| Author | Message | ||
| Lisa_boyldavis Registered user Username: Lisa_boyldavis Post Number: 189 Registered: 3-2005 |
Just a question... Our son who's been having difficult time with the changes the past few years (leaving Adventism, loosing close friends, family stress, my husband (his dad) leaving a big Corp and starting a company, a few close friends he only sees every couple weeks, home schooling etc...) will be starting youth group this summer. We are a bit concerned about the youth group where we attend church as the kids look like real rif raf if you know what I mean, and don°¶t seem to have any direction in their lives. We are involved in a non-profit ministry called Mission Aviation Academy Training where they train people to be mission pilots for all kinds of different denominations. Although it's non-denominational, they are heavily supported by a Free Lutheran Church that seems to have an amazing youth group. The kids out of that group that I've met are SOLD OUT FOR CHIRST. They are very service oriented and the kids seem to be making decisions in their life of lifetime service for the Lord. It's not at our church. What is your opinion about having your child attend a youth group at a church different from your own? I have to say that the youth group connected with our church is run by really neat people. I just am concerned as our son seems to be more of a follower as he's feeling really needy right now. The best thing in his life right now is baseball. He's a pitcher and nuts about it, the coaches are strong Christians. Well, if you could give me some insight.... Thank youɆ Lisa | ||
| Javagirl Registered user Username: Javagirl Post Number: 206 Registered: 6-2005 |
Lisa, Go for the passion! Go for the sold out for Christ. Such a critical time in your son's life. Having a spiritual journey a bit independent of you may be really good for him. He can mature into his own walk with God, and It can be HIS. Not his parent's, or his parent's church, but his personal response to the Love of God and the Holy Spirit. Let him experience the Unity of Believers in the larger body of Christ. I heard on the radio yesterday, that youth are attending church in the largest numbers in 70 years! Many independently of their parents. God is raising up a mighty generation! Yesterday at International House of Prayer/Atlanta, a group of 6-12 year olds came into the room during a service. I was praying for them, then they began to pray one at a time with the microphone. They were praying for the parents. They were praying for parents to have the joy of the Lord. I have to tell you, my heart was filled with joy. My prayers for them ceased, as I realized God was using them to minister to me. I was moved powerfully. Lori | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 3747 Registered: 12-2003  |
Dear LIsa, I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to allow your son to be involved with a youth group not associated with your church, just as JavaGirl said. Does you son want to be part of the MATA group, or does he want to be part of the group at your church? Or does he express any preference? Our sons are both on the open-ended end of the personality spectrum. They both tend to "go with the flow" rather than actively seek something they might really want. After all, to seek and commit to something might close off other options they might like! (Actually, their open-endedness has driven me rather nuts over the years...!) To a certain degree, they were fine with our directing them through their teen years. Underneath it all, however, if they didn't like something, they wouldn't necessarily quit going or doing it; they would just shut down and refuse to participate. We really prayed a lot (uh--make that I STILL pray a lot) for God to bring Godly friends and mentors into their lives. Now, our younger son is a freshman in college. He has been involved in the youth ministry at our church since he was 11, moving up as he grew. The college group, for whatever reason, has not been as spiritually deep and satisfying as the jr high and high school groups. I urged him to become involved in either Campus Crusade or Intervarsity when he enrolled at U of R. He "ignored" me. I finally got a clue and quit saying anything and just kept praying for God to direct him and to send people into his life. A couple of months ago another U of R student he knew from high school invited him to Intervarsity. (Yes!) He came home more energized than I had seen him since high school graduation. He loves it. My point is, God really will make His will clear to you, and He will also prepare your son for the next thing He wants to teach him. If your son is open to the MATA group, it makes sense to send him. If he's strongly resistant, it may do no good. Overall, though, God can reveal His will to you. Look at Paul's prayer in Colossians 1:9-10óit's God's "job" to reveal His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, and then, when we've received that knowledge from Him, we can walk obediently to that revealed will and spiritual wisdom. He is faithful. Colleen | ||
| Lisa_boyldavis Registered user Username: Lisa_boyldavis Post Number: 191 Registered: 3-2005 |
Thanks for the support friends. Our son really connects better with the kids from the church connected with MATA and wants to go there. It's a few more miles away, but think we'll do it anyway. I sometimes wonder how our kids will survive all the changes we've put them through not having the strength to leave Adventism years ago... but really we werenít ready, so it is what it is, and we trust God with our kids. Lisa | ||
| Lydell Registered user Username: Lydell Post Number: 744 Registered: 7-2000 |
Lisa, feed your sons interest in the other youth group. Hey, If he wants to go....alright! We kind of stressed over how our kids would do with the odd stuff they went through with Adventism, too. You know, we have to look at it this way I believe, at least our kids also saw what it was like for their parents to confront the truth that they have been wrong. To struggle, to dig, and then to act on what you had found...even though it clearly wasn't easy to act. It has to make an impact on your son, don't you think? Teens, for all their goofiness, really do seem to value seeing people be real. They are turned off by the hypocrisy they see in adults. And hey, God certainly isn't any less faithful in being interested in their spiritual lives. We all need to ask the Lord to step in and teach in the areas where we screwed up....and water the good stuff we planted there. He isn't done with them.... |
