Are We Dropping the Ball?

   

"This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do all according to all that is written in it; for then you will make  your way prosperous, and then you will have success." Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Joshua 1:8-9).

Hey Gang:  In our Bible Study this week one of the participants shared the following story.   A church that had a healthy program for their youth from birth through graduation from high school; suddenly they realized that they had very few young adults in their church and wanted to know why.

A committee was organized to study the problem.  They contacted many of the past participants in their youth programs and found the following:  The young folks were in agreement that they were not included in 'Adult services' so the  sanctuary of the church was never really for them. They felt unwelcome to worship with the 'old folks', hear the word from the Pastor and adult 'praise and worship'

There were classes for the little ones, junior church for the middle-schoolers and a multitude of opportunities for the teen-agers, but little or  no interaction between the "saints of the church' and the 'growing up crowd.'  There were many social opportunities for the kids but no sitting side by side with their parents and the people who could share how to live through even the toughest of times.  The bottom line was "there was a  yearning in their hearts to grow in the Lord, but they didn't want to be part of the 'old folks' crowd.

As a child I remember there was a sanctity about the sanctuary of the church.  If a child ran or was loud, they would soon feel the hand of one of the grey haired saints on their shoulder.  I wonder if young people, or even the more mature folks, sometimes have a hard time separating the sanctity of the sanctuary from the social activities that are conducted there. It is nice to see respect taught in our churches.

Soooo, good buddies and ladies, there was one more point that the church study surfaced.  Youth felt they were not important to the saints of the church because they seldon saw the saints on youth turf.  They wondered why the more mature saints of the church, who have gone through the wars of this life, were not available to those who were going  through those wars today.   Many of these young people never find their way back to the organized church.

Blessings

Gramps