC blog on social media sites, sexting, and kids, CLICK HERE.

(And if you want a few pro-active tips for helping your kids stay safe online, CLICK HERE.)

Timber Ridge Volunteer of The Week - July 21st

This week's Timber Ridge V.O.W. is Chelsea Marlow.  Chelsea is a nursing student at TSU and has been at Timber Ridge almost since the beginning. She has used her gifts, time, and energy to serve in a variety of ways over the last 18 months, including volunteering with Timber Ridge Kids, serving at special community events, and working on our media team. Chelsea currently serves as a key member of our media team, making sure things like video, audio, and production run smoothly at our worship experiences on Sunday. Thank you Chelsea for all you do!  You ROCK!

(If you attend Timber Ridge and currently do not serve on a ministry team, get more info on how to volunteer and make a difference by clicking here.)

KidRidge Weekly Parent Take-Home: Week of July 21st

Spread the Light

KidRidge July 21, 2013

MEMORY VERSE

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill can’t be hidden.” - Matthew 5:14

BIBLE STORY

Great Commission • Matthew 28:16-20

BIG IDEA

God is doing something in me to show the world who He is.

TAKE HOME

In this week’s Bible story, Jesus commanded His followers to go into all the world and tell about God’s love (Matthew 28:16-20). And then we saw how some of those men obeyed and God’s love spread from one town to the next (Matthew 9:35 – 11:1; Acts 1-2, 8-10; The Epistles). What a great reminder from Jesus that we should all be examples of God’s love to others. One great way to be a light and a city on a high hill is to be quick to share the great news that Jesus came to the earth, died on a cross, and rose from the dead so that we could live forever with God! What a wonderful thing God did and what great news to share! Remember, God is doing something in each of us to show the world who He is.

Remember as a parent how it felt after your first child was born? You were so elated! How did you spread the news? Person to person, no doubt! God is developing a story of His love in each of us that we can share, and soon His love can cover the whole world. We taught the KidRidge group this week that God’s light is passed from person to person starting with the people around each one of them. 

This week as a family discuss:

• What are ways to start to share God with the people around us in our everyday lives?

• What are ways you could someday tell other places in the world about Jesus? 

• If you have been on a mission trip of some kind to another nation, share about this experience with your family.

• How can we spread the Light of Jesus in the community of Stephenville?

Timber Ridge VOW

This week's Timber Ridge Volunteer of the Week is Vickie Almquist. Vickie faithfully serves on our Guest Services team as a greeter each week and has also served on our cafe team. Vickie's heart for hospitality & warm smile help people feel welcome each week as they attend Timber Ridge.

Thank you Vickie for all you do to serve and make a difference on a consistent basis!  You ROCK!

Vickie & Pastor Nic

If you attend Timber Ridge and are interested in making a difference by serving on a ministry team, you can get more info by clicking here.

Timber Ridge Kids Take Home - From Sunday, July 7th

Hey Timber Ridge Parents!  If you have a K-6th grader, here's your weekly take home from our Timber Ridge Kids team. It provides a brief summary of what your kids learned on Sunday, as well as some ways you can reinforce the lesson & engage your children in spiritual conversations at home this week!  Check it out:

This Week's Key Bible Verse:  Luke 6:31 -- Do to others as you would have them do to you.
 
Kindness is making someone feel valuable by the way you treat them.  When you are kind to someone, you are giving the best part of who you are.  
 
#1: Watch the following video together. As you watch, answer the questions together.  Use the video to start a family discussion about what it means to be kind.  Think about the things you each consider as kindness.  

Think about something you can do as a family this week to show kindness to someone.  
 
To go deeper, CLICK HERE and watch this video. Think about the difference being kind can make, not just in you, but in people you encounter everyday.  Talk about these questions:

• What impact should having a relationship with God make on our words and actions towards others?
• In "big church" this week, we used the movie Man of Steel,  to talk about how Superman is the source of hope for the world.  We know that Jesus is our source of hope.  How can being kind help spread that hope of Jesus to others?  

A Paradigm Shifter

When we read and study God's Word, there are often times when the truth within the Bible alters the lens in which we look through life.  I think Proverbs 24:16 is one of those verses.  Here's what it says:

The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. - Proverbs 24:16

Far too often, we keep score of the wrong things. We tend to count the failures, keep track of the mistakes, and keep tab of how many times we fall. But that's not what matters to God. That's not how God keeps score. It's not about how many times we fall. It's about how many times we get back up. And that's why this verse is paradigm shifting.

