Youth & children

‘Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me….’                     (Matthew 18: 5)

The value of children to the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ is made clear in the gospels and so we share a vision that children are the church of today.

“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”            (Matthew 18: 3-4)

A child is not a church of the future, but a church of today and we want to encourage them to recognise their role in the mission and ministry of our Lord. Our work with children and young people is therefore crucial to our mission and vision.

Each Sunday morning we have a Junior Church led by a group of committed leaders who take responsibility for different age groups. Come and join us on a Sunday morning or check out the details here >>>>>>>>>> (Junior Church)

We also support the Pre-school group run by the Salvation Army and feel this is an important contribution to the community and our Christian witness through the building >>>>>>>>>>>(Salvation Army)

The inter-action between children across the boundaries of faith and culture is important for their learning and growing so we run the JC Kidzz Club on alternate Thursday with different activities in which we try to encourage the creative gifts all children have >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>(JC Kidzz Club)

Four times a year the Church plans a Play Day with a variety of activities for 5 to 11 year olds and that is very popular. For dates and details >>>>>>>>>> (Play Day)

Our work with the Scout group has been reduced since they moved from the Elmwood site but we still retain a relationship with them and more details can be obtained >>>>>>>>>>>>> (Scouts)

The Truth Revealed (in you)

a message for a youth conference at Elmwood on Saturday October 24th

I want you to start please by telling someone you don’t know about your church:

Tell them where it is and what it looks like?

Now tell them when you worship and how?

There is a saying that ‘the truth hurts’ so perhaps there should have been a health warning at the beginning of this conference because if the truth is revealed there is going to be some pain as well. If you don’t feel any pain when you go home tonight, there’s been no gain.

The very title “The Truth Revealed” says that you are going to discover something new and I have been given a few extra words in  brackets to speak to this afternoon: (in you!).

Before the truth can be revealed in you the first job to do is to find the truth and know that it is the truth. We all have a truth but do we have the truth? We can’t walk from a to the with our eyes closed, but I reckon there are a lot of blind people in our churches today because they haven’t let Jesus heal them and reveal the truth. It has been church leaders and preachers like me who have put the blindfolds on people and led us down theological avenues which are a truth, but not the truth. So do you want to walk with me this afternoon and risk the pain of the truth being revealed?

OK! If you haven’t already done so I must ask that you step out of the box in which you have placed yourself, remove whatever label it may have, and free yourself from all the comfortable packaging you came with. Our true faith cannot be wrapped up in theological gift paper with Pentecostal, Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic or United Reformed Church stamped all over it. Step out of the box, throw away the packaging and then we can begin.

If you’ve done that you’ve done the first thing Jesus did because he stepped outside the Jewish traditional box, threw away the packaging that identified him as a Jew and challenged people across the boundaries of all faith, race and culture. He actually had more opponents in the Jewish tradition than outside it and I suggest that Jesus has more respect across the boundaries of faith today than the church institution.

The church is more divided than any other faith and causes more division among people than any politician or union leader because it is building its own little empires rather than working together for the Kingdom of God. Once you step out of the box and throw away the packaging by which you are identified then you will begin to find the truth.

Church leaders won’t like it. Not because you will leave the church, but because you will challenge them with difficult questions rather than being led by the hand with a blindfold down the road they perceive as the right one to travel. We feel threatened when our authority is questioned and instead of learning from each other and growing together the church becomes more fragmented as people follow a truth of their own.

This is why this cannot be a conference just for youth because everyone, church leaders and preachers included, must be encouraged to step out of the box of their tradition and feel that unseen wind of change which is inspired by the Holy Spirit. This in itself is a biblical truth because Jesus had to encourage his own disciples to step out of the box of their tradition and be different so that they could reveal the truth. The Truth Revealed (through them).

Peter was still stuck in his mindset when he confessed to knowing that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God, and wanted to lead him rather than be led by him. He wanted to protect Jesus and travel the safer road with Satan rather than the new one mapped out by God down which the truth would be revealed. (Matthew 16: 13-23). I wonder how many of us are blindly following Satan to avoid giving our lives for Christ!

Our words are good, mostly convincing and rooted in scripture, but we are also in our little boxes where power and authority pushes the humble servants into the dark corners allowing the leaders to take centre stage under the spotlight. We can be like the disciples who argue about which is the greatest among them, believing that greatness not weakness will change the world.

It is the humble child who is still learning and growing who stands among them who will reveal the truth of the Kingdom of God rather than the proud with all their strength and wisdom. (Luke 9: 46-48) Read on and you will see how Jesus encourages acceptance of people outside the group who are working in his name. “Do not stop them for whoever is not against us is for us!” (9:50)

“Let the children come to me,” is a call from Jesus for the young to be included in the ministry and not dismissed as a nuisance for he himself amazed the teachers of the law with his questions when he was only a child. (Luke 2: 47). It is from the lips of children and infants that praise is ordained as the children lead the worship of Jesus singing “Hosanna Son of David” which makes the preachers of the time most indignant. (Matthew 21: 15-16).

