This Week At North Anderson

• Wednesday:
  Ladies Prayer Meeting from 9:00-10:00am in the Classroom near the entrance of the Family Life Center
• Music Ministry Rehearsal (All Musicians, Choir, and Praise Team) will be held from 5:30-6:25pm in the Sanctuary. The choir will be singing an anthem on Sunday so please make every effort to be in rehearsal this week. Can’t make it by 5:30pm? Just come when you can!
• Adult DiscipleU Bible Study and Prayer Time at 10:30am (Family Life Center) and 6:30pm (Sanctuary). After dissecting a few major points of emphasis in the first several verses of Hebrews chapter 5, we’ll see how they all flow together this week.
• The North Anderson Children’s Ministry (Nursery-5th Grade) meets in the Family Life Center for Check-in (parents/guardians stop by the kiosk) from 6:15-6:30pm and then dismiss to their respective classes.
• At 6:30pm, the True North Student Ministry comes together in the Youth Room upstairs for fellowship, fun, and a lesson from God’s Word from Pastor Stephen and the student ministry volunteers.

Thursday:

• All men are welcomed to join our weekly Bible Study at Mama Penn’s (begins at 7:00am and wraps up by 8:00am)
• There will be a Christian Cohort meeting at the Rydin’s this Thursday at 6:30pm. This Cohort is working their way through the book, “Love What Lasts” by Joshua Gibb. As chapter 1 is discussed this week, everyone is asked to bring their favorite poem to share, along with the name of their favorite movie. How to approach film from a Christian perspective is the topic that will be discussed.

Friday:
The DMA (Senior Adult Ministry) will have an outing to Booty’s Fish House in Royston, Ga. If you need any information on this, please contact Lynda Rigsby

Saturday:
Bible Fellowship Teachers Brunch from 9:30-11:00am in the Family Life Center
Sunday:

• Praise Team run-through from 8:30-8:45am // Full Choir Call Time at 8:45 and final sing through of the Choral presentation at 9:00am
• Our quarterly First Steps Church Membership Class will be held at 9:30a. in the Conference Room in the Church Office. If you would like to attend this class and have not done so already, please register here – https://subspla.sh/cnksjxv
• Bible Fellowship Classes for ever age and stage of life will gather at 9:15am and if you are not already plugged in, this Sunday would be a great time to do just that!
• We assemble together for Corporate Worship at 10:30am. In preparation for Sunday, we encourage you to read through and meditate upon Joshua Chapter four, as well as praying for the Lord to move in mighty way in hearts and lives!

Memory Verse For The Week – “He remembers his covenant forever, the promise he ordained for a thousand generation” – Psalm 105:8

Prayer Focus This Week – The Peoples of Aceh (AH-chay), Sumatra, Indonesia
Widespread flooding and landslides have caused great damage and destruction to the province of Aceh. Many people lost their lives, and tens of thousands were displaced. Pray that as they pick up the pieces and rebuild, the Lord will provide opportunities for His light to break through the darkness of this province and that through this disaster, His name will be glorified. May the local church boldly proclaim His name in love while serving their neighbors during this crisis.
For more information, please email pray4APAC@imb.org

Whole Life Stewardship –
We all know that too much of a good thing isn’t a good thing and that’s especially true in regard to the time we spend in front of screens.

Look, we live in a increasingly digital world and in order to simply function, like it or not, it’s necessary to adapt to some technology. We’re all accustomed to screens now. Whether it’s a TV, laptop, phone, watch, tablet, gaming system…fill in the blank…we’re on them.

While at one time screens were pretty much relegated to where we’d get our entertainment, today, not only do we get our entertainment there but it’s also where most of us do our reading, working, banking, playing, on and on.

The rapid advancement of technology and proliferation screens has, in many, many ways, been a tremendous blessing and help as it relates to human flourishment…but as with most things, there have also been unintended consequences.

I think we know that excessive screen time has a negative effect upon the ability to sleep well and function socially….but did you know that spending too much time staring at a screen can actually alter the structure of the brain, thinning the cerebral cortex (which controls memory and perception) and reduces gray matter that is crucial for daily life.

This impairs cognitive function such as focus and memory and actually overstimulates the brain’s reward system, increasing impulsivity, and raising risks for anxiety and depression, rewiring the brain for constant, fast-paced stimulation rather than deeper engagement.
While the Bible certainly doesn't mention "screens," it does provide several principles that imply excess time in front of screens is at best, unwise.

The scriptures highlight things such as self-control, time management, guarding the heart, and prioritizing God over worldly distractions. All of these things are applicable to limiting screen time for a more focused, purpose-driven life that honors the Lord.

We are called to steward our mental health well and I think that one of the ways that we can better do that is through limiting the time we spend in front of screens each day.
I want to challenge you to really think about the amount of time you are scrolling through social media on your phone, sitting in front of your TV or on your gaming system.

Ask the Lord if you are being wise in the stewardship of your time? Of your mental health?
Make adjustments accordingly.

Here are a few tips:

• Most phones have a built in function that set limits on screen time. What a gift that is. Use it!
• Trade your device for the real thing! Whenever you have an opportunity to use a physical book rather than a digital one, take it. Look, I get it. I have a Kindle and have lots of books on it! It’s easy, cheaper, and more accessible…but if I can pick up a physical book instead, I’m doing my brain a favor! The same is true with our Bibles, by the way. We have digital access (and I am GRATEFUL that we do), but reading from a physical copy is just better for us, so let’s endeavor to do that!
• Go outside and enjoy God’s creation (and leave your phone in the house while you do!)
• Parents, take the lead in this! It's crucial for the long-term health of your child to establish good habits and patterns in relation to screen time very early on (there may be weeping and gnashing of teach initially, but it's worth it!)