Oh the world of challenges. I have spent the last hour on a variety of Methodist sites just trying to wrap my head around any resources I can use to help get our Wesley Foundation off the ground. Yesterday at church I felt God challenging me again, that now I'm comfortably settled in here it's time to get stuff going again.
In my last community, it didn't take long before I was acustomed to the church, campus ministry, and staring a youth ministry. So many people were excited and God was present. It was beautiful - challenging, yet beautiful.
However I try to keep the focus on God and not myself, but I feel a calling to do something in my new community of Stevens Point, Wi. I have already begun teaching sunday school and getting aquainted with other church members, there is already a youth ministry in progress, and there is a form of a campus ministry entitled "Wesley Society".
I love being Methodist and I love reaching out to others providing (especially to young people) an open environment where they can openly ask questions about faith and their beliefs and thoughts in the world. Saddly our churches do not often offer this opened enviornment that our young people so desperatley need. I do not always know how I feel about faith or God or how social issues fit into my beliefs and I need to have open discussion about these questions.
I also feel that besides an open warm loving environment our young people need to be challenged. Mind, body, and Spirit. Bible studies!! Even if they are by e-mail or blogs or once a week we need to be keeping our young people in the word. Service- we are blessed with so much more than the rest of the world and even as a poor college student I have alot to give. My time, my effort, my prayers, my presence, my encouragement, and I will work for food! Bring on the work projects! Spirit, I also feel that it is important to help other young people find a worship opportunity that helps them feel the spirit. Be it music, a contemporary service, art in worship, skits, dance teams, or services - it is important that our young people find a connection with worship and opportunities to serve here.
Yes this can be alot of work leading a group for young people. Yes young people are unpridictable in when and where and how often they can meet. So what if many of us are hard to pin down. There are ways to help meet the needs of our young people and most of us are not going to seek them out in the church. They need to be provided in an open flexible way that it is not intimidating. And for those out there who are trying know it takes time. It takes about 3 years for a program to get off it's feet, so keep at it! Keep praying, and keep asking God what he needs from us to provide ministry to our young adults.
1 Timothy 4:12
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.
So to my problems. . . (if you don't mind)
The wesley society here seems singularily focused on Peace and Social Justice. No bible study, no worship, it is not considered a campus ministry, but a special student group. Sigh, I have an issue with this. I think peace and social justice is a great focus for a group, but that was not Wesleys only focus. Peace and social justice came out of ministries. A way to express our christian love towards others and fight for their rights. A great mission but not the starting point, right?
I would like to have an online bible study (college students are busy). Set up a place to have discussion, switch it to who has what day. and keep it short and simple.
I would like to share an open meal together. Try to have a general subject of converstation (love, peace, injustice, study tips) but just time to be in christian community with each other.
I would like to join other groups on campus to reach out and do mission work. Volunteer at the salvation army, work with Habitat for Humanity, go on mission trips.
I would like to also focus on special events. Educating others about different faiths, christian views on sexuality, social issues, have open discussions with speakers who know more about topics. But other events as well such as Dinner and a Movie night, retreats, sledding extravaganzas, time to make personal relationships.
Then I notice these are all things "I" want to do, but is this what I am called to do? Sigh, I feel that this is a yes. . . God has given me the opportunities to learn about group development and human relationships and how to make them better and give people a good environment. I feel confident that he has given me this experience and knowledge so I might use it in ministry.
Hopefully the needs of young people will continue being met and cared for more than ever.
Peace
your sister in Christ,
Erin
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