Page 12 - Contact Winter 2018

Or, as Paul might put it, that when we
look at our very youngest through to
our oldest teens we would all, “[I] thank
my God in all my remembrance of you,
always in every prayer of mine for you
all making my prayer with joy”
[Philippians 1:3-4]. Our prayer is that
as you, our wider congregation, look at
our children and young people – you
would be so excited, so thankful, so
hope-filled for how Jesus is moving
in this generation that you would
continually thank God for them and
for how He is moving in their lives
(whilst praying for even more!).
We want to continue to build a
movement and ministry of excitement,
encounter and equipping that sees
our vision come to life and a clear
legacy shown and left for all
generations to see and be inspired
by; not just in church but in the world.
We are longing to raise our children and
young people so that they will be
a generation of disciples in whom the
love of Jesus “may abound more and
more, with knowledge and all wisdom,
so that they may approve what is
excellent (pure and blameless, filled
with fruit, to the glory of God)… their
lives lived in a manner worthy of the
gospel of Christ” [Philippians 1:9-11,
27].
Our vision, the very longing of our
hearts for each of our children
and young people, is to see them
encounter Jesus and be so excited and
well equipped to live their lives for Jesus
each day. But more than that, we long
to fill them and release them that they
might be Kingdom carriers who point
the world around them to Jesus by their
following, obedience and impact, so
that they will be built up, the church
strengthened, and many more lives
transformed. That they would be
excited, that they might encounter the
living God, that they will be equipped
in every programme, in every
conversation, in every moment of
sharing life, and in all that we do to
follow Jesus we pray that children and
young people have the opportunity and
the space to experience, hear, receive
and participate in:
• Passionate, Spirit-filled, high
energy and intimate worship;
• Inspiring, relevant, engaging, age
appropriate teaching and equipping;
• Rhythms of prayer;
• One-to-One / Small Group / Large
Group discipleship;
• Empowering stories, interviews
and guests that encourage faith
to become reality;
• Fun, energy, colour and laughter
through social nights and life giving
community;
• Children, young people and leaders
discovering their gifting;
• Releasing a generation to serve in
the church, local community and
wider world.
This year, too, I am so excited to say
that we are investing in a year group of
young people in equipping them to
facilitate and lead in a way that is so
hands on. We have an incredible group
of 9 leaders in our Upper Sixth age
bracket this year, whom God has stirred
wonderful things in. And the time is
right for us to unleash them to serve
and set an example to their peers.
For a long time I have been challenged
by these words: “Great leadership is
not ultimately found in convincing
others to serve your dream - it finds
its truest expression in releasing and
resourcing the dreams God has placed
in others, the call God has placed
on their lives… Discipleship -
apprenticeship in the life of Jesus - is
the only way to learn Jesus-
leadership.” [Karl Martin -Lead].
If I am serious about growing disciples
and leaders within all that we do, and
releasing them to serve then I, and we
as the wider church, need to be serious
and willing about releasing them to
follow and express their own individual
calling.
So how are we doing that? Well, it’s
really quite simple. Yet so far, we have
seen incredible results.