In the book A Tribe Apart: A Journey into the Heart of American Adolescence, Patricia Hersch argues that we have “a wave of adolescents growing up with little interaction with adults.” She also explains that “most parents want to be the best parents they can be – they’re simply squeezed to death, time-wise.”
What a wonderful opportunity we have here at River Road Church for different generations to interact in a very significant way. The Church is one of the last places in our culture where multiple generations gather together on a regular basis. Sure, we worship in the same room and share a meal on Wednesday nights, but when do we have opportunities for meaningful interactions to happen between senior adults and teenagers, between parents of adult children and parents of small children, between our children and our friends who are no longer able to come to church because of health issues? Some of our teenagers recently visited with several residents at Westminster Canterbury. Honestly, the youth won’t be quiet about how meaningful an experience it was for them. We’ll continue to seek out ways for this to happen, but, honestly, in the words of Rob Schneider from the movie Water Boy, “you can do it.” You can make this happen.
So much of what has led us to follow in the way of Jesus is by looking over the shoulders of people who show us what faith looks like. Very little of why we continue to seek to be disciples comes from a classroom or someone telling us what we should believe.
Who is looking over your shoulder? Are there opportunities where you are living out your faith in a way that people are noticing? God needs us to help to bring about the Kingdom of God. We need your presence here – to be present with our children, to read a story during Worship Care, to be on substitute lists to help with Sunday school and Wednesday night programming – so many great opportunities for you to get involved in.
Excited about the journey…and that we’re on it together.