If you were at worship Sunday morning a couple a weeks
ago you heard me talk about how I was getting to go on the beach trip for the
first time with our middle school and high school students. It was great! I had
a lot of fun with our students, and was especially excited to get a feel for where
they are at in their spiritual lives. It was very apparent that they are
growing spiritually.
Over the week, we were lead to think seriously
about what we would be willing to give up in order to live our lives for Jesus.
And we were encouraged to imagine what our community would be like if we let
Jesus live through us.
Meal times provided some priceless opportunities to
listen to students tell their thoughts about how these challenges would play
out. I wanted to know how they thought the life of following Christ would
impact their community in high school.
As I listened, the image of soldiers, weary with
battle, speaking with tired eyes of the strain of war came to my mind. I could
see that they desperately wanted their high school to change to a place
where the Love of Christ reigned. I could tell they believed in God, I
knew many of them had trusted Christ as Savior. What I saw were young warriors
who needed encouragement to persevere in the fight to live Christ in front of
their peers in a difficult arena of the war against our enemy.
I didn’t walk away with an indictment for our
students. I walked away knowing that we have to rally around them and tell them
that we have not forgotten them nor the charge they will lead into enemy
territory, even their own hearts, to make Christ known. They are unsure about
the cost I think. Let’s support these ones in the trenches.
Chris Schlender
BCC Childrens Pastor
