Fountain of Youth

Good morning everyone!

I spent 7-9pm last night at Galilee UMC discussing the state of youth ministry and youth involvement in church in the Rockingham District. Rev. Leonard Fairley (our District Superintendent) had some pretty stark words for us last night. If numbers continue what they have been, most churches in our Annual Conference are within one or two generations of closing their doors unless something changes. That hurts my heart to even consider. However, if you look out into most UMC congregations, you see much grey hair and not many youth. People in their twenties are largely absent from mainline churches.

The reasons behind this are many. However, if we generalize (which I realize is dangerous), young people find church irrelevant to their everyday lives. The music doesn't speak to them. Being quiet for an hour is not on their agenda. Their brains are used to a fast pace and mixing of media along with speaking. They want to feel an important part of a group and not an afterthought or a hindrance.

Pastor Fairley asked the pastors and laypeople and youth gathered this question: Is your congregation youth friendly? There were a range of answers as you would expect. Here are a couple of comments I wanted to share:

The lead person is the pastor. He/she must show youth-friendliness. The older generation may not understand the youth and what they need. It is the pastor’s job to educate the congregation.
Our church is not accepting of “outsiders”
We need a more inclusive in the worship experience
We need to make the youth feel a part of the church
Youth are not a step child of the church
Youth culture: we need to, as pastors and youth leaders, be aware of youth culture and attitudes. Kids don’t worship like we do. The technology piece is important to them because they are more visual learners. As a church, we must come alongside them some how. We simply can’t do things like we have done for 50 years or more.
In the 28th chapter of Matthew, Jesus said, 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Therefore, we have a command to go out and make disciples of youth and children. Jesus Christ himself will be with us as we do this difficult process of going after, reaching, and making disciples.

If you look at Trinity, you can see signs of the good and the bad. We are blessed to have young people and children as part of our congregation. However, if my first 8 days are any indication, we have a noticeable absence of 20 year olds, and we certainly have an area for growth in our children's and youth ministries.

I invite you to begin to pray about this issue. What is God calling us to do as a congregation about this alarming problem? Where are we to make disciples? Are we willing to have people that don't look exactly like us in the pews? Is there something we can do to help more children and youth realize how much God loves them and that Trinity is a wonderful place to grow as a disciple? How can we reach those under 40 for Jesus Christ without making those over 40 feel unwelcome and uncomfortable in worship? I invite you to spend time praying as we discern what ministries God is calling us to do as individuals and as His church here on Third Avenue.

Have a blessed day!

Good morning everyone,

This quote comes from one of my favorite theologians who is quite a character. When he would lecture at Duke, you never knew what he might say. This comes from the book I am reading for devotional time, An Altar on the World by Barbara Brown Taylor.

"Christianity is not a set of beliefs or doctrines one believes in order to be a Christian, but rather Christianity is to have one's body shaped, one's habits determined, in such a way that the worship of God is unavoidable."
Stanley Hauerwas

How are our bodies being shaped at Trinity UMC? What do we do every day that shapes us more like Jesus Christ? What sort of habits do we have that create a spirit of worship within our hearts and minds? If you don't feel like you are being shaped, I invite you to take time and be silent. Listen to your breath and your heartbeat. Listen to the birds chirping and the bugs buzzing. Pray with a spirit of openness rather than a laundry list of issues. Read the Psalms. Read the book of James. Look in the mirror and marvel at the work of God's hand. Do something today that shapes your body to be one of worship and praise.

Blessings,
Pastor Mary Frances

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

I am in love with Trinity UMC in Red Springs. There are some wonderful people in this place! God is glorified! WOW!

We had such a warm welcome yesterday both literally and figuratively! Thank you so much for the wonderful food, time of conversation, and laughter we shared together at the reception. It was a wonderful way to begin to get to know people. I really appreciate all who participated in the afternoon!

And if you didn't make it to church, you would have seen what a very warm welcome Trinity gave to me and my family at worship! We didn't have air conditioning for half of the service! I know it was distracting for me as well as you. (If you couldn't hear my sermon as well over the fans, I can email you a copy!) Yet, even with the difficulty we all persevered! God was glorified! And we had fun as we worshipped!

It reminds me of what Paul wrote in the fifth chapter of Romans:
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we so rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

We persevered through the uncomfortable heat, and I am renewed in feeling grateful for gifts like air conditioning! I had forgotten what it was like to be without air conditioning in the summer like when we would visit my grandparents in Waynesville, NC. They didn't have such things! I am sure our character was molded by our experience.