Parent Newsletter

Maple City Parents:

Newsletter Vol 20 (October)

Hey Maple City Parents,

Pastor Jordan here!

October has arrived, and with it comes the real rhythm of the school year: full calendars, cooler nights, football games, homework battles, and everything in between. The newness of the school year has worn off, and now our students are settling into the day-to-day grind of classes, friendships, and pressures that don't always make it into the dinner-table conversation.

That's what makes this season so important. The first weeks of the year were about making the connection, and now we get to watch what happens when students actually plug in. Last month we saw God move in some incredible ways, and we're so grateful to be walking through it with you.

This month's parent resource tackles something that's in the pocket of nearly every teen you know: the screen. It's a topic every parent is wrestling with, and our hope is that it gives you practical, encouraging ways to lead your teen through it.

Here's what's happening this month at Maple City Students.

📘 This Month’s Parent Resource:

“The Screens in Their Pocket: Guiding, Not Just Guarding”

Who spends more time shaping your teen's view of the world each day: you, their youth pastor, or the phone in their pocket? Every scroll is a tiny sermon about what's normal, what's beautiful, and who matters, and something is discipling your teen's heart every day. Your first instinct may be to lock it all down, but a lockdown only works while the phone lives under your roof. Proverbs 4 shows a better way: a father teaching his son why to guard his own heart, so the son can do it himself. Your goal isn't only a guarded teen. It's a teen who knows how to guard their own heart.

This month's resource connects to what your student is learning in our "Head Games" series, and to the screen that feeds their head more than anything else. Inside, you'll find:

Why guarding your teen's heart now is meant to prepare them to guard it themselves later
An honest look at how our own phone habits teach our teens more than our rules do
Four practical ways to guide, not just guard, including building a family media plan together and making it safe for your teen to come clean when they've seen something they wish they hadn't
A simple challenge to try with your teen this week
A prayer to pray over them this month

Our prayer is that this resource helps your home become the place where your teen learns to fill their mind with what is true, lovely, and good, and where it's always safe to be honest.

👉 To access this month’s Parent Resource, click HERE.
👉 Want past resources? Click HERE.

👀 Looking Back:

Last month was full of life change, laughter, and a lot of fun!

🏕️ Senior High Fall Retreat

Our Senior High students spent the weekend away from the normal pace of life, and God showed up in a big way. There were great moments of worship, honest conversations, and time to simply slow down and pursue Jesus together.

Most importantly, two students gave their lives to Jesus. We are overjoyed for them and for their families, and we'd love for you to celebrate with us and keep praying for them as they take their first steps of faith.

Our Junior High retreat is this weekend! Please be praying for our students, leaders, and everything God has planned for the weekend.

🎳 Small Group Night

Small Group Night was a great time of building community! Each group did something different. Some went bowling, some did crafts, some enjoyed great food and games, and some even went tubing on the lake.

Nights like this might look like just fun (and it was!), but they're also how students and coaches build the kind of trust that makes real conversations possible later on.

📖 Collide: Series Wrap-Up

We just finished our teaching series Collide, a look at how the ways of Jesus collide with the ways of the world. Over four weeks, we explored how the upside-down values of Jesus' Beatitudes push against what the world says matters, challenging students to live a faith that wasn't meant to blend in.

Ask your student what stuck with them. You might be surprised by what they remember!

📅 Upcoming Highlights:

🧠 New Teaching Series: "Head Games"

We're kicking off a brand new series called Head Games, a biblical and practical look at mental health.

Our students are navigating pressure, comparison, anxiety, and a constant flood of information, and what happens in their minds matters. In this series, we'll look at what God's Word says about our thoughts, our emotions, and our struggles, and we'll talk honestly about practical steps for taking care of our minds.

Please be praying for your student as we walk through these conversations, and don't be surprised if it sparks good discussions at home.

🌎 Senior High Mission Trip: Guatemala

June 26–July 2, 2027

Registration is open for our Senior High Mission Trip to Guatemala!

This is a life-shaping opportunity for students to serve, grow, and see God at work outside their everyday context. We'd love for your student to consider being part of this experience.

👉 For more information and to register, click HERE.

👉 For the updated calendar, click HERE.

👉 To view upcoming events, click HERE.

💬 Final Words of Encouragement:

Our culture tells teenagers that their feelings are the final word. If you feel it, it must be true. If you feel anxious, you're broken. If you feel invisible, you don't matter. And with a screen in their hands, those messages are only a scroll away at all hours of the day.

But Scripture offers a better word. Our feelings are real, and they matter, but they don't get to be in charge. God invites us to bring our thoughts to Him, to take them captive, and to fill our minds with what is true, honorable, and good (2 Corinthians 10:5; Philippians 4:8). And to those who are tired, weighed down, or overwhelmed, Jesus says, "Come to me" (Matthew 11:28).

As parents, you can be the voice that says the same thing at home. Struggling doesn't mean your teen's faith is failing. And asking for help, whether from you, a pastor, a coach, or a counselor, is wise, not weak.

Keep asking questions more than giving lectures.

Keep making space for honest conversations.

Keep guiding, not just guarding.

Keep pointing them toward Jesus.

Thank you for partnering with us as we help students become young men and women who know Jesus, love Jesus, and follow Jesus wherever He leads.

We're grateful for you, praying for you, and honored to serve alongside you.

With you and for you,

Pastor Jordan