My Vision

Wow, it seems a lot has happened in the past couple of days. I think the coolest thing was that yesterday I met with someone about my dream ministry. The meeting went really well, and things are going to start rolling. It’s going to take a couple years before the ministry actually gets going (I’ll be laying the ground work until then), but I’m excited about it none the less.

Now that I’ve mentioned this ministry several times, I guess it’s about time I start telling you what it’s all about. God has opened my eyes so that I could see a major problem in our lives as Christians. This problem is that we learn to compartmentalize Christ in our lives rather than allowing Him to infiltrate every part of our being. We go to church and speak of God, we may even spend time with Him in various worship programs and our morning devotions. Yet what happens when those programs, Bible studies, and devotions are over. Do they affect our lives utterly and completely? Are we sharing Christ with those we come in contact with? Are we allowing full and total surrender? All too often I think we keep Christ in His compartments.

The other observations that I have made in our post-modernistic society is our dependence on our own intellect and reasoning and our lack of turning to the Bible for the final word. Many of the college students around me, raised in the church (myself included) have never read the Bible all the way through. I hear more sermons on the thoughts and opinions of others than I do on what the Bible has to say. I could easily go to a weeks worth of worship programs without once opening the Word of God. Yet, this is God's main tool for communication.

So, what are we to do about these problems? This is where God has planted a seed in my heart. Kids learn young and often their morals and values are set by the time they are a thirteen (Barna Research Group). Children learn the most by example. While parents can tell their children about the love of Christ, the importance of a relationship with Him and the need to follow His commandments, they must show this as being true in their own lives. Are they teaching their kids through encouragement and example to seek God first when faced with an obstacle in their lives? Are they encouraging personal time with God? Are they openly sharing throughout the day the blessings God is giving them in their own lives and the prayers that God is answering? Do they encourage witnessing by example? Are they helping their children to integrate Christ into every part of their lives? Unfortunately all, to often, the answer to this question is no.

Christ has given me a burden for all of this. I have a desire to provide materials to parents so that they may strengthen and deepen their walk with Christ, so that their children may grow as they follow the examples of their parents. I also feel a burden to write books for children that are 100% Bible based; books that will not substitute the Bible, but will teach the children to go to the Bible. Each book would have a parent's guide with it so that the parents can be involved in sharing that story with their children in a real way, can discuss the issues, and can dig deeper into the passages for their own edification. I am also interested in providing material for children to learn how to study the Bible on their own.

However my vision doesn't stop there. I would love to provide two montly newsletters - one for children, and one for parents - to help them on their spiritual journey. I envision a website with forums so that parents can share with each other, where their will be answers for various questions and a place to e-mail more specific questions and to seek for a personal answer. This site would be filled with resources for parents to help build their families to be strong. However, this would not be the end. There would be a whole section just for children. Here, there could be downloadable books and Bible studies. There would also be the question and answer section as with the parent's section. The coolest part about this is that there would be games for the kids which required the use of their Bible. One important thing about this is that it would have in mind the growth of all Christian families. Not just Adventist Homes. Just as ADRA provides relief for people all over the world, not just Adventists, so would this program provide help to any family who would want it.

I know this is kind of long, but this is my calling in life. Thanks for sharing in my excitement with me, and pray for me as God guides me in this venture!