Let me start off by saying that I love my church. It’s not perfect. We don’t have the coolest worship performance, the most modern technology, massive crowds, or an awesome discipleship strategy. But we are a family. And it’s beautiful.
One of the most beautiful things about my church is being able to see the cycle of ministry being passed down through the generations.
When I look out across the congregation, I see each generation. I see the senior citizens who have attended our church for their entire lives, and were baptized in our church, along with their children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. I see our pastor who was once our youth pastor 18 years ago. I see my former youth pastor who is now a mom. And myself, who was a shy little girl in youth group, now the youth and children’s pastor. I see the teens in my youth group, growing in their relationship with Jesus.
And then there are the children. The children bless me so much. I am in awe of God as I watch them share in the ministry and imagine the ways in which God will continue to use each of them in the future.
And I still see myself as one of them. I remember going to Sunday school and children’s church, singing in the kids’ choir, going to youth group. My church has built the foundation of my relationship with God and shaped who I am. I love that I get to pass that on to the next generation.
The children recently shared a musical that they have been working on since January. God did some pretty amazing things through it. The musical is called The Agape League and it’s about how God empowers believers by His Spirit with the virtues of the Fruit of the Spirit. Each of the characters had a special ability to display one of the Fruit of the Spirit. The problem was that Iron Blade (self-control) forgot his true superhero identity, and the whole Agape League was in danger of losing their abilities, because their gifts are designed by God to function in unity. During the climax I was tearing up as the League was desperately quoting Scripture verses in an attempt to help Iron Blade remember his true identity. It’s a wonderful thing when kids learn the power of the Word of God and use it in their lives.
Then after the performance, Bonnie, who directed the musical, announced that their beloved youth and children’s pastor is leaving them to go on a wild adventure that God called her to go on, and proceeded to tell the congregation about my World Race. Then she described how the kids wanted to support me and be a part of my trip, so they decided to take up a love offering to go toward my trip.
As they took up the offering, one of my girls (now a 7th grader!) read a letter she wrote about the impact of my ministry and what I mean to her. Oh my goodness, it got me. Tears streamed down my face as she read about the love and joy I spread to everyone and how I am more like a big sister to her than a youth pastor. She said they will all be praying for me while I am away and how she already can’t wait for me to come back and share my adventure with them.
As the kids taught us, we are all super heroes, if we live by God’s Spirit. My church and my kids are my superheroes. They demonstrate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control on a daily basis. And I am so blessed by their friendship and support. I am excited and honored for them to be a part of my World Race journey.