The Lesson: It's not how many times you stumble or fall. It's how many times you get back up that really matters.

Timber Ridge Kids Weekly Take Home

Timber Ridge Parents,

If you missed this announcement last week, one of the great new things that our Kids Team is doing is providing a "take home" family discussion for our KidRidge (K-6th Grade) kids each week.  It's a fantastic resource for parents to use to engage their kids in discussions about God, the Bible, and faith.

Here's this week's Take Home Guide from Neely & Sabrina Carter and the KidRidge Team:

Last week, we introduced our vision and our 4 expectations. Our vision is to model for and teach kids this simple lesson: God loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. Our expectations are:

1. Listen now, talk later.

2. Keep your nametag and bracelet on.

3. Put others first.

4. Make a new friend.

This week we talked about keeping your name tag and bracelet on. You might be curious as to why we think that is important. Well, think for a moment about some things that you teach your children and expect of them to help keep them safe. If you are having trouble thinking of some, click here for a video to get you started.

#1: Discuss some of your family rules and why you have them.

At KidRidge, we expect your child's nametag and bracelet to stay on so we can call them by name and so we ensure, during the checkout process, that the right person gets the right child. It's a safety issue. 

It's also a matter of setting an example for others, especially our guests. If kids see others not meeting our expectations, they'll do the same. That reminds me of a Bible Verse. 

#2: Read 1 Timothy 4:12 with your children. Or you can just watch this video:

#3: Discuss the following questions as a family:

• What do you respond better to? Someone modeling the behavior they want you to display or just talking about it?
• What are some ways adults sometimes fail at setting an example or modeling in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity? 
• What are some things you as a family can do this week to model speech, life, love, faith, and purity that would please God?  

As a bonus, if you want to check out this week's KidRidge Countdown video including some of the songs we sing, check out this:

It's an honor to serve your kids & teach them about God each week!

- Neely & Sabrina Carter and The KidRidge Team

The New Timber Ridge Kids Take-Home

Hey Timber Ridge Parents! I am pumped about a great new resource that our kids team is putting into place to help parents get involved in the spiritual growth of their kids. Each week the KidRidge team (grades k-6th) will be posting a weekly review online with ways you can engage your kids with the topic from the previous Sunday.  What a great way to help parents in leading their families spiritually!

Here's the first installment...Check it out!

#1: Watch this video with your kids. Trust me, they will want to see it again! Then read the story of Noah with your kids from the Bible in Genesis 7.  

#2: Talk about it as a Family. 

• How would the story have changed if Noah would have been talking when he was supposed to be listening to God?
• Are there times when we talk when we are supposed to be listening?  
• Think of some times when it is really important to listen.  How can we do a better job as a family of listening to God?

#3:  We talked about four expectations for KidRidge. See how many your kids can name. Here's the cheat sheet if they need some help:

1.  Listen Now, Talk Later

2.  Keep your nametag and wristband on

3.  Put others first

4.  Make a new friend

As a pastor and a parent, I'm so thankful we have a kid's ministry leaders who are helping to make it easier for us to talk about faith with our kids at home! Way to go team!

Leadership Links

I've spent a lot of time studying the topic of leadership lately. I sincerely want to be the best leader of the influence, time, and opportunity that God gives me to impact others.  In the past week, I've come across some great thoughts about leadership from a few incredible leaders across the nation. If you want to become a better leader, I'd definitely recommend taking a few minutes to check these out!

Leadership Links:

• 12 Leadership Principles of Jesus That Inspire Me by Ron Edmondson

• The 2 People You Gotta Have In Your Life by Artie Davis

• 4 Leadership Insights from Bill Hybels by Dave Ferguson

• Best Practices of Leading Down by John Maxwell

Timber Ridge V.O.W.

This week's Timber Ridge Volunteer of The Week is James Dudley!  James serves as a greeter on our Guest Services team, so you've probably seen him smiling and opening doors for people on Sunday mornings. James always goes above and beyond to make our guests and church attenders feel welcome and at home each week.  THANK YOU James for all that you do to serve and make an impact at Timber Ridge Church!

If you attend Timber Ridge & aren't currently serving on a ministry team, I want you to know that YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE by serving!  To get more info about serving & sign up for a team by clicking here.

James Dudley & Pastor Nic

Timber Ridge V.O.W.

