Sunday, October 5, 2008

What I learned on my summer vacation

ok, well.... we took the summer off from homeschooling- per my husbands suggestion. We had just recently left a church, abandoned a ministry, and were licking our wounds.

but there is one thing I really believed. The IGNITION Ministry came to an end, the one that reached out to teens, the one with the key verse of 1 Peter 1:7


"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:"

It was a challenge to those teens, but for us it was more than that. It was about reaching teens one by one and igniting a passion for Christ in them one. soul. at. a. time.

And then, the events I witnessed Friday changed my perspective.

Is the Ignition Team ministry Frank and I? Can we still win souls for Christ's glory? Can we still talk to teens on the street, share our faith and invite them to church.... why can't we? Shouldn't we at least try if God has gifted us with a heart for youth and a passion for sharing the Gospel.

So what changed my "perspective" you might ask...?

A fight. Not just any fight.

Friday afternoon as we were fellowshipping with friends at the park celebrating Micah's Birthday on one side of the park a few cars full of teenagers arrived, then a few more, and a few more.... and at first they were just hanging out, but as the numbers grew there was a certain "climate change"- tension. they began to cross the park, a group of 50 or so teenagers- almost like a scene from a movie..and then they turned and went toward the football field. My friends and I who had been assessing the situation (not to mention the potential safety of our children) began to think we had jumped the gun and prematurely assumed the worst...maybe they were just there to play football after all...

About 5 minutes had passed and they headed back our way, but stopped outside a building just before the park. This time however "contenders" with their shirts off emerged, throwing punches, and punching hard. They meant business. It seemed to be a planned fight. By this time the crowd had grown, at least another 15 people...the police were called, the kids scattered...


As we were talking after things settled, I realized what a missed opportunity. As Christians we so rarely put our mouth where we say our heart is. One woman suggested that with "those kids" it might have been too dangerous, they could have had weapons, or in as great a number as they were in they could have overtaken us, or maybe those kind of people just weren't worth it.... WHAT?????

Is Jesus not worth it?

Why not?

Was it not Jesus who chose his disciples from a brood of less than savory men? Is it not true that Jesus hung out with sinners? What makes "those kids" any different from the people that Jesus touched with His ministry day to day? Aren't those the very people we need to reach? Since when are church houses filled with the righteous- are we not all simply a lot of sinners that have been saved by Grace? Are we so pious that we cannot even share the Gospel with one person?

so HOW?

(To BE Continued....)

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