Jesus was demonstrating the importance of inviting people to discipleship, community, teamwork, and investment... He also knew that by doing this, that there would be a team of people who carry on His message long after He was gone.
Back in the 9th grade, I was sitting in social studies when a good friend of mine, John Keller, invited me to a spaghetti dinner. It sounded like fun, so I went. It turned out to be a church youth group event... Thanks for the heads up John. I decided to go along with it and make the most of the evening. That night I met the youth pastor, Greg Krieger. He sat beside me and wanted to know all about my life. Where I grew up, what I did for fun... he was so excited to meet me and was so glad I came. I felt completely welcomed. By the end of the night it seemed like I was friends with everyone there. I couldn't wait to come back.
Greg did a phenomenal job of inviting people. The youth group was small, about 15-20 kids. Having a smaller group allowed Greg to invest in each one of us. I recall spending time with Greg nearly every week. We would work out, go on camping trips, sit at Dairy Queen, and just hang out. Because he had built a trusting relationship with me, he had earned the right to speak into my life, ask me tough questions, and challenge me in my faith. There were times I would drive him nuts though... The first time I ever heard him swear was because of something I did... yikes. Every where we went he would befriend people and love them regardless of where they were at in life. I remember a time we were at Subway and the sandwich artist said "oh my God..." and Greg shouted "Where!?!?!" He would make the most out of any situation. Greg entered my life at a time I was dealing with bitterness over my parents divorce. He, along with my Mom, took one of the most discouraging times in my life and helped me refocus my attention on the fun, joyous and exciting aspect of life. They helped me see and understand who Jesus was and the hope He offered us. It was then that I knew I wanted to have them same impact on people's life. I wanted all my friends and everyone I met to have this same experience. I remember bringing Tom, Zach, Garrett, and Nate to youth group hoping they would experience Christ just as I had. I knew that this was absolutely we had been called to do... to invite people to experience the love of Christ.
This paved the way for me to go to Bethel University to study youth ministry and theology. It's the reason I've been on younglife staff for 12+ years. Because Greg took time to invest in my life, I, through the ministry of YoungLife, have been able to share the love of Christ with thousands of people. All this because John invited me to a spaghetti dinner.
_2)
1 comments:
Thanks for the memories. Haven't been there in awhile. Those were good times. I like your comment about earning the right to speak into someones life. How often do we simply expect to be heard?
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