The Lighthouse - April 13, 2015

The Future of the Church?

We have often heard it said of the youth and the children of the church: "They are the future of our church." Perhaps, we've said it ourselves - I know I have at times. This statement may be simple, but it is full of meaning. At times, it is proclaimed with a sense of pride when some of our younger folks take up the mantle of ministry for a short while and complete a task in the church - for example, leading worship, singing a song in worship, completing a mission project. Other times, it is stated even with a sense of hope, acknowledging that we adults will not be around forever but that our church and our legacy are in good hands if these are the young folks who will one day take over our roles in leadership. Still other times, it said instead with a sense of sacrifice and concession that we need to make less desirable decisions - such as style of music - now to appeal to the younger generation and ensure that they will continue to hang around until its their turn to lead.

This past Sunday, we (finally) celebrated our Youth Sunday, and what a great experience of worship it was! "They are the future of our church," it was said more than once. "There were our replacements up there." These were definitely offered in both the senses of pride and hope for the future, and very well they should be. We have much to be proud of and hopeful for in the youth that led worship this past week.

Yet, seeing the awesome, Spirit-filled presence of our youth this past Sunday, of our kids singing at Easter, of youth reading Scripture and offering prayers during Advent, of children teaching me (and I imagine all of us) through their questions and comments in the children's sermons week by week, I wonder if they are our future at all.  Hearing from Isaac in his sermon about the conversations he has had with friends about God, listening to my own children pick apart my Easter Sunrise sermon at breakfast that morning, witnessing our kids' willingness to give whatever they have to help another person, I am convinced they are not merely the future of our church; they are very much our present as well. They are hearing the good news we teach in worship, in Sunday School, and on Wednesdays. They are watching how we worship God on Sunday mornings and how we serve God throughout the week. They are witnessing what we believe it means to follow Jesus, and they are living it now - not just planning to live it in the future.  Sure, the children and youth may not be on our committees, they may not be funding the budget and all the emergency expenses, and they may not be filling in as Sunday School teachers.  Yet, they are in ministry in the name of Jesus Christ in a real way and often in places where we could not be.


We are blessed that God has entrusted so many children and youth to our care for us to pass along the faith that was once handed down to us. May we adults remember to encourage and make room for our children and youth to be not only the future of our church but very much a part of its present as well!


Blessings on the journey,
Jim

Worship This Week:
Resurrected

A couple of Sundays ago, we celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus from the dead at Easter with great excitement and joy. But what difference does Jesus' Resurrection make in how we live our lives now? Several weeks from now, we will gather at the river to baptize and confirm some of our youth who will profess their faith in this same Jesus. But what does it mean for our lives now when we say that in baptism is dying in Christ so that we may rise with Christ in his Resurrection? Over the next few weeks, we will focus on what it means to live the Resurrected Life here and now by exploring some of the stories about what happened to Jesus' disciples after his Resurrection.

On the evening of the first Easter, two disciples were traveling along the road when Jesus came up beside them. For as far as they traveled and as much as they talked, they did not recognize him, however, until the moment they sat down to eat and Jesus broke the bread.  This Sunday, we will look at the ways the Resurrection changes how we see the world around us and how we recognize Jesus today. Join us as we worship the One who helps us to live the resurrected life with new sight.

Stained Glass Update

The stained glass window above the front door was removed this week as the first step of the repair. Stained Glass by Shenandoah will take the window apart, repair and rebuild it, and then reinstall it. This process will take two to three months. We have raised $650 toward the roughly $3,800 cost of this repair so far. Thank you to those who have donated so generously. If you would like to contribute to this project, you can write a check to the church with "Window Fund" marked on the memo line.

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Youth Fundraising Update

Over the last two weeks, the youth have raised over $1,800 for those attending the RENEW Mission Camp this summer. That will cover the majority of the cost for our mission team to attend! A big thank you goes out to all the supporters who baked bread and sweets, those who helped with the meal, and everyone who came out for the Bake Sales and Spaghetti Lunch.

Living in Community

• Thank you to all the youth who led our worship on Youth Sunday: Isaac, Tristan, Jordan, Brenna, David, Baylor, Julia, Jacob, Josh, Nathan, Courtney, Makayla, Chandler, Ripley, Rachel, Taylor, April, Rayanna, Madeline, Harley, Garrett, and Hannah. You inspired us all to give praise and glory to God!
• Thank you to Dinah, Kendra, and Liz and all the other adults who worked long and hard to help the youth prepare for Youth Sunday.
• Thank you to Sarah, Stephanie, and Tracey for helping the youth prepare the Spaghetti Lunch! Thank you also to everyone who donated food for the meal.

Upcoming Events

April 14 - 6 pm - Wednesday at the Port Meeting
April 14 - 7 pm - Administrative Council Meeting
April 16  - Sunshine Seniors
April 18 - Church Clean-up Day (rain date - April 25)
April 26 - Overlook Registration Deadline

Mark Your Calendar

District Youth Retreat - May 2-3
Youth Dodge-ball Tournament - May 17
Praise in the Park - May 31, 10 am
RENEW Youth Mission - June 14-19
Vacation Bible School 2015 - June 29 - July 3