Young people are called to the forefront of ministry, but when the truth is revealed it cannot be at the expense of older people because the truth we seek is inclusive of all people whatever age, race or gender. You can’t sit in a newly created youth box and live the truth anymore than the older generation can own the truth in their old traditional box full of favourite hymns.

We only have a truth in our boxes because the truth flies as free as a bird.

The truth will be revealed through us when we step out of the dark corners of the boxes we are in to let the light shine in the wider society with all their diverse beliefs and cultures. For many of us it is important to recognise that the truth is revealed through the humility and weakness of many working together rather than the power of the few who create new church empires when we are called to build the one Kingdom for God.

I invited people last Sunday to join the snowflake ministry because every snowflake is different and on its own it is too weak to make a difference but when it comes in a snowstorm with many others it becomes so strong it can cause radical change to the tree branches it falls on.

The last snowflake to fall is no stronger than the last, but a branch will not break from the weight of one alone. It is only through the weight that we bring to bear in our working together that we will have a ministry which will radically change the shape of society and I suggest that this is an important element of the truth to aspire to. It seems to be the truth that we close our eyes to though or switch off our built in hearing aids and ignore the prayer of Jesus.

“I pray for those who will believe in me through their message that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me! I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be as one as we are one,” he prayed. (John 17: 21-22).

How can we expect the world to believe the message when we have torn it up and rewritten it many times before delivering a truth which is different to the message being proclaimed by someone else? How can we expect people to find their way to the Kingdom of God when they are trapped in little church empires which refuse to step out of their own box of beliefs?

How can we travel from a to the with our eyes closed? That’s going to be my message tomorrow morning as I reflect on the blind man who when his eyes were opened saw the truth revealed and immediately followed Jesus. We can so often be like the crowd and silence people who are crying out for mercy with our rebukes, but when they are encouraged to hear the voice of Jesus they throw off their old clothes and run to him. (Mark 10: 46-end).

I suggest the story is more about a beggar who is blind rather than a blind man who is begging and that the beggar can represent anyone who cannot see the truth. A drug addict, a gambler, an alcoholic, a prostitute OR a respectable banker, teacher, lawyer or even preacher can be blind to the truth until it is revealed to them.

When these ‘blind’ people shout out the faithful disciples or committed Christians of today rebuke them for interrupting our leaders rather than encouraging them to raise their voices. Jesus wants us to stop silencing the valid voices of ordinary people or those we discern as being unworthy of his time and encourage them to come to him so the truth can be revealed.

The sooner the truth is revealed to us the stronger and longer our ministry can be so as young people I do pray that your eyes will be opened to see the truth of the Kingdom of God and not just a truth from one of the many church empires which are increasing week by week.

If I have managed to encourage you to step out of your box we must look at the heart of our faith to find the wonderful truth that binds us all together in a global family of faith rather than a truth which makes us members of a small church family.

A good advertising agency will look to promote the strengths which will sell a product but as Christians we have a dilemma because what we see on the packaging is not what we expect on the inside. I can imagine people being persuaded by ad campaigns promoting “FAITH: A miracle cure for all your troubles!” or “PRAYER: The answer to all your problems!” but feeling cheated when they use the product for the first time.

A truth expressed by many preachers is the very attractive promise that what you ask for in faith will be given to you (Matthew 7:7) and reinforced by Jesus when he said: “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” (Matthew 21: 22). A lot of people have said ‘yes’ to that, but complained when they haven’t got what they asked for because God doesn’t deal in smart new cars, luxury holidays in the Caribbean or always provide the healing touch that was wanted.

Prayer is always answered, although not always with what we want but always with something we need. Faith is always rewarded but not always in the way we expect because faith is trusting in God to provide and protect.

If you have found your faith in Jesus because you believe you are going to dump all your troubles on his shoulders and have a comfortable walk through life then when the Truth is revealed to you it is going to be a very painful experience. A lot of messed up people have discovered how valued they are by Jesus, but I must warn you that a lot of people have also been messed up by a truth which can’t be delivered.

It’s not because the preachers and faith leaders are telling lies because they are telling a truth as they understand it which is why we need to seek together the truth that builds God’s Kingdom rather than a truth which attracts people for selfish motives.

A text which is paramount in evangelical outreach is the wonderful words from John 3:16: “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” That’s good for the ad man’s packaging, but it’s not the truth because when you un-wrap it you find the instructions which say “that whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done through God.” (John 3:21)  

Yes, it is a truth that whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life, but the truth is revealed in you when you are living as Jesus commanded for the glory of God. We can select a few verses to provide us with a truth to which we sing ‘amen’ or ‘praise the Lord’ but the truth is far more challenging and will bring tears to our eyes before a song to our lips.

