I think it’s finally official: spring is here. The sun has decided to join us, and we can get excited for some outdoor fun. You will see a little spring in my step this month, because we are now able to play outdoor games at youth group, have campfires, and most importantly, not worry about having it get dark before dinner. Youth ministry loves the spring. Spring-time seems to inspire people to run more, get out more, and lead healthier lives. For me, I enjoy walking to work.
I read a book over the holiday break that talked about there needing to be this turning point that each of us has to experience that causes us to change our habits. For the author of this book, he talked about physically not being able to getthrough his day of travel and speaking without being exhausted. So he decided to make a change to become healthier, which resulted in a huge weight loss and incredible transformation. We need to have that same turning point in our lives, not only in the physical, but in our relationship with Jesus.
Our habits don’t just affect us anymore, they affect those around us
Each of us who have met Christ have had some turning point that caused us to follow Him. We make efforts to change the way we live to become a “healthier” follower of Christ. I spend a lot of time working with adults that are volunteering with kids and youth and I see a second turning point. When we start working with kids (as a parent, as well as a volunteer) our lives are reflected--not just through us, but through those kids, whether we like it or not. Our values are reflected through them. We have this realization that our habits don’t just affect us anymore, they affect those around us. We have a new turning point in the way we live.
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
1 Timothy 4:16
I have learned over the years that a healthy ministry requires healthy leaders. A lot of us at First Baptist Church volunteer in at least one ministry. Keeping a healthy Kids and Youth Ministry doesn’t require better programs or better curriculum; it requires healthy leaders. It requires us to continually be asking ourselves if we are becoming a healthier follower of Christ.
Do those around you see you pray more?
It has become very popular to become physically healthy now days, to hold up the before and after picture and impress your friends. We need to do that same thing with our faith in Jesus. What if we hold up a picture of our relationship with Christ one year ago versus today and compare the change? When those around us see our lives, will they see a life lived in response to the saving grace of Jesus more today than last year? To narrow down even further; do those around you see you pray more, do they see you read your Bible more, do they see you sharing your faith more, do they see you give more, and do they see you making worship of our Savior more important? Are we living out a healthy walk with Christ?
I love our volunteer leaders here at FBC. We couldn’t do this without them, but more importantly, we couldn’t do this without God doing amazing work in their lives.
God Bless,
Chris Cummings
This article originally appeared in the May 2014 edition of the FBC newsletter. Click here to view the rest of this newsletter.