It seems a long time since I wrote the first post and created this blog for youth at First Lisburn. Before I write a message about what is going on in the here and now with all things youth at FLPC, I want to do a little update of what has happened in between! We have of course experienced lots of fun and successful events which have grown the faith of the youth who have taken part! We have a youth club for 7-14's, a junior and senior youth fellowship and communicants' class and drop ins. We have enjoyed Streetreach/Animate and several holiday bible clubs. I have felt like God is telling us not to despise the day of small beginnings and have felt like God is telling me to: Bring his lost lambs back, Feed his sheep and listen for God's voice. I know with the launch of our new social network site, we are hopefully going to be fellowshipping online, as well as every week. So I will be writing my youth worker thoughts on here!

A new beginning...

There's a sense in our youth, that we are dry, disillusioned, disappointed and fed up with the status quo. But I believe GOD is doing a new thing. As I said to some at the last night of youth fellowship, God has given me this verse for our church:

"Behold, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland."

Isaiah 43:19

and this one:

"For, behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing has come."

Song of Solomon 2 v 11

Basically my interpretation of all of this is that God is telling us that we need to stop looking back to the past, e.g. the way youth at FLPC as been done before. Instead we need to focus on what God is doing now and what He wants to do in the future. What does that mean for us? That means we need to be meeting God in worship. This is something again, that God has been speaking to me about over and over again. When we meet Him in worship we are planting our love and hope in Him and we will reap a harvest because the bible tells us when we pour out to Him, that He pours back into us. When we worship we are allowing God to fill us with His righteousness. So just like the sunday school song says, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added onto you," we will be changed and become worshippers in spirit and truth. We will worship and start to reap answers because we make a choice to leave behind heartache, disappointment, fear, unbelief and pain. We will no longer focus on our problems but on the problem solver-Him.

Worship is not just songs, it's pouring out our worries, desires and praise to Him and allowing Him to mould us into an army. It's allowing God to train us. We only have to stand, as Ephesians tells us that God fights for us. So I feel we need to start worshipping and becoming that army so that we defeat the enemy and all that he has tried to do to discourage us. Instead we will create a cloud of glory which we will RESONATE to others.

Hope summer treats you all well and you are encouraged and looking forward to September,

I know I am!

love

Jen ©