Beach Project
Summer Beach Project
As many of you know already, I am going to Nelson over Summer to share the Good News with holiday-makers and beach-goers for a couple of weeks. Now I realise that I am not the most experienced evangelist nor the most appropriate for the job of being in the ministry of evangelism. Surely, some of you say, there are others that could be sent to more effectively talk to these people. Perhaps, others think, money would be better spent on one who has spent their life talking to people, someone older. Others maybe even dare to think that perhaps Christians' money is wasted on me and my comrades and the damage our limitedly experienced selves on those lives in Nelson could be worse than if we would not go at all.
For you I have no answer, nothing to repell your claims, because there is no doubt that someone God has spent years working in and changing and developing into a well honed instrument who fully relies on Him would be a much more effective person to go on this mission and money would be better spent as the lives of those he speaks to are rapidly changed.
But I can say that that well honed instrument began as a mixed-emotioned young infant in Christ, both excited and anxious about the mission God placed before them.
And I can tell you that, though I know not the full extent of God's plan for my life, this beach mission will be used by God to hone me, to challenge me, to stretch my faith in Him and to grow me with abilities, passions and uses that will be essential to both my relationship growth with God in the future as well as the relationships of others with God that He will use my hands and feet, my mouth and ears to show them what it really means to have a realtionship with their Creator. I can't hope to be someone with a witty tongue, with enticing words or with attractive orations but I can hope to spend time to share a simple message of Truth and to pray His Spirit would work in their hearts and that they will know we are Christians by our love. And maybe one day, that hope will grow to faith and that faith will put me in situations where I am comfortable talking to anyone, without little surveys and booklets, to show love to all those who are hurting, who are feeling lost, alone, scared, regretful, tormented, sorrowful, or unloved. Don't we all want to live in a world where people don't ignore the boy who sits alone at lunchtime, the girl who cries in the toilets, the woman who's been abused, the man who's haunted with the ghosts of his past? I know I do, and I know it pains God to see them like that, and it pains God to see His Children walk on by more concerned about the ackwardness of sitting down on the bench and offering one of those ham sandwiches they just spent $4 on.
Apathy is a problem in our society and Christians can't exactly boast about their good deeds when they send $10 a month to a child in Africa when they let the teenage girl go out and get drunk every weekend because she thinks it's the only way she'll get the affection she desires. If we're not speaking Truth into people's lives and letting them know what they're doing to themselves then we're not doing our job! God put us in this world to change it not to conform to it!
I could end it there but I want to challenge the people who read this. I relied on God to provide me ALL the money for this beach project. The expenses, the accomodation, the transport and the postage costs, etc. God provided it all. Every last cent! So before I end this post I want to challenge people to rely on God to give them opportunities to notice the hurting AND to rely on God to work through them when they ackwardly sit down next to them AND to rely on God to be a cheerful giver AND to rely on God that even when we tell the Truth and it upsets people that He is using our words to change the life and relationships of that person in a way that will benefit them eternally! Let's not just talk about fighting apathy, let's accept the responsiblilty that we have as Christians, as Children of God, let's take the leadership that this world so lacks, let's reject passivity and just DO IT!
As many of you know already, I am going to Nelson over Summer to share the Good News with holiday-makers and beach-goers for a couple of weeks. Now I realise that I am not the most experienced evangelist nor the most appropriate for the job of being in the ministry of evangelism. Surely, some of you say, there are others that could be sent to more effectively talk to these people. Perhaps, others think, money would be better spent on one who has spent their life talking to people, someone older. Others maybe even dare to think that perhaps Christians' money is wasted on me and my comrades and the damage our limitedly experienced selves on those lives in Nelson could be worse than if we would not go at all.
For you I have no answer, nothing to repell your claims, because there is no doubt that someone God has spent years working in and changing and developing into a well honed instrument who fully relies on Him would be a much more effective person to go on this mission and money would be better spent as the lives of those he speaks to are rapidly changed.
But I can say that that well honed instrument began as a mixed-emotioned young infant in Christ, both excited and anxious about the mission God placed before them.
And I can tell you that, though I know not the full extent of God's plan for my life, this beach mission will be used by God to hone me, to challenge me, to stretch my faith in Him and to grow me with abilities, passions and uses that will be essential to both my relationship growth with God in the future as well as the relationships of others with God that He will use my hands and feet, my mouth and ears to show them what it really means to have a realtionship with their Creator. I can't hope to be someone with a witty tongue, with enticing words or with attractive orations but I can hope to spend time to share a simple message of Truth and to pray His Spirit would work in their hearts and that they will know we are Christians by our love. And maybe one day, that hope will grow to faith and that faith will put me in situations where I am comfortable talking to anyone, without little surveys and booklets, to show love to all those who are hurting, who are feeling lost, alone, scared, regretful, tormented, sorrowful, or unloved. Don't we all want to live in a world where people don't ignore the boy who sits alone at lunchtime, the girl who cries in the toilets, the woman who's been abused, the man who's haunted with the ghosts of his past? I know I do, and I know it pains God to see them like that, and it pains God to see His Children walk on by more concerned about the ackwardness of sitting down on the bench and offering one of those ham sandwiches they just spent $4 on.
Apathy is a problem in our society and Christians can't exactly boast about their good deeds when they send $10 a month to a child in Africa when they let the teenage girl go out and get drunk every weekend because she thinks it's the only way she'll get the affection she desires. If we're not speaking Truth into people's lives and letting them know what they're doing to themselves then we're not doing our job! God put us in this world to change it not to conform to it!
I could end it there but I want to challenge the people who read this. I relied on God to provide me ALL the money for this beach project. The expenses, the accomodation, the transport and the postage costs, etc. God provided it all. Every last cent! So before I end this post I want to challenge people to rely on God to give them opportunities to notice the hurting AND to rely on God to work through them when they ackwardly sit down next to them AND to rely on God to be a cheerful giver AND to rely on God that even when we tell the Truth and it upsets people that He is using our words to change the life and relationships of that person in a way that will benefit them eternally! Let's not just talk about fighting apathy, let's accept the responsiblilty that we have as Christians, as Children of God, let's take the leadership that this world so lacks, let's reject passivity and just DO IT!
posted by Rayd at 10:02 pm
4 Comments:
Hey Rayd,
It's David here from the solomons.
If ya want my 'weekly' email up date just email me & I'll do my best.
Hope ya have fun in CHCH.
Good to see you walking in your sonship right of the ministry of reconciliation.
May you see great success!
Have a Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
For those of you waiting for tax receipts, I am sorry. I have contacted the StudentLife leaders and they are coming, they are just a bit delayed.
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