Stoking the Fires of Faith

When you read this, I will have just gotten back from speaking at our Student Ministry Leadership Retreat. We rented cabins near Forest Lakes, Arizona.

This is the fourth time I have been on a trip with the high schoolers and I have always been impressed by the seriousness of our Student Ministry leaders to  grow in their faith.

They could have gone other places and had more “fun” but, like the adults who call TMC home, they aren’t looking to be entertained and there is nowhere that we have found where the faith of our students would be challenged as much as when we plan and lead our own retreats.

The last three retreats, we have been going over the same Spiritual Formations curriculum that we teach in our Equipped Classes and that forms the basis of the current sermon series.  In fact, I actually first taught our Spiritual Formations curriculum to the high schoolers and this winter, I added two more “habits” which the students were the first to receive (Sexual Integrity and The Humble Path).

Our Students and Young Adults are eager to know, love, and serve Jesus! One of the reasons the average age at TMC is much lower is because of how the older among us respect and value those who are younger. We make a place at the table for them. By allowing them to lead as we do, we stoke the fires of their faith and become invigorated ourselves to experience a resurgence of faith at a stage of life when others may begin to coast!

As we often say, “We will be ever-growing, ever-reaching, this generation for Christ!”

The reason we are able to be this kind of church is that our older adults have the same attitude as Jesus in that we are here to serve, not to be served and to give our lives as a benefit to others (choosing to invest in those who will outlive us!)

It’s a GREAT formula for church that few seem willing to adopt and it’s my prayer that for us, from generation to generation, it will always be the case so that, as far as the ministry of TMC is concerned, the best will ALWAYS be yet to come!

If you want to get in on the Equipped Class of Spiritual Formations, it’s not too late IF YOU START THIS WEEK! Click here to sign up, then come to class on Thursday at 6pm!