We have all heard of the phrase, “information overload,” and I am 99.9 percent sure that each of us have experienced it. In fact, this post just might fall victim to a rapid delete from your inbox simply because you have just had too much “adulting” today! I hate to break it to you but this problem will continually get worse.

Pew Research Center survey says, one in three teenagers send more than 100 texts a day. Go ahead, take a few minutes and look at your phone and see what your magic number is. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. Then hop over to your mail app—you most likely have two to four emails to sort through. If there is nothing urgent, go ahead and check your Facebook and see what all of your “friends” are up to. You will find adorable pictures of children; ads to attend events in your area; invitations to a night of worship; all of the, “on this day” three, five, or 10 years ago photos; new haircut photos; ideas and inspiration for family ministry; healthy meal prep ideas; check-ins at the gym, hotel, restaurant, coffee shop, or traveling to a new location; et cetera. Are you tired yet? This is just one social media avenue—we still have Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and whatever is latest and greatest. 

I think you get the point. We are all on information overload! With so many ideas, trends, and options pulling for our attention and focus, as Orange Leaders, we have to do our best to take a stand and fight for what truly matters in this lifetime.

[bctt tweet=”With so many ideas, trends, and options pulling for our attention and focus, as Orange Leaders, we have to do our best to take a stand and fight for what truly matters in this lifetime.  ” username=”orangeleaders”]

So, how do we make sure that actively pursuing a deeper relationship with God doesn’t become white noise to the kids, students, and families we serve? We think this is so important that it is interwoven into our five Orange Essentials which craft our strategy. We call this, Refine the Message. There are three drives that are hardwired into every kid and those are wonder, discovery, and passion. We want you to envision those words as three large dials that need to be turned and adjusted to different volumes for each age and stage that a child is in so that they can continually rediscover how they can relate to God. This task might sound overwhelming if you had to come up with this on your own but Orange has offered you the easy button and spent countless hours crafting core truths into engaging, memorable, and relevant experiences. We strive to be mindful that more information doesn’t mean more application!  

Each Curriculum has three basic truths. And each month and series has a theme and main topic. Finally, each week has a bottom line. We want to ensure that what you teach each week has a lasting impression on kids and makes it past the parking lot of your churches and into their daily lives and activities. We’ve also added another layer on top of this called Parent Cue. It’s our desire to cue your families with these bottom lines and big ideas each week so that you can truly partner together and have a greater impact on the next generation. What happens at home is more important than what happens at church, and helping your families focus on a weekly bottom line is a huge win.  

Food for thought: 

*Does what we currently teach kids and students impact their day-to-day reality?
*Are we equipping parents with a handle to take home the “big idea” each weekend? 
*Do I know the main point after I teach a lesson?