Hope For The Future Of The Church

This old geezer of a preacher just got back from a week long mission trip with the youth of our church and Annual Conference. The Central Texas Conference Youth In Mission is an awe inspiring event. Youth and Adults from all over the Conference pay to sleep on the hard floor of a church, shower in some high school gym and work like there's no tomorrow in the heat and humidity. And to top it all off, they love it. They can't wait to do it again.

In a very short time, a Christian Community is built where everyone is treated with respect and diginity; where everyone willingly does their chores; and where Christ is represented in the actions of every participant. This year the group I was with was in Coweta Oklahoma. We stayed at First United Methodist Church, Coweta. Rev. Susan Whitley and her church members were so gracious even after we broke their building (the plumbing backed up and the grease trap had to be cleaned out). This wonderful congregation even fixed hamburgers and hot dogs for us for Friday night supper. What an awesome church and commmunity. Thank you Pastor Susan. I hope we left everything clean and as we found it.

We had eight work teams of five youth and two adults. As one of the pastors on the trip, I got to float or be with a different team every day. I was able to meet and interact with so many more of the youth and adults, offering encouragement and what little building expertise I had. Each of these teams worked hard and the love of and for Christ was eveident in each of them.

During this trip we cleaned out drainage ditches so rain water would flow; mucked out gutters; scraped and painted the outside of homes and sheds; painted both inside and outside; built wheelchair ramps and porches; hung doors, poured sidewalks, A/C pads and installed kitchen cabinets, counters and sinks.

The teams I worked with worked at three seperate homes and two seperate churches, The Broken Arrow United Methodist Church (on the left) and Davis Chapel United Methodist Church (on the right) both part of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. I won't ever be able to complain about the chairs or seating at our Annual Conference without remembering that the OIMC holds their Annual Conference OUTSIDE. IN JUNE. NO A/C. (You put me to shame Pastor Ben).

During this week of hard work and sweat, I never heard a cross word. I didn't hear a single youth complain about the hard work, the food, the sleeping conditions or much of anything except maybe the heat and humidity. Instead there was laughter, smiles a deep sense of comradery and a dedication to serving Christ by helping our clients.

I can't tell you how inspiring it was for me to see the 60-65 youth and adults at our site joined together for a single purpose: "To glorify Christ through missions." And they did. While a lot of people in the world put down our youth for being self centered and uncaring with no moral compass, I say they are wrong. And these youth prove that. In my opinion, the church has a great and glorious future as God calls these young people into a deeper sense of ministry and leadership within the Church. If the youth of this Mission Trip are any indicatation of what the future of the ministry and the future of the church are going to be like, then I'm here to tell you it will be in great hands lead by God filled, Christ centered hearts.

What a blessing. What an inspiration. What a witness.
You Go! CTCYM!