I'm New!
I'm New!
I'm New!

Unleavened Brett

Brett’s Friday Blog Post

Feel like you could go to the Reject Prom?

Some years ago, author Tony Campolo described the beginnings of the “Reject Prom”:

“John Carlson, a young Lutheran minister in Minnesota, gained attention and praise when he came up with the innovative idea that there should be a special party the night of the senior prom for those who did not have dates.

All across America the night of the senior prom is a time of hurt feelings and deep depression for hundreds of thousands of high school kids. Not to have a date for the senior prom is to be publicly declared a reject. Everybody knows that those who can’t get dates for the prom have to be losers. What is even sadder is that the sense of rejection and inferiority symbolized by being dateless on prom night has haunted these kids all through their school years. The prom simply provides the finishing blow.

So far as John Carlson was concerned, the prom was not the kind of party that Jesus would have liked. It was too exclusive to be a Christian, in his opinion. It seemed to be reserved for the beautiful and the popular. So John planned an alternative to the prom for those whom ‘the system’ had deemed losers and rejects. He called it the Reject Prom. Those who did not have dates were especially invited-and the kids loved it. The Reject Prom was held the same night as the senior prom and it turned out to be a real blowout party that made the senior prom seem tame and dull by comparison.”

30 years ago on Easter Sunday, I preached my first sermon at Southpoint called, “God’s Come As You Are Party”. I wanted this new church to be a place where people could come dressed casually (which was a new thing at the time) or could come regardless of their background or societal status and feel welcomed & accepted. This year’s Easter message comes full circle as we celebrate Christ’s Resurrection & Southpoint’s 3 Decades Downriver with “Everyone’s Invited to God’s Party.” The Kingdom of God is for all, even when the world treats you like an outsider, a loser, or a reject. God loves you and makes you acceptable through sending His Son to be your Savior! 

Name *
Email *
Phone number
Preferred contact method *
What areas have you struggled with in the past? *
Affirm that you are willing to commit to confidentiality with program participants. *
Confidentiality is crucial to the healing and recovery process. For participants to feel comfortable opening up and being honest, they have to feel confident that their information will not be discussed outside of Thrive groups. This is an absolute requirement!
What kind of involvement would you be interested in? *
Some examples would be leading small breakout groups for specific struggle areas, worship, setup/teardown/cleanup, follow up calls, etc.

Add Your Heading Text Here

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Click here
Birth through 2 years

Idea 1

Begin praying for your little one now! Whether you’re feeding or rocking your child to sleep, start praying for them from their head to their toes!
Head to Toe Prayer:

Idea 2

Pray scripture over your child! Here’s an example: (Psalm 23:6) May goodness and mercy follow (insert child’s name) all the days of their life and may (insert child’s name) dwell in the house of the Lord forever!

Idea 3

Begin a daily prayer journal. Each day, write a small prayer for your child. When they are older, they will be able to look back and see all the prayers you have prayed over them through the years!