The truth is revealed in us when we are doing what Jesus did and we will be asking for and receiving whatever we need to do that. (John 14: 12-13). The truth is not a rocket science with a lot of theological complexities which only respected academics can achieve after years of study, but a simple walk in all our humility and weakness with the Word that became flesh for the very purpose of revealing the truth.

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.        John 1: 14

The academic world has kidnapped Jesus and seems to be demanding a high price from the world for his return. They have locked him away in a language which even our Father can’t understand. The kidnappers have achieved something remarkable by blindfolding the world and leaving their victim to see the pain they are inflicting. No wonder Jesus wept when he approached the city of Jerusalem because everyone was blind to what they were doing, but he could see clearly.

The truth is that God’s Word is revealed in human flesh and written in blood and we can choose to understand that as the price paid for our freedom or that we can achieve our freedom by following the example of Jesus. He came to fulfil the will of God, which suggests that previous generations had not understood it, and we pray “your kingdom come, your will be done.”

The will of God is expressed through the human Word who says that “he is the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6). I’m sure I don’t have to remind you of the commands that Jesus gave, but what an amazing privilege to become his friends when we obey what he taught. (John 15: 14).

I like the imagery of John 15 and how we can’t do anything unless we are attached to the True Vine (verse 5) and only if the words of Jesus remain in our hearts will we receive what we ask for from the Father. You won’t be asking for a lot, will you, if you recognise yourself as a humble servant willing to ride a donkey into the city rather than driving a smart new four wheel drive.

I’m sorry that this truth can be painful for young people who are aspiring to own a four-wheel drive BMW, to enjoy luxury sunshine holidays courtesy of a big bonus from the bank they work for and have a five bedroom mansion on the edge of the city, but the world isn’t going to change unless you guys see the truth for what it really is.

We don’t become members of the family of Jesus Christ just because we proclaim a faith: We have to do the will of his Father to become his brother or sister or mother. (Matthew 12:50). It isn’t because of our faith that we believe we can perform miracles and turn stones into bread or take amazing risks trusting that God’s angels will protect us and that we begin to receive all the wealth in the world, but because we’ve blindly followed the devil in disguise after our baptism.

Let’s not be bought off by a truth which seems very attractive because God will give us whatever we ask for, or believing all our prayers will be answered just as we want and that with faith we can move the mountains that stand in our way, but freely give ourselves to the truth which is revealed through the Word that dwelt among us in human flesh.

Once you find that truth there is the challenge to reveal it to others in how you live what you believe or if you walk the talk. Can you cope with a bit of radical thinking which might change your attitude toward church and worship?

Where is your church?

When do you worship?

We asked each other these questions at the very beginning and I suggest that we are not meant to go to Church, but to take church with us everywhere we go. Church is not a building of bricks and mortar with windows and doors, but a body of human flesh with the word of God finding a home in the human heart.

“Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you,” writes Paul (1 Corinthians 3: 16). “If anyone destroys God’s temple then God will destroy them, for God’s temple is sacred and you are that temple.”

The message is reinforced by Paul in 1 Corinthians 6: 19 and 2 Corinthians 6: 16 and Jesus teaches this when he says how the walls of the temple will be knocked down and built again in three days.(John 2: 18-22).  It took more than 40 years to build the temple so the people could not understand how he could rebuild it in three days, but he was talking about his body.

The temple is his resurrected body and the church will come alive again today when it is not a space to go to, but a place that goes with us everywhere we go. Buildings like this are not Church, but workshops in which the church is being shaped so that it becomes a walking breathing testimony to the glory of God dwelling among us. Where is your Church?

When people say they come to Church to worship God I wonder what most of them do for the other six days of the week! Earning the money to maintain the life style to which they have become accustomed or the one they aspire to? You cannot serve both God and money and if you are only worshipping God one day a week it is obvious which you love most in your life.

I know football supporters who worship their team and will talk about them whenever there is an opportunity and people worship pop groups and singers as they listen to them while walking or travelling by bus or train. If only God was the focus of our conversations in the pubs and clubs in the same way as the football clubs or pop stars.

If the truth is to be revealed in you then Jesus will be worshipped in our lives six days a week wherever we go and on the seventh day we will be preparing for a week of worship! When we worship God in our work places, or in the classrooms or lecture halls, or among friends in social gatherings we will begin to transform society.

Satan promises to give us the whole world if we bow down and worship him and we seem to spend a whole week doing that and then worship God on the Sunday full of repentance before returning to worship the idols of stage, screen, sports arena and money.

It is because people worshipped Hitler that they followed him into a terrible war, but our worship of God as a daily offering in our lives would bring a kingdom of justice and peace. The truth is revealed in you when you are living the will of God, worshipping the Lord in everything you do, and being church everywhere you go. When do you worship?

Sunday is not a day of worship as we sing our songs, pray and proclaim our Lord as King, but a day on which we prepare ourselves for a week of worship. Church is not a building where we go on Sunday, but a place which goes with us everywhere we go and with that sort of radical attitude the truth will be revealed in you!

Richard Becher

 

Whats on @ elmwood..