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    Oct 23, 2016

    What if we encourage growth in discipleship?

    Passage: Acts 2:41-47

    Speaker: Susan Harry, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry

    Series: What If?

    Keywords: baptism, stewardship

    Faith is often “caught” by those who see the impact of faith on the lives of people they love. Faith is a lifelong growth process, bringing the believer closer and closer to the One who gives us abundant life. While worship is a central act of the faith family, growth in discipleship requires digging into the scriptures and engaging with others. RUMC’s classes and small groups for all ages nurture growth in discipleship.

    NOTE:  This week's message included an introduction by Rev. McCarthy and a witness from Clarisse Ndjungu on video (linked below) and Susan Harry.

    Rev. McCarthy: Christian formation is a process that involves several activities in order to give the disciple a full life of faith. Worship is our central “family activity” where we together offer praise and thanksgiving and lament and confession. It’s where we break bread and drink the cup of salvation together and celebrate the birth of another disciple. It’s the place of primary connection for the whole faith family.

    Then there is what takes place in small groups. Whether it’s a Sunday School class or small group, children, youth or adults, it’s the place where we can engage deeply with the scripture, ask questions, express our insights, share our own stories and learn in a supportive environment.

    Worship and small group study are the bedrock of faith family life. Fellowship activities and outreach and mission and all the other faith activities are also important and round out a full life of faith.

    Clarisse Ndjungu understands all of that, and when we prepared for her little boy Doxa’s baptism, she shared with me about why a woman from the Congo who went to school in the US, including getting her degree at Howard University, made RUMC her faith home.

    See the video of Clarisse's witness here.

    What if…
    Good morning my name is Susan Harry and I have served Reisterstown UMC as the Director of Youth ministries for the last 4 years and as of this past July I have taken on the additional role of young adults ministries.

    So we have been exploring What if the last few weeks and to hear Clarisse witness of her life and faith formation is truly remarkable. Thanks Be to God!
    Our God set people in motion to love on her, to help her as an exchange student and student in the US. A god who nurtured her life, and Doxa’s, through people and ministries here at RUMC.

    “Seriously I have to follow her” is what I asked Pastor Vivian this week.

    SO WHAT IF…
    I stopped and rewrote and refocused after seeing Clarisse video. It made me think of some similarities.
    What if you were and exchange student in high school like Clarisse in the 90’s but in a communist country?  

    A country that had not had a religion for 70 years. (Photo:  Susan Harry.  Red Square, Moscow - high school exchange trip, 1990's)

    What if you saw the results of a forbidden faith in society? A religion they had not been able to practice openly for fear of retribution or imprisonment. What if there were people who were afraid to talk or say they believed in Jesus for fear or rejection from family, school, friends, or coworkers.

    What if there were people who heard you were a Christian and wanted to ask you so many questions about the bible because they had never seen one or heard about this man and God, Jesus Christ.

    What if over coffee or a meal they opened up and wanted to have conversations about faith or why Jesus was a Jew and how the Christian faith started? Oh yeah what if they wanted to know if we have really been eating Jesus for 2,000 years. (Transubstantiation) Where’s my buddy Tucker Schuster when I need him.

    Let’s change the context or refocus to Youth and Young Adults.

    What if there was a place of safety and acceptance? Of people who listened to you and loved you?
    What if you met people and started conversations while playing a game, building a deck or being on a retreat?
    What if you discovered that God is so very real and was shown to you through music, a speaker at a retreat or a deep conversation on a Sunday night, or a 20 year old with a nose ring?

    - What if our youth ministry program partnered with other churches and organizations to provide an after school program?

    - Or we got creative and coordinated an Arts, Music, and Drama program after school to help offset what the schools are able to offer?

    - Let’s go BIGGER with thinking and get Creative. What if we started a small business that would teach skills for our young people, created jobs, provided a wanted service, promoted community involvement, was fiscally responsible, and offset expenses for the 308 building?

    Ok so let’s expand a little further to focus on young adults.

    What if there was a group that gathered on Sunday mornings. Where a cup of coffee and a “real” breakfast was provided but it was also free to financially struggling young adults? What if the important part was not the drink or food but the conversation at the table? Something that was able to fill them up with God’s love and grace for the week? A place like cheers where everyone knew your name? NORM!

    What if we had to start out building faith by forming relationships without curriculum? What if it was at a bowling alley or a progressive dinner/ food crawl through Reisterstown and Owings?
    Maybe there was opportunity for parents with young kids in 3, 4, 5 grade to get together while a puppet ministry is practicing?

    Maybe we also need to look at how we could expand our way of thinking and looking at ministry to and with young people. Maybe it’s really refocusing and taking a step back and viewing it as an exchange program or missionary field.

    If we looked at it that way there is a lot to get ready and it cannot be done by only one person or a handful of people. We would need development of a team that could support one another. It would entail research into the group, culture, geography, and history. People willing to step out in faith. Some to get hands dirty and some to help with financial resources.
    But most importantly knowing the needs and forming vital relationships through Worship, Fellowship, Witness, and Service to and with young people as disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

    Please join me in this exciting journey! I invite you to more conversation with and for our youth and young adults.