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Friends,
“Youth are the future of the church!” As we look to the horizons of church life there is indeed tremendous value in seeing how the youth of our church will shape it. But this mentality falls short as it forgets the tremendous gifts our youth are sharing with us right now. Our youth are not simply future, but more importantly, they are the church right now. They care for one another through support and friendships, they serve faithfully at our partnerships across the city (ask our Middle School Youth about their year-long partnership with McCreesh place), they study scripture (the High School Youth girls just started a new Bible Study!), and they shape the faith of all those around them who hear their questions and insights. In short: their faith is inspiring, right now!
In their book The Godbearing Life: The Art of Soul Tending for Youth Kenda Creasy Dean and Ron Forrester write:
“Psychology also tells us that we form our identities through the eyes of other people. Mirrors matter to teenagers, and not just because of adolescent egocentrism. Teenagers use mirrors to obtain clues of consistency amidst the sea of changes they see and feel in themselves. They are looking for a center that holds despite the seismic changes in their bodies and the proliferation of roles they now must play. And of all the mirrors that help us establish identity, only the church allows us to see ourselves as God sees us: favored, beloved, blessed.”
Our youth will lead our worship services this Sunday through prayer, liturgy, sermons, and more. I invite you to consider what you might learn from a group of people who love tenaciously, who are committed to the community of the church (some are here 3-4 times a week!), who advocate for those they don’t know with fierce love, and who find purpose, grounding, and call in this body of Christ. They have spent countless hours learning, praying, and preparing for this Sunday. Throughout the last few months of their planning they identified three scripture passages to ground the theme of “Grounded, Growing, and Called,” you can prepare for Sunday by reading them here.
I look forward to celebrating a joyful Sunday with you. Youth sermons will be featured in the 8:45, 9:30, and 11:00 (Sanctuary) service while the children’s service will continue to be led by children and ministers in the Fellowship Hall.
In Christ,
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