THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES
THE CELEBRATION CONTINUES BY CARL DOSCHER
I
n the month of June, I was able to, along with four other amazing chaperones, bring our students to Camp Spark in Eunice, LA. This is our second year of attending this camp and God did some incredible things over the course of this one week.
church body that God desires them to be.
It is sad to say, but I heard it once said that we as God’s people have done a poor job discipling people after they make their decision. We are really good at leading them to the point of salvation, but when they make the transition, we act as if they The campus pastor went over three separate top- have finished the race, when really the race has just ics. One was how we are God’s treasure being begun. His creation. Second, was that God had a rescue plan by sending His son to save us from His wrath. At a Men’s Conference a few years ago I was able to Lastly, was that we are to celebrate when some- hear Dr. Tony Evans speak and he stated that “if we one comes to know the Lord. want to change the world we live in we need disciples making disciples.” This just emphasized the Now, what the pastor mentioned on the last night fact that these youth who are starting their journey intrigued me the most, the act of celebration. He need multiple people invested in their walk with stated “The celebration is great when someone the Lord and celebrating along the way. It may comes to know Jesus as their Lord Savior, but it mean for a parent to begin asking questions about should not end there.” The celebration should their new found faith. For friends, it may mean docontinue throughout a person’s life. We were ing a Bible plan together and texting about what blessed to have four students give their life to Je- God is doing through it. For peers, it may mean sus over the span of that week and three of those checking in on them and asking the question, get baptized. During these moments we were “how has your quiet time been?” All of these are able to celebrate because four students are now key points in walking alongside new believers and living for Jesus, but the thought crossed my mind, leading them on the path they should go. The celare God’s people going to raise these students ebration doesn’t end at a decision, it is continuous up when we get home or are they just going to throughout a lifetime. be left to follow Christ, alone? Is someone going to continue the celebration and show them what “Start children off on the way they should go, and it means to follow the Lord? even when they are old they will not turn from it.” There is a scripture in Romans that talks about how God’s people are one body in Christ. “For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Romans 12:4-5 As the scripture continues it speaks to the fact that every believer will receive different gifts from God. When I was reading this, I began to wonder about those four students and if someone will be there to mentor them into a member of the
14
LIVEOAKCHURCH | www.loumc.org | July 2019
