Be filled with great hope!
Finally – after a long, cold, hard, winter…okay maybe it wasn’t that long, cold, or hard – but today winter is over! And this makes me a very excited ministry leader and gardener!
Why?
Because this time of year my thoughts turn to growing things, planting things, and seeing life burst back into all of the living things in my yard. There is something about the “greening” of the grass, trees, flower beds that excites me and fills me with great hope about what is to come with new growth in the Spring.
I have seen that happen over the last year in our ministry. While we have experienced some of our toughest days financially due to the downturn in the economy, I have seen life burst back into our ministry with the addition of Servants Equipping New Disciples, SEND. This new ministry initiative was launched from a clear vision, mission, and purpose that our ministry was to help churches connect with young adults, disciple them, and raise them up to be strong Christian leaders in their churches and their communities. This initiative also strengthens our core philosophy of ministry that Christianity spreads most effectively through relationships.
How?
Because the movement grows and spreads as relationships grow. When well tended to and cared for, this growth can provide life changing fruit – just like in my garden. And this makes me a very happy ministry leader and gardener!
I came across this bit of scripture today and it inspired me to write this post to share what we are doing this Spring to advance the movement, Servants Equipping New Disciples.
“May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!” (Romans 15:13, MSG)
We are hosting several Compass Events throughout the mid-west to introduce churches and communities to SEND. Our hope and prayer is we will start building on new relationships and through these relationships the movement with grow and spread. We believe God has placed in our path young adults, church leaders, teachers, prayer partners, and donors for us to meet in 2012. We believe this because God has already raised up these people since the launch of SEND. We believe He is calling us to build these types of relationships.
We also know we are called to share the joy, and life giving energy that comes from being around the young adults currently in SEND. These young adults will inspire you and make you to want to be 24 again!
I hope you are enjoying the beautiful weather, and I truly hope you will consider attending or hosting one of these upcoming Compass Events at your church or in your community. I guarantee you will be filled with joy when you see the fruit growing from this movement. I know once you hear about the changes taking place in the lives of these young adults through SEND, and how God is using these young adults to make an impact in the Kingdom, you will brim over with hope for young adults today. And that should make us all very happy Christians.