The conference we attended yesterday was great...and although I mentioned it in my previous post I didn't share any of the great information we heard and learned. There were several things that stuck out as we listened to the speakers yesterday. I'd like to share a few with you!
1. Family Equipping Ministry: With this type of youth ministry the focus is not on entertaining youth and just doing more programs, but rather teaching, training and equipping them to become ministers of the Gospel. This type of ministry also involves parents. It is a hope and prayer that the teaching, training and discipling of students would start in the home, with their own parents. It isn't our desire to have simply "moral" students in our ministry, but students who treasure Christ and believe in eternal realities.
*These notes came from Steve Wright. He wrote a book on this type of ministry and is on staff at Providence Baptist Church in Raleigh.
After hearing this talk, I was burdened to spend more time with my own children, teaching and training them in God's Word. I want to set aside time daily to share Bible stories, sing songs, and pray with my kids.
2. The Church and the home should be working together for the good of the Gospel. There are hindrances to reaching families and because of sin families and marriages are under constant attack from the enemy. Our country is a "drop off culture." Most parents of children that are old enough to be involved in activities can relate with this. We drop kids off at music lessons, dance lessons, sports practices...and expect their teachers and and coaches to train them in these areas. Sadly to say, for a lot of kids, this is a reality at church. Parents simply drop their kids off because they want their kids to be taught the things of God, but parents themselves are not showing a desire to grow and learn in this area. Church shouldn't be a "drop off" place for kids, but rather a haven where families can come to grow in Christ together.
Our children are going to follow us. They will go where we go, do what we do and say what we say. Hearing this reminded me that I have four little eyes on me all the time. I need to live my life in such a way that when they follow me, I am not ashamed of where they go, what they do and what they say!
Our lives should be Gospel Centered. We do not need to focus so much on the temporal things, but rather on the eternal!
*These notes are from Randy Stinson.
I know some of my thoughts may not have flowed quite as well as I would have liked. But these two speakers shared things that spoke to my heart and I wanted to share them in hopes that they would encourage someone else!