This week's Volunteer of the Week (V.O.W.) at Timber Ridge is Landi Haynes.  Landi uses her gifts, talents, and energy each week to serve and lead areas in our preschool kids ministry.  If you have toddlers or younger children, Landi has certainly had an impact on their lives loving on your kids each Sunday.  She consistently goes above and beyond to make sure that our children have an incredible experience and learn about God in a loving, fun environment each week.  THANK YOU Landi for all you to do serve and make an impact at Timber Ridge Church!

Pastor Nic & Landi Haynes

Parenting Resources

In light of our recent series at Timber Ridge called Parenthood, I thought I'd share some parenting resources here on the blog.  If you are looking for some parenting wisdom, advice, and guidance, check out the following resources.  They're well worth your time!

Online Resources:

• Let Me Be The One To Say It Out Loud (A short blog post which I personally feel is parenting gold for parents who deal with any kind of "parenting guilt).
• 11 Practical Ways For Men To Lead A Family by Mark Driscoll
• 10 Things I'd Do If I Were Raising A Daughter Today  by Ron Edmondson

Books:

• For All Parents:  The Ten Commandments of Parenting: The Do's and Don'ts for Raising Great Kids by Ed Young
• For Dad's of Sons: King Me: What Every Son Wants and Needs From His Father by Steve Farrar
• For Dad's of Daughters:  Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know by Meg Meeker

2 Things Storm Victims Need

Our neighbors in Granbury, TX and further north in Moore, OK have been hit hard in the last few days with devastating tornadoes. It's in times like these that we can feel helpless to aid those who are hurting.

There are two things that we can all do to love our neighbors during these tragic times.

1. PRAY.  Don't just say you'll pray.  Really pray. Ask God to heal the physical and emotional pain that people are going through. Pray that God would bring peace and comfort in a time of turmoil and pain.
2. GIVE. The victims of these storms need our prayers...but they also need our CASH. Give generously to those in need, remembering that every single dollar counts. Together, our small donations can make a big impact.

If you are looking for somewhere to give that is trusted, reliable, and where your money will go directly to meet immediate needs, I suggest two places.

• Convoy Of Hope - Convoy of Hope is a faith-based, disaster relief organization that has served more than 55 million people in need since 1994. They are nationally reputable, trusted, and on the ground now in Oklahoma.
• North American Mission Board - NAMB is one of the most trusted, recognized organizations providing disaster relief in our country. They make every dollar count and have teams in Oklahoma on the ground now.

I can speak from experience that when we give to these organizations, it makes the most of our money & directly goes to helping people on the ground in these affected areas.

If you live locally and would like to make a difference by PRAYING and GIVING, I invite you join me this Thursday, May 23rd at 12 Noon at Beans and Franks at 1296 W. Washington.  Timber Ridge Church and Beans & Franks are partnering together to host a PRAYER TIME at noon on Thursday.  In addition to the time of prayer, if you wish to dine at Beans & Franks, a portion of all proceeds will be donated directly to the Oklahoma tornado relief efforts through Convoy of Hope.  Timber Ridge Church will also match the donation dollar for dollar.

4 Steps To Making A Difficult Decision

One thing is true about every single one of us: We all have to make difficult decisions from time to time.  The simple decisions come easy for most of us.  Things like what we're going to wear for the day, how we'll spend our weekend, and if we want fries with that.

But what about the tough decisions? What about life's difficult situations? How to we move forward and choose between what seems to be two great options?

Here are four steps I believe can help bring wisdom into the decisions we make:

1. Pray About It. Seems like the total church answer, right?  But there really is power in prayer. Spend some time praying to God and asking for His guidance. Then do something totally radical:  Listen.

I took my troubles to the Lord; I cried out to Him, and He answered my prayer. Psalm 120:1

2. Search God's Word. What does the Bible say about the decision I am making? Is there clear instruction in the Scripture that would guide me to one choice or away from a certain option?

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet, and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105

3. Seek Wise Counsel. Get the advice of godly people whom you trust have your best in mind. Talk with them about the pros and cons of your decision and ask for their input and wisdom.

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15:22

4. Pull The Trigger. Eventually you have to embrace the motto of Nike, the shoe company and JUST DO IT.  Go for it. Pray about it, consult God's Word, seek counsel from others and then trust God and go for it.  Make the decision.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

Timber Ridge V.O.W.

