Major Changes!

Well, it's been a while since I last blogged but I have been very busy with some exciting Church changes. I have been conflicted with many things that go on in our Church lately. The elders of the Church don't seem to be very receptive to change, but change is what we need so badly. They don't realize that the youth need to be taught and "pumped up" and a different way than the 50-80 year old members of our congregation do. They don't like what is referred to as "7-11" music, 7 words repeated 11 times. Well, neither do I and that is not what we were trying to bring in. We tried to introduce mild, but contemporary music and have the words projected on the walls. They approved the cost of the projectors, had them installed, and they worked wonderfully! Until....we started using them for the purpose they were purchased for. Then the uproar began. Needless to say, we don't project music on the walls anymore. The only use they get is for re-reporting the bulletin that you are handed as you walk in the door, and occasionally for a special type of video presentation. Our music and choir director were heart broken and devastated since they felt that their ministry was attacked. They are also forward thinking people that have similar ideas of what potential our Church has for growth if we would be open minded to other forms of music and different teaching strategies. We have a big movement of young adults about to take place. They have nothing being offered to speak to their hearts in the way that their generation has been taught to experience things. Visually, musically, and technically. The youth today have been inundated with video games, music TV, cell phones, texting, and other electronic devices almost from birth. Now we are asking them to come to Church and unlearn how to be their age! You are trying to cram the "elderly church" down the throats of young adults and they are choking to death on it.
We are going to be graduating almost 75% of our high school youth group in June and as of last month we had no where for them to go for Sunday school either except in with the "adults" that range from 30-70. The class is great but it isn't really relevant to the student coming right out of high school and going into college. They need a more specialize type of class that stimulates them at this time in their life and it also needs to deal with the junk that the "world" is throwing at them at every turn. Some of the students had come to me and another lady and asked us to start this class for them. As many of you might know, the stats show that this is the age that seems to "get lost" and they don't return to Church until they are married and begin having children of their own. It breaks my heart to think that these "kids" that I have grown quite attached to might leave our church or Church altogether. In the past 2 years I have been to more teen functions than I did as a teen myself and I have been blessed by these experiences more than anything else I have done. I not only get to spend time with Johnnie, my 18 year old son and his girlfriend, but I am also privileged to be on the inside of the lives of these people. I have seen so many of them come to Christ through our youth activities and it just makes my heart sing with joy!
Our pastor, L.D. asked that we have a month of prayer in March. We planned to have people come to the Church daily and do a prayer walk on our campus and ask for God to bless everything that goes on in our classes, offices, and the lives of our members. Based on God promises to us as faithful believers L.D. scheduled a revival in April because God would do amazing things for us. I know that because of our prayers God spoke to me very loudly about the needs of our young people and placed these ideas on my heart. I went to L.D. and told him what I felt we needed to do and with God's help many of the walls were broken down and there hasn't been protest to any of our plans, yet.
Well, back to the changes. Beginning June 1st I will be co-teaching a new college and careers Sunday school class. In addition to this, we will be initiating a 30 minute praise-worship-prayer time prior to our class (which is "More MAJOR" than the SS class because of the elder difficulties). We need all the prayer we can get since this is going to be a challenge for us. We are dealing with an age that is opinionated, intelligent, "grown",(and if any of you have any kids this age you know exactly what I am talking about) and confused and conflicted,(wait, that might be me) and they need spiritual guidance, but without them feeling they are being guided at all. So, please say a prayer for us every day that we can be a conduit between them and God.
I am working on a website that will be linked to our class. When I get it up and running I will post the address on my Blog so if anyone would like to keep up with our progress you can see for yourself. I will keep that site updated more regularly than this one most likely.