I hope you are getting excited for ABC Student Weekend! This Sunday, the student ministry is “taking over” all our ministry areas. You will see teenagers greeting, ushering, and helping with the offering. You will also see students lead us in worship through music, prayer, platform assignments, and through sharing their testimonies on stage. Following the BFG hour and our 11:11 worship services, you will see students serving our church family lunch at our Super Summer Spaghetti Spectacular. It’s going to be an amazing morning of worship as we watch these students step up and step out in faith. I encourage you to come ready to worship, but also come ready to learn from their examples of servant leadership. Jesus reminds us, “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:4).
It is so critical for our church to continue to invest in our youth. They are the future leaders of our country, but we must also remember that they are the future leaders of the church. It is imperative for us to continue to teach them Scripture and give them opportunities to live out the Scriptures through service. We do all of this in hopes that “the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments” (Psalm 78:6-7). We pray that our students will grow to live long and fruitful lives for Jesus Christ, and then pass on their faith to the generation after them. We all must do our part in passing on the legacy of faith.
This is why we offer Bible study every weekend for 6th to 12th grade students. This is why every student has trained adult leaders who know their names and strive to learn their stories. This is why we offer a midweek worship service for students, so they have a place to connect with others and connect with God. Likewise, we offer camp, Disciple Now, and special events to disciple students and help them build Christian community. But we also give our students opportunities to learn how to serve others through service projects, mission trips, our children’s worship team (Elevate), and through special opportunities like this Sunday’s worship services. If you have students, I hope you have them engaged in our student ministry because they are doing amazing work.
I’m proud to pastor a church that truly does love kids and provides the necessary resources and support to reach them. Thank you for your continued generosity to the general fund budget, as your tithes and offerings make this ministry possible. This Sunday, I encourage you to do two things. First, come ready. Pray for our students and come expectant to see God work through them. When you see a student serving in a t-shirt, encourage him or her. Cheer them on as they boldly lead us this weekend. Second, come hungry. We are offering a free spaghetti lunch at 11:15am for those who attend the early service, and a second lunch at 12:15pm for those who attend our second service. We will have plenty of food, and it is ok if you did not RSVP. Please plan to stick around to eat with us as it will be a great time of community and fellowship for our church family. But it will also be the perfect time for you to make a contribution to our student ministry’s camp fund. All proceeds of this lunch go towards camp expenses and help ensure that every teenager that wants to go to camp can go to camp. Thank you in advance for your generosity and support for our teenagers.
Have a great rest of your week, and I look forward to hearing about how our students’ lives have been forever changed by encountering Jesus. Join me in praying that this will be the story for many more in the years to come.
Onward and upward,
Jonathan Spencer
www.jonathanspencer.org 