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r u o y f o t e u n o O z t r o f com By
ard Rich
Tett
Scripture Philippians 1:3-6 James 5:7-16
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Let’s Focus:
We are currently working on an estate in the north west of England. The estate is made up of post war housing mainly owner occupied but still pockets of council and housing association properties, there are some new builds near by. The estate is on the outskirts of town just out of reasonable walking distance. It is an urban priority area and has swathes of poverty. There are many issues within the area as always highlighted in the media regarding young people. There are problems with drugs, alcohol and vandalism. The area also has a high proportion of teenage pregnancies. With high unemployment and not being close to working areas this gives rise to the young people being bored and finding other ways to entertain themselves. Facilities on the estate are few and far between for the teenagers, a youth centre that is open only 2 nights a week. The general norm is for the teenagers to hang around the 5 or 6 shops that are nearby or the pub car park. At the centre of the estate is the church, a relatively modern church. The church is working to serve the community and the congregation work together to the glory of God and in the service of an established but ever changing community.
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Let’s Reflect: When Paul writes this letter to the Philippians, he is full of joy, even though he is in prison, joy at sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ. He has joy in finding unity of heart within the body of Christ. Even though we are often challenged by the contexts that God places us in, indeed even resistant to them; when we overcome those challenges and relinquish ourselves to God, it is then that we will see the power of our obedience to God bearing some fruit in the lives of those whom we are witnessing to. When we step out in faith, God can do massive things with us through ordinary everyday situations. Paul in his letter to the Philippians is setting the mark that it is important to pray. This manifests itself in how we show and reflect Christian community when engaging with the young people. There are great opportunities to explore the Gospel with the young people and the potential of transforming lives. A God moment as I call them happened one week; a young person was talking about how prayer doesn’t work, she needed a job and was unable to find one. So I said to her I would pray with her and ask God to help her in her confidence and ability to find the right job for her. She said 'I still don’t believe prayer works'. At this point, a young lad, whom we had been praying with some weeks ago, came onto the bus and said 'oh yes it does, because I was prayed for and I have found a job and I never thought I would'.
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Like this story, James encourages us not to give up (James 5:7-16). Through this scripture we learn to ask God to help us to develop more patience as we wait for something; for instance when we make a long term commitment to pray for a non Christian friend. When working with young people their language can sometimes be a challenge. We try to teach the young people that praying can help them with difficulties they may face in their daily lives, how it can turn their lives around and help them to be more positive when talking to others. In James's view, oaths and prayers are simply the verbal expressions of what a person is truly feeling but cannot articulate. In many ways, it is the same with young people and faith. James is clearly a man of faith; he has a passion for prayer. Let’s be encouraged to think on this matter of prayer with three emphases: • When to Pray? (5:13-14) When we are in trouble and facing adversity. We teach these young people that when in a crisis turning to God in a prayer is infinitely more rewarding than responding with violence or anger. • How to Pray? (5:14-15) Pray with others, pray in the name of the Lord, pray as if you believe that God will answer your request! The prayer of genuine faith is the prayer that is effective. • Why Pray? (5:16) If you spent time thinking about this you would undoubtedly come to the conclusion that God certainly does answer prayer. Therefore we pray to seek an answer. We also pray to develop our righteousness before God, that is to develop our humble side of our nature.
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Let’s Discuss: 1. Where are you challenged to move out of your comfort zone and give some ground to an apparently resistant group?
2. Can you stand firm in your faith with the most basic things like belief in the power of prayer?
3. What can you draw from your own life experience that would benefit another person on their journey? (remember no one has an ordinary experience)
