For example, our youth program is experiencing a revitalization. Thanks to volunteers who are willing to work with our high school age and also our middle school kids, we’re seeing a significant change in another area of the church. We want our kids to know, love and serve Jesus Christ, and this is a whole-group effort. Our thinking is shifting from the idea of hiring a youth minister to considering how our church can truly love and mentor the kids we love –together. Would you consider “adopting” one of our middle schoolers or high schoolers? You would make an incredible impact on this generation if you would consider “adopting” a kid in our church. If we could get five families to “adopt” one kid (5 to 1) and love that kids every time you see them as if it were your own kid, could you imagine the impact that we could make on this generation? This is just one of the many thoughts that we took back from the seminar. And while we have many new ideas, it’s going to require a lot of prayer and effort to implement them.
Our focus is changing from being a program-oriented church to becoming a prayer-oriented church. And for this, we can give praise to God. We cannot continue to do “business as usual” and expect amazing blessing to come from heaven. We have to confess our desperate need for Christ and admit that we are not making an impact when we are the center of our efforts. But when Christ is the one that we plea to for help, we can expect amazing, lasting results. It’s time to get very serious and commit ourselves to what really matters for the Kingdom. In a very simplistic way, we understand the core of our existence as a community of prayer. If we can commit ourselves to this labor of prayer under the supervision of the Holy Spirit, then everything else, all planning and teaching, will be the supernatural result of God’s work among us. The power lies in seeking. Seek first. Seek first the Kingdom of God. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. And everything else… will follow. So, stop. Just stop the routine. Stop the “well-oiled machine” and imagine a different reality for our church, where we see God working (not us exhausted trying to do God’s job) and many lives fundamentally changed. This may require rearranging some priorities or considering some things that we haven’t considered. But if Jesus says, “Follow me,” all a disciple can do… is follow.
Seeking Him first,
George