"Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel." Philippians 1:27
Byron Community Youth Group. For the sake of those who may be new to The Village Church, a little bit of background is necessary for these four words to be understood and as awesome for you as they are for me.
A year ago, before The Village Church had officially begun ministry in the community of Byron, I was approached to be a part of a program called The Break. The Break is a voluntary release time available for Byron High School and Middle School students, who leave during a small portion of their school day each Tuesday and are taught lessons from the Bible. I was invited into this program as the weekly speaker and the Byron Baptist Church was invited in as the host and transportation. What began as a bit of a wild card quickly turned into real ministry and a wonderful friendship.
This past summer, The Village Church and the Byron Baptist Church partnered to bring a community wide Vacation Bible School to Byron. The unity and enthusiasm the two church bodies showed over the hot week of "striving side by side for the faith of the gospel" only helped to further the bond of friendship. And, though two churches we came together as one body and we were able to reach into the homes and lives of around 60 children!
This brings us to today and the Byron Community Youth Group (BCYG). Just about two months ago, I was contacted by the youth leaders from the Byron Baptist Church about the idea of joining as one to further our reach and influence for the Kingdom in the lives of teenagers in our community. We sat and talked about what this would look like, how we would do this together, and how we would reach the youth of our community. It came up that since both churches were already involved in The Break, working together with youth, that perhaps we should reach out to The Break leaders and work to incorporate the youth from that program. Understand, the two churches have around 30 youth in 7th through 12th grades combined. The Break saw around 50 students throughout the year and many of them weren't from either church. There is work to do!
Myself and the other elders here at The Village Church prayed and we talked and we felt peace in the decision to see what God would do if these two parts came together as one body to serve Him in reaching the youth of Byron. A calendar was made with some events on it along with a first and third Sunday of the month youth gathering.
The first BCYG gathering happened this past Sunday. I was asked to speak and I shared pieces of the message from a few weeks ago, What is a Disciple? The youth were challenged with, "Deny yourself. Take up your cross. Follow Jesus." There were about 30 youth there. The opportunity to make a difference in the life of a teenager was there too. And, it will be there again the next time we meet or at their next football game, their next great achievement, their next heartbreak.
This is where you come in! You're going to start seeing information about BCYG events and gatherings. And, maybe as you read these words God is stirring something in you to be a part of this. BCYG isn't just events and gatherings, it's loving and speaking the Truth of God into a young person’s life. It's building relationships so that if the time comes when their world falls down, they know who they can trust and turn to. If you would like more information about how you can get involved with BCYG, please contact me. I'd love to help you get involved on the ground floor of this new ministry opportunity!
Grace & Peace,
John
(You can reach Pastor John at jwhite@thevillagemi.com)