If someone were to ask you “What’s your salvation really for?” how would you answer them? What would you include in your response? Is it simply about your own rescue from sin or is there a greater purpose? Our 6th-12th grade students have been mulling over this question this semester at Crossroads with the help of a video series called “For the Life of the World.” Created by Acton Institute and produced by Gorilla Pictures, this creative and clever 7-episode series challenges its viewers to think about what it means to be “in the world but not of it” and to “seek the peace and prosperity of the city…” (Jeremiah 29:7) in every area of life – in relationships, in work, in service and hospitality, in knowledge and wisdom, in wonder and beauty, and as the Church. What does it look like for GCC students to engage the world around them knowing this isn’t home? I encourage you to go to LettersToTheExiles.com and watch the short trailer video to get a taste of this series for yourself. And if you’re a parent of student attending Crossroads please take a second to ask them what they’ve been learning and how their understanding of their purpose in this world has grown.
Our high school Foundations class this fall is thinking through the impact their emotional health has on their spiritual maturity. Have you ever thought about the connection between your emotional health and your spirituality? I really hadn’t until college and boy do I wish I would have sooner! When I entered into the real world I quickly realized I had no idea who I was or that my emotional health mattered and affected my relationship with God. Using Peter Scazzero’s book and DVD series “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” as a guide, students and teachers are looking beyond the “tip-of-the-iceberg” spirituality and beginning to “know themselves that they may know God.” Students have looked back at the past to better understand their present experiences and things moving forward. They’ve also talked about grief and loss and how the soul is impacted by hardship. Currently, they’re discussing the importance and benefit of scheduled spiritual rest each day, as well as a weekly Sabbath day.
There is much more I could write about when it comes to youth ministry but I’ll close by asking you to pray. Please pray for our GCC students that they would continue to grow in their relationships with the Lord and in their understanding of their purpose in this world. Will you also pray for me and my awesome team of volunteer leaders as we continue to build relationships with these students? Thanks in advance for your prayers!
In Him,
Stacey