Our tag-line or mission statement, what is it that we look towards to remind us what we should be doing. What is our focus in all aspects of youth ministry within the church? If everything else is forgotten what do we need to remember to bring us back on track. This is what I have come up with.
“We must make every effort to be ambassadors for God and His love, being committed to making a difference in the lives of the young people within our community.”
Based on the greatest commandment found in Matthew 22:37-39, we must not only show Gods love, but be ambassadors for it! The word ambassador, isn’t just used because it sounds good, but I have used it because of the connotations it brings. An ambassador is ‘an authorized messenger or representative, sent by one sovereign or state to another’. It brings with it the idea, of being sent with an important message, which, for us, is the love of God. The word love used by Matthew in this instance is taken form the Greek word ‘agaphesis’, which means an un-conditional love, a love that is self-sacrificial. These two things alone are absolutely huge, and if we grasp this idea of caring for our young people unconditionally, putting them first in a way that is self-sacrificial, indeed modelling the relationship that Jesus himself modelled in His incarnation, we will create an environment that will make a difference in the lives of the young people we come into contact with.
More to follow........
No comments:
Post a Comment