We’ve been bringing you regular ‘tasters’ from TOGETHER – Life Changing Perspectives To Inspire Youth Ministry – a great little book written by youth leaders for youth leaders. This blog covers Landmark 4 in the book looking at the subject of CHURCH. Under the heading ‘From Me To We’, another of our local experienced youth leaders, Gillian Gilmore, looks at this subject. Gillian is based in Belfast and has worked in youth ministry for around 20 years. She currently works as part of the youth team in the Methodist Church Youth & Children’s Department.
“Something powerful happens when God’s people are united. When we move ‘from me to we’, we demonstrate what it means to be the Family of God and we reflect a prayer Jesus prayed for His disciples and all believers at the Last Supper – ‘I pray also for those who 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.’ John 17:20-21” *
It’s becomes obvious, as we read through this chapter of TOGETHER Life Changing Perspectives To Inspire Youth Ministry that Gillian has great hope for the church. As she calls it herself a ‘stubborn hope‘ She goes on to explain how the church is not perfect – ‘not-quite-there-yet’ as she puts it but has also seen many real life instances when she has clearly seen the benefits to Christians of belonging in the church family. For example, she tells us how she has hope as she listens to young people telling her how they are using their gifts for God….because their church youth leader took the time and had the patience to believe in them until they believed in themselves!
Gillian also includes the story of ‘Sarah’ in this section which is a really encouraging and personal story of how ‘moving from me to we‘ has and continues to impact on this young girl’s life. Gillian also goes on to look at the importance of praying together as a church and ends this section of the book with a challenge to us all – ‘the challenge is to take seriously Jesus’ prayer that we would be one as we explore what it means to be the family of God.’
If you’re involved in youth ministry in your church this book would be well worth owning to be able to turn to for inspiration and a load of practical advice on many areas of youth work. You will be familiar with many of the authors as you flick through the pages – Jim Brown from Exodus Europe, Helen Warnock from Scripture Union, Mitch from Crown Jesus Ministries, Neil Young from Causeway Coast Vineyard and a host of other well known local leaders with a heart for our young people and a determination to bring the message of Jesus’ love to them. TOGETHER Life Changing Perspectives To Inspire Youth Ministry is available to buy in Faith Mission & Scripture Union bookshops as well as online from the TOGETHER website here. Digital copies for Kindle are available for download from Amazon. You can check out TOGETHER on Facebook here.