October 18, 2019

I will be in the church in 10 years. . .

Children and teenagers from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) were asked why they would be in the church in 10 years. The National Study of Youth and Religion found that almost 60% of emerging adults made their first commitment to live their lives for God before the age of fourteen. (See footnote)

(From Rev. Dr. Olivia Bryan Updegrove, Minister for Ministries Across Generations at Disciples Home Missions, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

"I will be in the church in 10 years... if these young people are still in the church and we have not failed them. While many of these comments are sweet and filled with kindness; many of them are calling "the church" out for its lack of love for all people. They are aware that all people are not valued in all of our churches, and that they may not be valued alongside them when they grow into who God has called them to be. In fact, many of them already knew that they may not be in the church in the future, and others were determined to stay active and change things as they have seen other adults in their lives do."  

Week Four: Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

(The Message)
Attention, Israel!
God, our God! God the one and only!
Love God, your God, with your whole heart: love him with all that’s in you, love him with all you’ve got!
Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.

Weekly Scriptures
Read the weekly scripture each day. Find a phrase or word that speaks to you. Share your reflections with others over dinner, social media, and in prayer. Share the scripture with a child you know in the car, through a text, or in a children's Bible.

*Faith Formation with a New Generation by Lisa Brown, Tanya Eustace Campen, Lynn Barger Elliot, and Lee Yates

*National Study of Youth and Religion

*The view represented in these devotions come from a variety of diverse perspectives. We do not seek to agree but seek to welcome all to the conversation and the table