I
spent this last weekend with 54 middle-schoolers at Camp Tapawingo on the
middle school retreat. Unfortunately, one of my 6th grade girls got sick and by
Saturday morning she was down for the count with the stomach flu. She was so
bummed to have to go home and miss out on the retreat she had been looking
forward to for so long!
While
we were waiting together for her dad to come get her, she was laying down on
the bed and telling me how bummed she was to miss out and go home. She kept
asking if her mom could bring her some medicine, and thought maybe she would
feel better then. In between throwing up, she asked me if I knew what the next
lesson was on, and what we would be talking about. She wanted to know what we
would be learning. It was almost like she was desperate to hear, like she had
only gotten a taste the night prior during the lesson and she wanted more. I
found her desire for God's Word so encouraging. Most kids would likely talk
about missing out on playing GaGa Ball, or the night game, or hanging out with
friends during free time, and I wouldn't have thought twice about it. Instead,
her desire was to sit and listen to the teaching of God's Word and that
completely surprised me in the best possible way. It made me wonder, am I that
eager to hear God's word? To be taught from it and to learn and grow?
We
have been talking a lot on Wednesdays in Fusion about 1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let
anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers
in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your
purity.” This isn't some cutesy thing we tell middle-schoolers to get them to
behave, or to remind them that they have others looking up to them. This is
God's Word, this is truth, and we believe it! And my sweet 6th grade student
showed me that she is living this out, in such a genuine way.
It
was an incredible weekend filled with lessons about the Gospel and how it
impacts our salvation and beyond. In fact, 5 kids put their faith in Christ and
we praise Him for moving in such a mighty way. The students weren’t the only
ones learning lessons though. I learned to not write off this age group. Don't
say they just need to get through this phase or in High School they will be
better and more enjoyable and possibly wear deodorant. No, right now they have
the ability to change the world, and right now they can impact lives for Jesus.
We sincerely believe that and it's one of the biggest joys in my life to get a
front row seat. If you believe it too, don't hesitate to tell them - I promise
that they can't be reminded too much.
--Siriana
Frost, 6th Grade Girls Small Group Leader
I
once heard a pastor say that as a church, in order to grow we must get
smaller. He was referring to the importance of being connected to one or
more small groups in the body for fellowship and care.
I recently got to witness this firsthand in the hand bell choir. Last
spring one of our members noticed that another bell choir member still had
winter studded tires on her car. Apparently, her regular tires were
pretty worn and she was procrastinating making the change over. This
special lady had been going through some tough times in the past couple of
years and new tires were just not in the budget.
Our first member brought this situation to the entire bell choir (in member
#2's absence) and after committing the situation to prayer, the choir members
decided to do what we could to get new tires on her car. We set up a date
to bring in donations and then contacted the Deacons Fund to see if they would
be willing to help if bell choir members funds ran short. Wayne Bernard,
after consulting with the deacons, told us they would help if
needed.
Then God began to answer our prayers. When we told our special ringer
what we were doing we came to find out her brother was a service manager for a
large car dealership in Salem. We contacted him and discovered we could
get a terrific set of tires for half the cost we had estimated. We were
able to pay for the new tires without going back to the Deacons Fund for
assistance.
Our special ringer was overwhelmed with gratitude and in a couple of days
the new tires were installed. After rehearsal one evening we all went out
and "kicked the tires" in celebration. She recently told me how
much this has meant to her and is now looking ahead to someday being able
to pay this kindness forward. Little did she know that this
was a way of helping my wife and I pay forward our gratitude to the bell choir
who had helped us out financially several years earlier when I was unemployed
for over a year.
Small groups are so much more than social gatherings. They are a way to
connect and care for our brothers and sisters in the body. We are blessed
to be a part of this terrific group.
--Jim and Joy Umstead and the entire hand bell choir.
It
was a Monday morning and I was busy getting four kids ready for school and
myself ready for work. Looking back now, it seems like the smallest,
inconsequential issues, but for whatever reason I lashed out harshly at my
kids. Not once, but twice. I stopped to confess and apologize after
the first time. But not even 10 minutes later, I failed again. As
you can imagine, the self-talk started up immediately. “They’re going to
remember this forever”; “No one else I know lashes out at their kids like I just
did”; “I am a horrible mother”; “How could I have just finished my
time in the Word and not 1 hour later already have failed so miserably?”
“I am not worthy to work at a church, in children’s
ministries of all things.” Even after apologizing for a
second time I could feel the weight of my sin, the guilt, the shame, the
regret. We loaded up into the car and as I turned the car on, the song
‘Grace Wins’, by Matthew West started playing. This song is one
that my girls have been learning for Joy Kids choir, but in this moment, this
song was for me.
“There's
a war between guilt and grace
And they're fighting for a sacred space
But I'm living proof
Grace wins every time”
God
blessed me by reminding me that through His transforming power, Grace wins
every time. I am a work in progress, ever-changing and growing in my
relationship with Him. God also allowed me to use this opportunity to
provide a very practical example to my children, bringing to life the lyrics of
a song that they have been learning to sing. Though I wish I had behaved
differently on this morning, I am so thankful for the way God redeemed this
situation. My kids are going to sin, fail, and royally mess up at times,
but because of God’s love for us and His grace, they don’t have to carry around
the weight of that guilt and shame. And hopefully, after the morning’s
events, they understand that more than ever. They are made new in Christ,
redeemed and set free.
Stephanie
Thorp
Pastor's
Book Recommendation:
Heaven,
by Randy Alcorn
The best book on
heaven I have ever read. It is biblically grounded, fascinating to ponder
and as with all Alcorn books wonderfully written.
