Students ARE the Church
“Students are the future of your church.”
Those words stared at me from the pile of mail in my mailbox, most of which typically gets recycled without a second thought. This statement grabbed me, though. I could not simply look past it. The message it delivered read not to neglect our students because soon they will be leading our churches. The intended sentiment, I am sure, was innocent, and I do pray that our students are the future of the Church. I pray that they help make ready the bride for the Bridegroom for years to come.
However, lying beneath the surface of those words is evidence of a gross injustice we have done not only to our students but to the Church.
Time and time again in the Scriptures, God shows us the value of youth. He chose a young David to fight the Philistine warrior. He chose a young Mary to bear and mother His only Son. As a pre-teen, Jesus was listening and questioning the religious leaders in the Temple - growing in wisdom and stature and favor with God and men. There is value of youth to the cause of God. If that were not true, God would not have given it to us.
Each student has a role to play in the Church. Right now. Whether they are blissfully skipping through childhood, battling through adolescence, navigating the choppy waters of young adulthood, or anything in between, they all have specific gifts and passions given to them by the Creator of every good and perfect thing. These gifts and passions enable them to function as members of the Body of Christ. Today! He has written a song on their souls that no one can sing but them. What a responsibility. What a gift!
However, with statements such as that listed above, we tell our students that they will have value. We don’t tell them that they do have value. That is not only unfair to them, but as a Church we are missing out on what the Holy Spirit will do through these students because we are compartmentalizing their usefulness and effectiveness, their very purpose, to some future date.
Being a Christian is not about what I can do tomorrow. It’s not about what I can do in 10 years when I believe I will feel more equipped, better trained, and more knowledgeable. It’s about where God has positioned me right now. It’s about experiencing His grace, love and mercy in this exact moment and sharing those things with every single life I encounter.
Students are the Church.
May we be a Church that sees the power of God unleashed in our lives, our church, our community, and our world so that every tongue, tribe, and nation may come to know and proclaim the saving work of Jesus Christ. - Jason Simon