2020 is going by too quick! It’s been a good year so far and I have been encouraged by what I am seeing and hearing.  Before we get too far into the year I want to update you all a bit on what we have been talking about at CTF.

We opened up the year talking with the teens about the two greatest commandments. Our aim was to help them see the significance of these two commands and to better understand how and why the rest of God’s law hangs heavy on these two.  It is our strong desire that each and every teen in our ministry learn to love God with all of their heart, mind, and soul. The hearts and minds of our young ones are pulled and enticed in so many different directions and it is of the utmost importance that we teach them early on that what is most pleasing to our loving Father is a heart fully devoted to Him that leads to obedient living. Research has shown that the foundation for an individual’s worldview is planted by age 13. With that said, it is vital that we teach our kids what is most important while they are young. It is an opportunity that cannot be replicated later in life.

What We Are Currently Studying

Recently we started an apologetics series to help our youth see just how firmly the Christian faith is planted in reason and history. This also gives them a chance to see what loving God with all of their mind looks like in practice. There is a strong and prevalent narrative in our world that is seeing great success in pulling young people away from their faith. That narrative makes a mockery of all that we believe and makes bold assertions leaving little to no wiggle room for differing perspectives. As a result, our teens are being faced with a false dilemma and forced to choose between reason and faith. This tends to hit them the hardest upon entrance to the university. In a culture that places a deep sense of value in the intellect its not too surprising why so many choose to follow what the world has offered them. It is our strong belief that they need not choose between the two. Reason and faith live in harmony with one another. 

So many people today love God little more than as an ideology. We hope and desire that the teens entrusted to our care learn to love God fully in a much more real way that pervades every nook and cranny of their lives.  I am reminded of C.S. Lewis saying, “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” I hope you will pause to reflect on the truth of that statement as well as its implications. The average believing American seems more often than not to say with their lives that God is of moderate importance and all the while praising God and their commitments to Him with their mouths. We have all been called to match our living with our speaking. In a world that is looking to discredit belief in God by all possible means it is imperative that we discipline ourselves to live out what we proclaim to be true.

I want to encourage you as parents to engage your teenagers in what they are learning now and in the future. If you have never studied apologetics I want to nudge you to do so. I have found it to be extremely faith affirming in my own life these past several years and it has worked to grow my own wonder and passion for God tremendously! It is also a perfect opportunity to engage your teen or teens in spiritual discussion. Don’t be afraid to learn from them and don’t miss the opportunity to teach them further.  Lastly, I think it plays a much needed role in being ready and able to explain what we believe in season and out of season.

We opened this series with two guest speakers. The first spoke on what is called the cosmological argument which seeks to prove the existence of God by exploring the relationship between causes and matter. The second spoke on the case for the resurrection of Jesus and explored some of the differing theories on the empty tomb and sought to explain why they do not hold up to scrutiny. We also watched a video in our small groups of Dr. John Lennox speaking at a youth conference about why he believes in God and calls himself a Christian. Dr. Lennox is a renowned scientist and speaks all over the world on the relationship between science and faith. In the coming weeks we will be discussing things like the reliability of the scriptures and Why a Good God allows suffering and pain. I hope that these topics lead to some neat discussions in your homes.

Some good introductory apologetic books for teens and adults:

1. Know Why You Believe - Paul Little

2. Know Why You Believe - Scott Oliphint

3. The End of Reason - Ravi Zacharias

John Lennox video link:

https://youtu.be/jGrbrKWZFJg

Moving Forward

The Coronavirus has us reevaluating all of our plans, but for the time being we are moving ahead as best we can. We are brainstorming some different ways to engage the teens but plan nonetheless to have something for them each Wednesday evening as usual. Please do your best to keep that time free for them and not plan over it. 

I know life is a bit of a whirlwind right now and will likely remain so for some weeks ;) but it is important that we do not let youth ministry go to the wayside during this time.  Our kids have a lot of extra time on their hands and as frustrating as that can be for all of us it is also an opportunity to challenge our teens to stay committed and consistent in chaotic and difficult times. The youth workers and I plan to continue our weekly time with your teens via technology. I know there are multiple platforms for FaceTiming one-on-one and in groups and we will work to find what is best for you.

I will try and get out a new calendar to you soon. It is difficult to know what events will be affected just yet and to what extent but we will be sure to keep you in the loop as we make decisions. If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas I am all ears so please do not hesitate to reach out.

If family drives you crazy during this time just do what Travis does and go to your safe place :)

We love you all and are praying for your families. Stay safe and God bless!