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ROFL w/Jesus :) is the first in a planned Christian fiction series, written for teens, that follows events in the lives of Parker and Emily, living in the same town, while attending separate schools. However, they attend the same church youth group, and have discovered that they have feelings for each other. While trying to lead good lives and doing the right thing, they find it isn’t always easy in the secular world that surrounds them. Stories are based on actual events that involve peer pressure, drug and alcohol use, destruction of friendships, sexual tension, issues with parents, success and failure in school, responsibility when driving, and much more. Inter-woven into each fictional event are real people encountering life and faith.
Bio:
Jeff Reich remembers telling stories around campfires at Bible camp, while attending Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota (where he took degrees in business, economics and English). For over 30 years, he has been entertaining high schoolers with stories from the gospels and challenging their imaginations through stories. Jeff is married and has two grown children.
Testimonials:
Jeff's heart has always pumped for youth and youth ministry… He has poured countless hours into listening to their struggles and teaching Jesus to their contexts. The powerful fruit of these conversations, deep listening, and ongoing learning is built into the pages that follow…What follows will have you rolling on the floor laughing, and at times, weeping with the very tangible ways God works through the lives of these two teens. And whether you happen to be a teenager or not, don't be too surprised if you find yourself in these pages as well. ROFL w/ Jesus is about the real struggles of the human condition, in light of the very real and powerful truth of God's GRACE known in Jesus. In light of God's grace, always discover this one truth: there is a place in God for all of us.
Rev. Dr. Nathan Swenson-Reinhold
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Storytelling is perhaps the earliest and most effective way that teaching and learning is engaged. It requires the teller to be articulate and speak in a language that the receiver will understand and absorb, and also requires that the teller make the story interesting so it matters to the hearer.
As Jeff Reich takes us on a journey into the lives of Emily and Parker, we become embedded in their triumphs and struggles; not just as observers, but as participants in the fabric of what it is to be a teenager in the 21st century. The language is real, the environment is real, the development of these individuals is real; and they combine in a multitude of situations that are faced by teens daily.
If you are a teen, you will recognize yourself and some of your challenges as well as those of your friends. These stories will give you the opportunity to think about how you might handle what is happening. If you are a teen leader, the stories will open avenues of conversation between and among those in your care.
As a life-long educator, I care deeply about the ways in which learning takes place. I believe that you will find an outstanding vehicle for discussion and life-lessons in this book. Be prepared to laugh until you hurt from the effort, and to cry as you empathize and recognize yourself and others.
Diane C. Bechtold, Ed. D.
Educational Consultant
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As a youth minister, “ROFL w/ Jesus” is one of the best tools I’ve seen available! Jeff Reich makes ministry real in this book as we follow two teenagers (Emil and Parker) and their journey in developing their faith in situations that actually happen to teens every day. Jeff has a unique way of storytelling that allows everyone to find themselves in a character or situation found in this book. You will see yourself struggling with the same issues of faith and life that the characters in this book are struggling with. Your teens are sure to connect with the situations presented in this book and even more exciting will be seeing them grow in discipleship with Emily and Parker as they all participate in a communal faith journey with Jesus’ grace at the center of it all!
Kenny Champagne
Minister for Youth & Media
St. Stephen Lutheran Church, Longwood, FL
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Jeff Reich, has been an important part of my life and ministry for the past five years. He has a strong passion for students, and passing on to them a living faith. Each weekend, he keeps them tuned in, and struggling with how to live with all of the shades of gray in their lives, by telling stories that keep them talking, and, more importantly, thinking through how they will live their lives in response to the love and grace of God. The most important thing that he teaches, is that there are not simple, predetermined answers to many of the decisions we all need to make as we live our lives as people of faith. And, he teaches, that Jesus calls us to be disciples and partners with him in our personal ministry in the world, no matter or age, or where our lives take us. I encourage you to experience today's stories in this wonderful book, as Jeff tells them, and see how your students struggle with what it means to be faith and follow!
Rev. Ron R Lee
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