This week's Timber Ridge Volunteer of the Week is Vicki Jenkins.  Vicki serves in our guest services area, specifically on the cafe and hospitality team.  If you've ever been to a Timber Ridge service, you've probably seen Vicki's smiling face as you got a cup of coffee or a donut.  In fact, Vicki most likely made that coffee too!  Thank you Vicki for all your service and work to make the vision and mission of Timber Ridge a reality!  You rock!

Me, Vicki, & her husband Mike (who also serves a ton at Timber Ridge!)

Timber Ridge V.O.W.

This week's Timber Ridge Volunteer of The Week is Tim Arpin.  If you attend Timber Ridge, you can see Tim rockin' out on stage each week.  Whether it's lead guitar, bass guitar, or the ukulele, Tim faithfully serves by using his gifts and talents in music to help lead us in worship each week.  Tim also played a huge role in remodeling our current campus.

Thanks Tim for all you do to use your gifts, talents, & abilities to make a difference at Timber Ridge!  You ROCK!

From L to R: Tim's daughter Kristin, Tim and Pastor Micah

Let It Marinate

In the Gospel of John (John 15:5) Jesus says this:  I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

That's a pretty powerful statement. Think about it: What Jesus is saying in this whole story of the vine & the branches (John 15:1-11) is that when we daily remain in Him, we'll be fruitful, effective, successful. But apart from that connection with Him, we can do nothing of real, eternal value: zero, zilch, nada.

Jesus is calling us to a connection with Him. And we do that through spending time in God's Word. Jesus isn't just calling us to simply skim through God's Word, but to truly connect with Him through it.

Jesus doesn't just want us to meditate on it...He wants us to marinate in it.  Jesus is calling us to immerse ourselves in God's Word, to let it soak into us & change us.

Think about it for a second: When you marinate a piece of meat to grill, that's exactly what you are doing.  You are allowing the marinade to soak into the food & change it. It gives it a new flavor!

Jesus is saying this to us:  Remain in me...daily, consistently, regularly...by marinating in God's Word so that I can give you a new outlook, a new heart, a new attitude...a new flavor!

I don't know about you, but I need that every day. If I'm going to be effective & fruitful, I can't do it on my own. I need to let it marinate!

(By the way, if you're looking for a simple plan to read & study the Bible, I'd encourage you to check out the REAP Plan by clicking here.)

Timber Ridge Volunteer of The Week

This past Sunday at Timber Ridge, we started a new tradition of recognizing one volunteer each week for their service & investment in helping accomplish the vision & mission God has given us. It's our way of saying thank you to an individual volunteer each week, as well as recognizing the importance and the investment that all our volunteers make!

Our first ever Timber Ridge Volunteer of The Week (VOW) is Jonna Vandiver!  Jonna serves weekly in our Timber Ridge Kids ministry with our preschool and nursery kids. She leads our kids with enthusiasm and tons of love. She's also one of the first people to step up and serve in other areas outside Sunday morning. She consistently invests and serves to make the vision God's given us at Timber Ridge become a reality.  THANK YOU Jonna! You're the Timber Ridge Volunteer of the Week!

Stay In The Loop

If you attend Timber Ridge, we want you to be connected, updated, and in the know to all the things God is doing in and through our church. We've got several ways you can stay connected and up to date on all things Timber Ridge!

5 Ways To Stay Connected & Up To Date

#1: Facebook: If you're on Facebook, be sure to go and "like" the Timber Ridge Facebook page found here.  It's a fantastic way to stay connected to all things Timber Ridge.

#2: The App: Yes, we have an app for that!  You can watch videos, connect with us on social media, read the blog, give and more with the Timber Ridge Church App.  Click here to get the app from the iTunes store for iPhone or iPad and click here to download the app in the android market for your phone or tablet.

#3: Twitter: Do you tweet? So do we! Click here to connect with us on twitter.

#4: Text Messaging: You can get updates, reminders, & announcements sent straight to your cell phone (2-3 per week), by texting "timberridge" to 33733 from your cell phone.

#5: Weekly Email Newsletter: We send out a weekly update that includes upcoming events, reminders, and a preview of our upcoming Sunday services each week. If you don't receive the weekly email, click here to sign up. It's a great way to stay connected and in the loop.

So what's keeping you from staying in the loop?  Be sure to take a few seconds now and connect with Timber Ridge via social media, texting, email, and the app so that you'll be able to connect with everything that God is doing at Timber Ridge Church!