recharge

in my previous post, i mentioned that i was hired as the new youth pastor at east flat rock first baptist church. i start on march 1, and i am incredibly excited for all God is going to do there.

i started thinking what i wanted this youth ministry to "be about". God showed me that ministry is about relationships, about continuously building new ones. i realized i want this youth group to be built on that theory, and to follow christ's teaching and commandments. Christ sent the disciples out into the world, to make more disciples, who retroactively are called to make more disciples, and so one and so forth. you get the picture- lots of disciples in the world making more disciples who make more disciples. in the world. yes- the world, that big scary secular place that we are not of. God sent us to it to change it.

i want my youth to learn and embrace it, as i learn and embrace it along with them. but, as countless missionaries will tell you- after a while, the world gets to you. you burn out, lose energy, get depressed, get apathetic. This is where many people stop. Say, "Well I gave it all for You, God. Now I've used all my resources and energy. I'm done." but that is NOT where we as Christians should stop.

the purpose of the church is fellowship of believers, uniting to praise the One, True God. everyone has felt that "hilltop experience" sometime before in their life- go to a camp, get completely changed for God, go tell the world, and then burn out. what happened? they didn't have a time or place to recharge that passion. THAT is what recharge student ministries is about- igniting, and fueling, the passion for making new disciples in the world, sharing the love of Christ with those who need it.

i am praying that God will use this ministry as a tool to change the surrounding community, where the majority of people are unchurched. just like a cell phone, however, it only works when it has been charged. and so, beginning on march 1- twice a week God will be recharging the student ministry at east flat rock first baptist church.