I am easily distracted. Books I need to read are challenging, and what I don’t need to read captures my mind. Again something from H.B. Charles Jr. from “On Worship.”
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.’ (Matt 19:4) Youth are *not* the church of tomorrow. They are the church of *today*. If we do not invest in the young people today, there will not be a church tomorrow.”
Yes, we learn about God’s providence, but that does not exclude our responsibility. Proverbs 22:6 says, “Train up a child in the way he should go…” This includes the application of bible knowledge to today’s society.
“The flesh, the world, and the devil do not give our young people time and space to make up their own mind about spiritual matters,”
H.B. Charles also says.
About the action, he later continues:
“The church cannot replace the role of the parents in raising godly children.”
But the church has a responsibility.
“Our church did not have a full-time youth pastor, designated youth facilities, or a large ministry budget. But the membership cared about the children and youth. They believed in us.”
Do you believe in the youth of your congregation? Do they know that? Do you care about your church’s youth? Is that the vibe they get? And, when it comes to church leadership, are we training the youth to lead in, e.g., encouragement, prayer, love and peace, humbleness, knowledge, and standing for the truth, and give them roles to fill?
One last quote:
“Shape the life of your church so that the young people may grow as Jesus grew (Luke 2:52.)”