Monday reflections...a tragic weekend for the United States...and a picture of what is needed


Another great weekend in the great state of Maine and the picture above is some more coast line shared with the youth and young adult groups of Machias Valley Baptist Church.

 While our weekend was wonderful in this part of our great nation it wasn't the same in Ohio and Texas.  We spent part of our morning worship service praying for people far away who were dealing with grief that many of us couldn't even imagine.

 The statistics are growing as more of these mass shootings have occurred.  The internet has become a place to promote their plan but also at times to detect a possible event.  I am thankful for many situations that have been thwarted because people have been attentive to a "revealing" post.

 What is the solution?  There are all kinds of answers being given today on the morning talk shows but I go back to the picture above.  Part of the answer is connecting young people with Christian adults who invest in their lives with the words of our Savior.  I am so thankful for each couple that takes the extra time each week to rub shoulders with those who possibly live in a different world the rest of the week.

 Part of the answer is those relationships that span so much deeper than some connection through social media.  I listened to some great interaction between an adult male and a young man in the backseat of a truck while traveling to this hike to the coast.  We need more of that.  

 We look in the educational system to have our number ratios low between teacher and student.  How much greater is it to have it 15:1 rather than 30:1?  How about our ratio when it comes to the children and youth that come through the doors of our church?  Wouldn't it be so much greater that we don't just have 1 youth and young adult pastor to a group of 30 than to have 10 Christian adults to the same number?  Instead of 30:1 it would be 3:1 and deeper growth could happen with those Christian adults making sure no youth or young adult was being left out.

 That is what I see in the picture above.  I see a solution to be followed all over this nation in the churches that are established.  May there be more Christian adults sharing their lives and the Word of God with the youth of their community.  May the relationships be grown so that what used to be shared in a chat room or post on social media would be steered in a godly way by someone who truly cares.

 I love youth workers.  Keep doing what you are doing and may there be more who jump on board.

 Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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