Let me introduce you to a new ministry initiative from our youth ministry.  It’s called ‘five eyes’.  And it is about changing the culture of our church whilst looking to support and encourage intergerational ministry.

Goal:
Have five adult not-their-parents speaking into each youth’s life

Why should we do it?

(1) Its Biblical – Intergenerational ministry first and foremost celebrates the wonderful biblical truth that all people, and especially young people, are valuable and important members of the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Matthew 19:14). Moreover, the bible clearly articulates a strong need for each other (1 Corinthians 12:21-26). With older and younger believers looking out for each other, It’s a great picture of selfless love within the community of God and it reminds us that the church is not primarily about me but each other.

Additionally, Intergenerational ministry embraces and enacts the command to older generations to have a significant role in partnering with parents in the growth and development of young believers. Titus 2:1-2 calls older men and women to intentionally build relationships with the younger generation. Psalm 78:4 calls the whole people of God to tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord. This paints a wonderful picture of what intergenerational ministry can look like in a healthy Christian community.

(2) It works – A recent report published by Youthworks summarise the most recent studies on the effectiveness of intergenerational ministry: they say that youth who serve and build their faith alongside adults are significantly more likely to hold onto their faith when finishing high school. Isn’t that such an encouraging point for us to reflect on?

What to do next?

(a) Just say ‘hi!’ – All it starts with is saying hi. Yes, it might be daunting and a bit awkward at first, but we can do it for the sake of the building up of God’s community here. ‘Hi’ leads to a deeper conversation over time. Over time as the relationship develops, we can open up those deeper conversations about life and faith. This is where that slightly awkward starting point starts paying off!

(b) Come along to the ‘Five Eyes’ session today 11:30am-12pm

Yours in Christ,

Eric

St Phils Editorial