4. In reading the passage in James, where are you challenged in your prayer life?
5. How can the knowledge that Jesus is returning, help us to be patient in our prayers today?
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Action: The team is made up from the congregation and tend to be of the older age group. They have had some uneasy experiences of the local young people in the past, so for most of them they are stepping out of their comfort zones and dealing with their prejudices and fears. The team have battled with these issues and have come a long way to being themselves amongst the young people and gelling with us and the rest of the team. The key to this type of evangelism is being comfortable with yourself. Young people search for role models. They look to those role models for advice, guidance, love and humour. There have been many great turning points in facilitating the team to share in what they believe with the young people. One man, a dedicated member of the volunteers, has grown in confidence in the relatively short time we have been on the estate with the bus. He shared an incident with me, which occurred a short time ago. He was walking down the road with his friend and there were some young people hanging off a bridge, they started to take it out of him until he got closer. Then they recognised him and said 'Hey aren’t you the guy from the Jesus bus? When’s it coming back?' For him, this was a big step in his faith and understanding of how he engaged with the young people. When we engage with young people, they develop an understanding of who we are and what we represent. They might take the rise out of us, but underneath, deep down, they see that we belong to something. They will often overcome big hurdles, not least peer pressure, to get to the point where they feel comfortable about belonging too.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, Help us to embrace what our young people offer us. Through our witness, equip us to encourage and establish them. Through your Holy Spirit, guide us to be faithful witnesses to the power of prayer, and in doing so enable others to live life to the full. Amen.
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s e t o N g n i Support uals and d i v i d n I for s r e d a e Group L I remember the first time I prepared to lead a bible study; I was 22 years old and went bald! Well, I think that was down to nature rather than the preparation. However, it was scary as well as exciting. Ring a bell? Then read on‌. The scriptures are littered with stories of God's people being called to do something they feel they are not humanly capable of. Yet it is similarly littered with outcomes of God's people completing what He has called them to undertake and the blessing therein. So let's take those fears and chill a bit, in the knowledge that God will help you, as he has helped countless others. Part of my ministry as an evangelist over the past 10 years has been to encourage and enable, so be encouraged that the Lord is moulding you in leadership. In my experience it helps to know that you do not have to be an expert on the Bible or even a college professor! Essentially it is all about preparation and discussion. Allow God to enable you by His Holy Spirit to lead you with confidence and discernment. Therefore in order to offer some help to you, I have set out below some of the things that have aided me in leading studies in the past.
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Before you begin Studying the scriptures and exploring other people’s experiences of evangelism can be for some, very exciting; for others it can be very daunting indeed. I have put together some suggestions that may help you as you prepare to get the most out of The Fullness of Life. We hope that each week you will be stimulated through the scriptures and through the content on the Web. To find out more about how all of our Evangelists and staff are working at transforming lives and communities visit http://www.churcharmy.org.uk/people to see videos of ministry in action. Each of our contributors to these studies has carefully thought through how you can apply this learning in your own life and context, in order to engage in evangelism. Their questions are designed to challenge and encourage action.
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Studying as an individual Pray: Before you begin each study, ask the Lord to guide you and open your mind. Give yourself time to allow God to stabilise your inner self so that you can apply what you are learning in your life. Time: Give yourself space to learn; the studies are designed that you can learn at a pace that suits you. It may help you to briefly read all seven studies before you begin; this may help you to think about where the studies will take you. Bible: Having your own Bible is important as it will be a book that you will be familiar with. The version that you find most helpful is the best one to use. All Bible verses quoted in these studies are from the New International Version. Notes: Make notes within each study. Remember there are no wrong answers; the beauty about our relationship with God is that He illuminates our life and inspires us by the Holy Spirit. So jot down your response to the question honestly.
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Studying as a group For the leader: These notes may be of some help as you prepare to lead the group either for the first time or as a seasoned veteran! Preparation: Groups are naturally formed of individuals, so be encouraged to follow the points suggested for individuals, as you prepare for your group study. In this way you will find your learning in group study deepens through your preparation. Participation: Discussion is by far the best form of learning. Remember that as the leader you will need to ensure that everyone has their say. No answer is wrong! Share how God is teaching you, how He is encouraging/challenging you, and how He is doing that with others. Be focussed: Stick to the study material being discussed for that week. It has been my intention that you only have to use the scriptures referred to. There is no need to look up commentaries or other views. The core essence of these studies is to reflect upon the evangelistic example given. Therefore the paramount questions of the study are: How can I do this? How do I apply this? Listen: Encouraging all that listening to other members of a group is as important as contributing. If you have an attentive ear, you may be surprised at how much you can learn from others. In parish ministry I was always amazed at how the quiet person sometimes came with a suggestion that was as a blast of fresh air. A balanced input: As group leader you should be able to ensure all have the chance to contribute. It is important that we ensure that individuals do not dominate the discussions. The eagerness one has to share can often be at the cost of others not having time to respond. Therefore encourage one another; after all, the Christian journey really should not be about outsmarting each other. Involve God: God wants to share with each of us; His desire to see us evangelise. Be open to the Holy Spirit talking to you and to your fellow group mates. Most of all have fun discovering new boundaries.
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