The Friday Connect

It has been quite the week here.  We moved into our townhouse, I’ve been sick as a dog all week, and we lost a grade 10 student here in Abbotsford to a suicide.  While as a church we did not know her, a few in our in our youth group knew her as a classmate.  Quite the shock.  We remember and keep Adrianna Martin and her family in our prayers. This is a stark reminder that depression is real. It is also a reminder of all the stuff teenagers tread through as they seek to create an identity is not even close to being easy. The golden rule here is that teens need all the love and support they can get. So remember to support and encourage your youth pastors and youth workers.  They have important work.

May Adrianna rest in peace.

———————————-

Here is some of the good stuff in and around the internet that I came across this week.

-  Have you ever heard the phrase ‘belonging before believing?’  Here is a wonderful story about belonging from our friends at the Anabaptist Missional Project.  “Belonging comes first?”

-  I am a fan of Geez Magazine.  They push my limits with articles that stretch my worldview.  Here is a very interesting read about two guys who travel into the belly of a Christian singles cruise.  My friend Jordan wonders if Geez is moving away from a personal morality, toward a communal morality (i.e. sleeping around is ok, but ruining the environment is not).  Interesting comments to keep in mind as you read this article.  Overboard: Geez throws a rogue disciple into the belly of a Christian Cruise

- Less is more?  Here is a great 5 minute TED talk about the benefits of less.  Watch this video.  Hat tip to Ryan Dueck for sharing this.

http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf

Have a good week!