Our Youth Ministries Blog
John Joseph, Director of Youth Ministries
2009 June 01
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door-frames of your houses and on your gates.”
Deuteronomy 6:5–9 (NIV) Click to listen to a reading of this Scripture.
This is a bittersweet time in youth ministry as we see our seniors graduate and welcome the new sixth graders into Big Five. I know when Kim and I have our own children that statement will take on a whole new meaning for us. As we send off our seniors and pray the Lord continues to reveal His plan for them, we are excited about promoting our sixth graders into Big Five. We have so many great plans for them. I would like to take time to challenge our seniors before they are off to the college life.
Dear Graduating Seniors,
This a great time for you and your family as you celebrate such a wonderful achievement—graduating high school. As you look onto college, there are probably many mixed emotions within you. For some, leaving home is intimidating, while for others, leaving home is a time to spread your wings and show the world that you are ready to fly. With great aspirations to be doctors, lawyers, teachers, veterinarians, leaders in your community, we know for certain that your goals will be reached, as you have already excelled in what you put your mind to do. As each of you reaches new heights, my challenge is this—“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength,” (Deuteronomy 6:5) and share that love for the Lord with all whom you come in contact. Do it with compassion and tenderness in your heart, for we are all created in God’s image. Talk about how great God’s love is when you are eating in the cafeteria, taking a break from studying, or just hanging out at the local Starbucks. Talk about the wonderful things the Lord has completed in you, through you and around you; and remember the good work He started in the beginning will come to completion.
Congratulations to . . .
| Kristin Almquist | Anthony Herzog | Sean O’Brien |
| Amy Andreasen | Melissa Humphrey | Lauren Ribant |
| Marielle Askew | Nora Kaminski | Rachel Rodriguez |
| Isaac Blaxton | Dan Kieffer | Dani Sadorf |
| Garrett Clark | Jacob Landers | Victoria Sand |
| Joseph Clarkson | Jessica Lewis | Ryan Stickel |
| Timothy Conway | Charlie Masters | Tom Snyder |
| Lexi Coon | Cole McLean | James Street-McQuade |
| Krista Feallock | Taylor Moore | Greg Wilson |
| Claire Hejl | Siobhan Murillo | Alley Wolfe |
For those of us who will be sending our seniors off, let us all continue to pray for them, our sons and daughters, as God continues to guide their growth spiritually and intellectually.
John Joseph
2009 May 01
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 6:19–21 (NIV)
For the past several weeks, Lisa Creech and I have been purging the youth room and our offices. The goal is to prepare for the renewed direction allowing the Holy Spirit to usher us into the future—a future that challenges the current message that truth is subjective. As the Church, we have the Truth rooted in Jesus Christ as our personal and corporate Savior.
During the cleaning-out process, we have uncovered some very unique treasures. Some are timeless, others have been offered up to the big bin in the sky. What we found revealed a great deal about where the youth ministry has been, and through a great deal of prayer, where the Lord is leading.
Among the treasures was a notebook filled with statements of faith, written by Crosswalk students. The creativity each young person used to proclaim his or her faith in Jesus Christ was like a breath of fresh air. Another precious discovery was a box filled with photos taken during the past five years of events from Forest Home and Girls’ Night In to Chew and Chat. Having spent time with Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church students, I am not surprised that each picture captures Christ’s eternal presence in every moment. Lisa and I were blessed by each image. Please come by the youth ministry office to see these photos for yourself!
Through these recent discoveries, the Lord revealed to me a new understanding of what my treasure is—bringing up our young people in the Lord. Jesus taught his followers not to store up earthly treasures where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but rather, to invest in eternal things. As adults, parents, elders, deacons, and church leaders, our duty is to teach our youth the precepts that were taught to us—to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV)
This ought to be the topic of conversation when we are walking together, in our homes, and at the dinner table. I cannot think of anything better than talking about the Lord’s unconditional love for His children and passing on that love and fervor to our youth. The rewards are eternal. It is exciting for sure. Now is the time join the mission of building our treasures up in heaven—our youth need it!
John Joseph
2009 April 01
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7–8 (NIV)
Inquiring minds want to know! The questions never stop—sometimes they come late into the night via text message. The minds of our youth are always working. The challenge we face in our current culture is not science, but, instead, our willingness to be open to forums where the difficult questions can be asked.
Just a few weeks ago, around 10:30pm, the cell phone vibrated. When I looked at the phone to see who was calling, it was a text message. Brett, one of our sophomore boys was thinking, which does not surprise me one bit, because I was thinking too. But I was thinking about going to sleep, whereas Brett was thinking about if it is possible for a human being to love the same way that God loves.
The Holy Spirit begins spinning my wheels, first with questions for Brett, then real life examples of how great God’s love is for us. The only problem is I cannot seem to reply fast enough for him. I am out matched—Brett’s what I call a Thumb Warrior. But I was fortunate. Brett was patient with me. The Holy Spirit points us to 1 John 4, and we explore what God’s Word has to say about love.
If we never ask the difficult questions, we will never find the answers. I am not saying I have all the answers. What I am saying is, it never hurts to ask. Our Lord and Savior longs for us to ask. In this short passage, Jesus boldly challenges us, “Ask and it will be given to you . . . .” For if we are willing to ask, our Father in Heaven is eagerly waiting to give us the “good gifts.” For Brett, I believe that good gift came with a peace, an assurance of the depth and breadth of God’s unconditional love for him.
There is never a dull moment in youth ministry. There is nothing like walking with a young inquiring mind. The rewards come in so many ways. More often than not, the blessing of searching the Scriptures together brings new insight and understanding. This recent conversation with my brother in Christ will continue and take many differ- ent shapes and forms.
This is the time to join the conversation, because on their own, our youth can find answers that are empty, answers that lead to destruction. We have a hope in Christ that brings everlasting life. It is exciting! There is always room at our table. Come join the conversation, and ask the tough questions. Let’s seek the Lord’s face together.
John Joseph
2009 March 01
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossians 3:15-17 (NIV)
As many of you know, or have heard, this is a return trip to Graham Memorial Presbyterian Church after I completed my seminary training at Bethel Theological Seminary. My wife, Kimberlee, and I have a special place in our hearts for your congregation, from the colorful sermons by Pastor David, to the careful love and attention given to God’s little children. Not to mention the beautiful weather. We have always felt that this church is our home away from home. I will never forget what Kimberlee said to me while praying for the Lord’s guidance.
She said, “John, I’m not completely sure what the Lord has in store for us, but this is a church family that has always welcomed us with open arms, and the Lord’s peace is clearly evident in their hearts!”
The same peace of Christ we find in you is also evident in the youth ministries. We have never been so welcomed by students like we have here. Students are actively seeking to reach out to us. Our very first night with the youth, Kimberlee and Emma Williams bonded to each other immediately after finding a shared love of books. I could not pry them apart, because Emma was sitting in my seat! (I never did get my seat back, now that I think of it.)
This past February, both the junior high and senior high ministries participated in Forest Home Ministries’ Winter Camp programs. We are grateful for all your prayers. Our students have returned with a renewed desire to keep growing, while some found the same peace in Christ that lives in your hearts. All praise and honor to our Lord Jesus Christ for the opportunity to be together in this transforming process.
Coming up on Sunday, March 15, the youth ministries are partnering with Ladle Fellowship at First Presbyterian Church in downtown San Diego to serve the homeless community. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Lisa Creech or me.
John Joseph