Shine!

Matthew 5:14-16: "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

Shine! That was the theme at our ELCA statewide youth gathering in Michigan last month. I have blogged about this event before. This year was amazing! The event had over 600 youth and adults in attendance, and many lights were shining. I am very proud to be a part of the planning team for the the event we call "The Gathering." The speaker, Tasha Schuh, was inspiring. The main musician, Agape, was invigorating. The entire event, from worship to recreation was excellent! As a youth minister I was extremely proud of our youth from Mamrelund Lutheran Church. They were wonderful lights shining brightly.
Warning: Proud leader about to brag!!
We took 15 youth and 5 adults to the 4 day event. 7 of our youth served as small group leaders. 4 of our youth were victorious in the "Olympics" game called the chariot race. Our praise band was asked to lead worship on the last night. We have a H.S. guitarist (Kelsey) and vocalist (Meg) that were on stage leading the masses in praising God. Our entire youth group led a section of worship that we did on Easter morning a couple years ago, called "Easter in 3 Words." Check it out on YouTube.
Our kids were leaders up front, but they were also lights behind the scenes. They were welcoming of strangers from Alpena who became friends quickly. They were active participants in all areas of the Gathering, and they came home renewed, refreshed, and ready to "Shine." I have taken larger groups to the Gathering, but this group was definitely shining with the best of them.
After we returned, we shared with our congregation, in worship, how the Gathering impacted us. Again, our youth stepped up to shine. They had the listeners laughing and crying. The Holy Spirit was moving and our young people were moving with it.
In our culture today it is true that young people involvement in mainline churches is declining. This is very troubling to me, and as a full-time minister, I am working to fight back against the trend. But this month, at our church, our young people are leading the way. They are shining and ready to keep growing. The mission for me, our parents, and our congregation, is to keep 'em going. We must empower, equip, and energize our young people for ministry. The leaders today will lead our church tomorrow as well. If we show them how to "Shine," and give them opportunities to "Shine," I believe they will "Shine" brightly. What better could we do for our youth and the world today?
Keep shining Mamrelund youth! Amen.