Why an LCMC Youth Event?
First, Youth Are the Present.
The best people to witness to other youth are the youth that we already have. The local church must do what they are able to train and equip youth to be disciples to their own generation. One of the best ways to do that is to build mentor relationships with mature Christian adults who can mentor youth in the development of their relationship with Jesus.
Second, Youth Are the Near Future.
One of the things that we have not done very well is prepare our youth for the next chapter. Many of our youth after leaving high school tend to struggle with their faith in a culture that pulls them in a hundred different directions. University campuses are not always friendly places for Christians and are we helping them figure out how to navigate that new setting? But almost no place in the culture: work, military, vocational tech, etc. is welcoming to young adults who also want to remain faithful to Jesus.
Third, Youth Are the Further Future.
One of the biggest issues we face is finding leaders for the local church who love Jesus, love the church and love the people the Holy Spirit brings. Raising local leaders for the local church must become a priority for each congregation.
Fourth, Youth Are the Future Pastors.
The vocation of ministry requires the brightest and the best that our congregations have to offer. People forget that pastors come from congregations...and so we need to find ways to help youth catch the vision that serving Jesus happens in every vocation, but the vocation of ministry is one of them. Being a pastor/leader of a congregation has been a great life for many and has been a great blessing to those families. We need more and more youth to ask the question: could God be calling me to consider pastoral ministry as my vocation?
Our 2016 “Called 2 Serve” youth event is July 19-22, and registration closes March 1st. If you are planning to attend, please register!
Author
Mark Vander Tuig doesn’t sit still for very long, needs coffee, loves humor, and is passionate about Jesus. He is a resource to congregational leaders, pastors, and anyone else who calls; hoping to help them to catch the vision of the Great Commission. Growing up, Mark was expelled from his youth group and decided then that there had to be a better way to do “church”. For the future, he would like to see the people of LCMC strengthen the churches we have and plant the ones we don’t.
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