Youth
I begin every link article talking about how thankful I am to be in ministry with the Washington Park UMC faith community. We are a church community who loves one another and who cares for one another. Every time we gather together my heart is so strangely warmed. I just love worshiping together and living life alongside one another. My prayer for our community is that we slow down, take time to gather in..... warm our hearts..... and allow friendship and peace to bloom and grow. I love being in ministry with our church community!! I pray and hope for us to take our ministry together serious to imagine creating a future church that is relevant and meaningful while upholding tradition, justice, mission and love for God, self and other.
Our church mission statement claims
"
We are an inclusive community of faith, accepting people as they are, growing toward fullness of life with God's creation, through living the teachings of Jesus Christ: Love, Justice, Mission and Hope."
I envision us carrying our our mission statement by committing to live more deeply, into intentional relationships with one another and our surrounding community. I believe that our church and our world would benefit from our church family taking time to explore what it means for us on an individual level, a church level and a community level to be in intentional relationship. I believe that God gifts each of God's people with spiritual gifts.... I believe that these gifts are only restricted by the limits of our imagination and I trust that if we create together a foundation and shared our spiritual gifts with one another, we would be found in awe by the ways God's wonder reveals itself in the midst of our community. I hope we will take time to explore our own spiritual gifts and learn where they can fit together into our church community to move us all towards a better understanding of what God is doing in the world and inviting us to do as well.
As a youth group we are learning about meditation and how to slow down and Listen to God through various practices such as art and spiritual mindfulness. Meditation and whole body holistic/mindful practice is perfected with practice throughout our lifetimes... as a group we believe that is it our intent behind our practice that is worth while not necessary our perfection in mindful practice that helps us walk closer with God. Where we are young and only beginners on our life journey's...the youth and I believe we have what it takes to change the world by erasing lines that differ us and embracing otherness as beautiful.
I see that the students at WPUMC take serious the charge describes in
1 Timothy 4:12...
Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity....
by being channels of God's peace, love and justice for our world. The youth teach me how valuable is is to be flexible in a world of constant change and how the entire United Church could benefit from adopting resilience and acceptance for a world that is growing larger and more confusing every day. It is truly an inspiration to meet with and share in community and friendship with the middle school and high school students of WPUMC. I pray that our church might explore more ways to invest in and join together to support our student ministry program and the lives of our young people.
Youth group meets each Sunday after church beginning at 11am with lunch followed by games, fun, fellowship, group study and discussion.
Change is on the horizon for our entire United Methodist Church around the world as well for Christians everywhere.
I look to the youth for what the future of the church is going to look like and the direction I believe we should be steering towards so we can ensure that the church of the future is relevant, and still provides a space for individuals of future generations to find the answers about spirit and God they are searching for. I believe the church/spirituality will always be a need in culture and society. God will always be speaking to humanity until we are all united by grace and connected through love in the all constant and all perfect hope, grace, love, and peace that is of God. The more we find out about God, the more we are going to discover we still don't know and will never know. God is mystery and an infinite source of mystery our human capacity is unable to comprehend. But that doesn't have to stop us from trying to imagine how big God is and what that means for us as member of the family of God; that we are redeemed in God grace and bestowed God's glory as individuals invited to be in relationship with God and to partake in kingdom living now. That means BIG things for my life and those I am in relationship with. If God is making me more like God every day... I imagine I am being used by God more efficiently as I journey further on life's journey. I envision God using me, the youth program, our entire church, our community... as channels to carry and deliver God perfect peace, love, and justice for a world in need each and every day.
Our church community just better hold-on because I feel a new breeze sweeping over the horizon, a change in the wind and I believe that God is speaking, waiting, and asking us to listen. God is calling to us and anticipating a response of how we plan to participate in God's unfolding plan of, love, justice, mission and hope for our world.
I believe our congregation has what it takes to change this world.... Little by little we light the way for humanity by being an example of Christ love... our light is casting aside shadow and working towards bring forth light and a realized kingdom of God where peace and justice are shared by all in unconditional love and grace in God.
May we together believe in the power of relationship and transformative love in replacing difference and lead humanity into a better future foundational upon love and relationship, where there is room for fluidity, different and plurality in the arms of God's love.
It might take us getting up and out... the road may be rough and bumpy... but we are a community that loves one another and who are committed to walking the journey of life together, hand in hand.
So May we slow down and listen to the still voice of God...
And may we open our imagination to what intentional relationship means for us and dream together how we might create room and include all people in our church so God might actually embrace the whole world in God's hands!
Blessings in the name of Christ!
Love and Peace in Spirit!
Tyler Joyner
Director of Youth Ministry- Pastoral Intern
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