End-of-Summer 2023 Parent Letter

Parents,

Thank you for a moment of your time and attention to a couple of things that I’d like to invite you into. This is the eighth month for me in my role as Discipleship and Youth Pastor at San Antonio Heights Community Church. It’s a privilege to partner with you in helping our students embrace faith in Jesus for themselves! I am looking forward to what God might do this next school year in and through you and them!

This Summer was somewhat of an eye-opening experience and reality check for me. In the Spring, we had assessed (after lots of dilemma and conversation with many of you) that the idea of shifting youth group to Wednesday evenings would allow for more students to attend more consistently. However, the result was the complete opposite. Furthermore, I’ve been informed that a good number of our students will not be able to attend if we continue with Wednesdays into the school year. For this reason, with the beginning of a new school year, we’ll be returning back to Friday nights at 6:30pm beginning August 25th.

I know this may affect some, as I am aware that at least two of our students are only able to attend every other Friday. I’m sorry for this, though I’d prefer to have “some of all” our students instead of only “all of some.” I’m happy to discuss this further with you if you’d like. And please know what a challenging thing it has been for me to navigate these dilemmas since last January. No students are valued or loved by us more than others.

With that news, I want to offer something else that I hope will be a great blessing to you this year. As a dad myself, I’m with you in the struggle, navigating the changing hormones and adolescent awkwardness. I often write to you about how we as parents are the primary disciplers of our kids, while I make my best attempt to do so with my own kids. But I haven’t provided you with much tangible support to do that with yours. That’s why I’m excited to invite you to a time of support and encouragement for JUST YOU! I am teaming with a couple of other Christ-seasoned grandparents in our church to create a regular/recurring space of connection, resource, and encouragement for you, the parent. So, your whole family is invited for pizza and salads on September 15th at 6:30pm. Afterwards, while the parents meet to hear what we are wanting to offer, the youth will head to their group time and the little ones to a movie and fun activities.

Will you please consider attending a family night with us? Please RSVP how many in attendance (include kids and teens)!

Thanks for your time, and I appreciate your prayers. I am praying with and for you as well!

Pastor Nick Greenwood
949-683-3983