Since graduating from Regent College, the months have flown by. Surely, the speedy passage of time was a result of preparing for the most incredible day of my life so far on September 6, 2014, our wedding!
You can see more photos on Elle&R's blog, but this post is not simply about our wedding, but also a place to share what God has been doing in my life. God is not only transitioning me from a single man to a family man, but also from a student to family pastor.
So what am I doing now?
I am playing my role as full time family pastor at REC now, since October. I am transitioning from the youth/young adults community to the kids community and their families. To be honest, I never saw myself in this role a year ago, but through a series of things God has done in my life, I have come to see that our kids seriously need discipleship. God is showing me that he is in fact sending me into the kids community to disciple them. To me, this is a mission field.
Why am I in this role?
As I was praying in the months leading up to this role, God changed my heart. In the past, I thought that I needed to use my Regent experience to influence and shape our young adults. I thought that with all my "Regent training" I could help our university students wrestle with their faith and ask tough questions. Then I realized something...
What good is all my Regent training if I cannot even communicate in a simple and loving way that touches the lives of our kids?
God also spoke to me about my lack of vision. From my time in youth ministry, I can often complain about the habits of teenagers that are really hard to change. Then it hit me.
Wow, so maybe that's why I'm here now doing what I am doing.If I can disciple these kids from a young age, I can be a part of their core formation as Jesus followers. I can't put the blame on other people.
Is this like acting as a children's pastor then?
From our church context and history, it would be tempting to see my role as a children's pastor who "takes care" of the kids. However, I believe it is a little different now.
In the past year, God has been calling REC to connect across generations and cultures. I believe that my role as family pastor would send me into connecting families and seeing how parents can be an active part of their kids' discipleship in partnership with the church (the people, not the building/program).
God is opening my eyes to see how the family needs to be built up, because the church is a family. I'm not here to babysit kids or to make my ministry thrive. Instead, this is God's ministry, and I believe he is calling us to connect kids, youth, parents, grandparents, and our neighbourhood, so that we can be agents of blessing. This was Abraham's call, and it is also Jesus' call for us to be salt and light.
This is my prayer, as Paul prayed in the letter to the Ephesians
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.Amen.
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| Laying on of hands prayer during REC Leaders Retreat a few weeks ago |
