May 15, 2008

Graduations

This is the season of graduations.  During the month of May we have several young adults from Gardendale-Mt. Vernon who are graduating from College.  You will find some them listed in the last “Connection.”  This Sunday, May 18, we will recognize our High School Graduates during the 11:00 service.  They are completing one leg in the race of life and entering into another leg.   

The scriptures often use the image of a race to talk about the Christian life.  If our graduates are to run the race of life successfully, if they are to experience life to its fullest, they need to find the answer to three questions:  Who am I?  Why am I Here?  Where does my power come from?  I will be looking at those questions Sunday, as we consider the call of the prophet Jeremiah.  I suggest to you that those are not questions just for young persons heading out to college or the work world.  If any of us are truly to live life to its fullest, we need to know who we are, why we are here, and where our power comes from.  You might read Jeremiah 1 in preparation for worship. 

This Friday, May 16, our Child Enrichment Center ministry will have graduation for the kids in our 4-K classes and 5-K classes.  If you drop by the church, check out the sanctuary.  It is been turned into a western scene, all ready for the singing cowboys and cowgirls.  If you have never attended a CEC graduation, you need to check it out.  You will see how your investment in children is planting seeds and changing lives.  It always touches my heart as I hear the kids share the Bible verses they have learned. 

I’ve had many reminders lately about the importance of our Children’s Ministries.  Some of the most important of those reminders has come from kids who have shared with me that they have committed their lives to Jesus Christ.  Just this past Sunday, at our 9:45 service, one of these children made her public profession of faith in Jesus Christ.  She has been part of both our Child Enrichment Center and the ministries of our Children’s Ministry Team.  Seeds of faith are being planted, cultivated and harvested through our Children’s Ministries. 

I believe Children’s Ministries need to be a priority of the church.  Over 70% of adult believers committed their lives to Christ before they were 14 years old.  Studies show that only about 30% of the persons who reach adulthood without making a commitment to Jesus Christ ever make such a commitment.  That means if we are to grow more fully committed disciples of Jesus Christ, we must focus on children.     

God is birthing a vision among us to provide more opportunities for children to be discipled.  That will require more space.  Did you know we already have $1,074,780.35 in our Children’s Building Fund?  Our Children’s Building Committee is at work reworking our Master Plan and looking at possibilities for a new building designed to minister to children.  Be in prayer as they continue their work. 

Talking about children, our Children’s Choirs will be sharing during our evening worship this Sunday, May 18^th.  When these children were baptized we made a commitment to join with their parents in helping to disciple them.  Supporting them as they sing is one way to do that.  They need you, but you also need them. 

Let me close with one other thought.  This week our Church Family has experienced graduations in another sense.  We’ve had two members die:  Ben Saxon and Mary Ann Siefferman.  Ben’s service of Homegoing will be here, Saturday morning at 11:00 AM.  At this time the arrangements for Mary Ann have not been finalized, but I understand they are looking at Saturday as well.    For both of them, the final stages of this life’s journey went quicker than expected.  It reminds me that we are a vapor that is here today and gone tomorrow  (James 4:14).  We need a new urgency to help people get ready for graduation day into the New Kingdom.  One way to do that is to invite persons to worship with you.             

As always, your responses to these Reflections are welcome.  You can email me at rguess@gmvumc.org.