Mind your elders

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” ...

1 Peter 5:1-2 Peter 1:21 ESV

Fellowship

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, 

we have fellowship with one another, 

and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

1 John 1:7 ESV

Where shall I go?

Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?

Psalm 139:7 ESV

It's impossible to hide from the Lord. If you're trying to isolate yourself from Him because you know that you're following your desires instead of the Holy Spirit, it's pointless, because He sees you and it grieves Him. No matter what's going on in your life, God is there; through the good and the bad. Stay in the fellowship of your church family. Church family, reach out to those who have wandered away.

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Please join me this week in praying for our 2019 graduates. Pray for the success of their spiritual future just as you would for their educational or vocational success.
I'll share some of my experience during that period of my life and will post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Isolation

A few days after moving into the dorm, I was waiting for the elevator on my floor when a voice called out to me from the room next to the elevator. There was a young woman sitting on her bed reading the Bible. Her room happened to be a single, and I was a bit envious. She didn't like not having a roommate, but I thought it would be ideal. I liked to have my own private space and a chance to be alone. I didn't mind being isolated. She preferred to be around people and often kept her door open so she could see everyone passing by.
     We talked for a while; the normal introductory chit-chat: what's your major, what year are you, where are you from? It turned out we were both from the same area and she attended church about ten minutes from my house. She invited me to go to her church with her the next time I went home. For some reason, I hemmed and hawed. That's when I realized I hadn't packed my Bible to take to college which was really strange. I figured it was just all of the excitement of moving away and being on my own, but I hadn't even realized it, which means I hadn't thought about reading it since I got there.
     I found myself avoiding this young woman even though we seemed to have a lot in common and she was really friendly. She went home every weekend, but I never asked her for a ride. I was deliberately avoiding her because she was always in the Word, always sharing her faith and I knew I was slipping away from mine.
     All of my dreams and expectations of getting out on my own, going to college, living in a big city were falling apart. Even then, I didn't go to God in prayer. I was isolating myself from Him, the church, the church family. I don't know why and I don't even know when or how it happened exactly. It was gradual and there were many opportunities to go back, but my desires were becoming stronger than my faith and I couldn't pursue those desires and continue in the faith because I knew, deep down, that they were displeasing to God.
     We need to encourage our young people to keep returning to church so they are surrounded by loving, caring Christians. We need to provide a way for them to remain engaged with the church and still give them the extra time and space they need to adjust to whatever their new normal is. I think this can be done easily by following up with each individual, planning get-togethers around their schedules and allowing them to minister and be ministered to by the church family.
     There are so many introverts like me who just want to be alone most of the time, which is fine, but it's extremely important to come out of isolation and interact with our Christian family on a regular basis. Reach out to someone in isolation, a recent graduate who may be tempted to pursue desires during this important transitional period of their lives.

Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; 

he breaks out against all sound judgment.

Proverbs 18:1 ESV

*****

Please join me this week in praying for our 2019 graduates. Pray for the success of their spiritual future just as you would for their educational or vocational success.
I'll share some of my experience during that period of my life and will post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Meet together

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.

Hebrews 10:24-27 ESV

*****

Please join me this week in praying for our 2019 graduates. Pray for the success of their spiritual future just as you would for their educational or vocational success.
I'll share some of my experience during that period of my life and will post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Going away to college

I moved to Cincinnati at the end of August 1981. Like many 18-year-olds, it was my first time on my own. I was there to pursue a degree in Interior Design and to take advantage of everything a big city had to offer: theater, art galleries, fine restaurants,... I had every intention of looking for a church either on campus or nearby, but not that first week. The first week was busy meeting people, learning my way around, and setting up my dorm room. It was so exciting being on my own, being an adult, being able to make my own decisions and go and do whatever I wanted whenever I wanted.

Within the first few days of school starting, reality was setting in. I had to find a job through the work-study program, buy all of my art supplies, and figure out how to carry them back and forth from one end of campus to the other. (My dorm and college couldn't have been further apart.) Most of my professors seemed like crotchety old men who were so burned out dealing with 18-year-olds that they were just going through the motions awaiting retirement, or maybe even death. They loved comparing college to Disneyland and real life (after college) was hell.

It turned out that my campus job only paid me once a month and I was only able to work up to 20 hours a week. At $3.15 an hour, the paycheck was often gone within a week of cashing it. So, the theater, art galleries, and fine restaurants weren't happening.

I had to buy and register a can of mace and take a self-defense class or two because the campus wasn't located in the safest part of town and my mid-western, smallish town upbringing couldn't possibly prepare me for that kind of culture shock. By the end of week 2, I was seeking out the other ten or so people from my high school who were attending there and setting up rides with them to go home as often as possible.

My weekends at home were mostly spent catching up on sleep and laundry, so there wasn't any time or energy for church and it was pointless to find a church in Cincinnati because I wouldn't have the time or energy to go there either; I'd be scared walking around off campus and I didn't want to go alone.

I believe some of these factors are the same for our teenagers today. Going from high school to college (or starting a fulltime job, or joining the military) is a drastic change in their daily lives and without incorporating church attendance and ministry from the beginning they may come to believe that it no longer fits into their schedules or their lives.

We as the church need to keep them engaged and active while allowing them the flexibility to make it part of their new young adult life in a way that works for them and still glorifies God.

Let's pray for the 2019 graduates that they stay with the church during this transitional time of their lives and that God guides us how best to lead and encourage them toward a godly adult life.

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Matthew 18:20 ESV

*****

Please join me this week in praying for our 2019 graduates. Pray for the success of their spiritual future just as you would for their educational or vocational success.
I'll share some of my experience during that period of my life and will post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

2019 Graduates

We need to pray for our recent graduates; not only for their transition into the next stage of their lives (college, workforce, military) but also that they remain in the church.

     An article on Lifeway Research's website* states that, "The dropout rate for young adults accelerates with age, the study found.
     While 69 percent say they were attending at age 17, that fell to 58 percent at age 18 and 40 percent at age 19. Once they reach their 20s, around 1 in 3 say they were attending church regularly."
     “We are seeing teenagers drop out of the church as they make the transition out of high school and student ministry,” said the LifeWay's director of student ministry, Ben Trueblood.

This hit home for me. This is when I dropped out of church, and I didn't return until over 30 years later. Those 30 years were horrible and my problems seemed even more unbearable because I wasn't even praying or in the Word during most of that time. It was a time of feeling alone and isolated. Every problem seemed like it was more than I could bear. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. We, as a church, need to find a way to keep our young congregation coming back and support them in finding a new church if they moved away from home.

Just brainstorming a few ideas:
- Parents could visit some churches with their children just as they probably visited the campuses with their teen.
- Get a volunteer or two from the home church to keep in touch with the teen, reminding them to stay in the word.
- Help them find a Christain group to get involved in.

This is really important. Let's not let this generation slip through cracks. Keep them engaged and active in church and in ministry so they can do the same with future generations.

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, 

in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, 

to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Acts 20:28 ESV

*Earls, Aaron. (January 15, 2019). Most teenagers drop out of church as young adults.
     Found at: LifeWayResearch.com

*****

Please join me this week in praying for our 2019 graduates. Pray for the success of their spiritual future just as you would for their educational or vocational success.
I'll share some of my experience during that period of my life and will post daily reminders on:
twitter @7DegreesOfMe
instagram @archadia27
facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power