I’m finally back on the blog again. It’s been too long – at least for me. You may have enjoyed the break from my long, waffling articles and poorly constructed sentences. Not to mention the poor jokes.
A few weeks ago, I was intending to write a post and my thinking back then was that there was a lot of ground to cover. However, then there was this virus that struck, which kind of threw everyone a little bit.
So, I’ll do what I was always planning to do, which was to give you an update on how things are developing in the youth ministry but I’ll do so in light of the COVID 19 situation. I’m keen to write about the very specific area of how the youth ministry I help to lead, is in the process of responding to all that is going on. I’m going to hit you with another two parter. This post will provide some context and food for thought, as we go into the second part which will seek to provide some more lengthy answers to questions I’ve been wrestling with (see below).
The build up…
Suddenly, what felt so distant from South Africa became a close reality in a matter of weeks and just like most parts of the world, the actions taken by the government started to bring home the severity and reality of the situation.
I would be dishonest if I told you I didn’t first feel discouraged by how things quickly turned from where we seemed to be going, as a youth ministry, when all of this hit. My prayer for the youth ministry has been that more of our youth would be drawn into our groups, particularly, the midweek small groups. The other leaders and I have been longing that the youth would grow to love and serve each other better and ultimately grow in their love for the King of the Universe. Prior to the situation we find currently ourselves in, I felt that momentum was building in the youth ministry, growth seemed to be happening and prayers were being answered. Then, all of all a sudden, something this big happens which leads me down the path of wrongly thinking that all of these good things will surely come to an abupt halt.
The initial actions taken by the South African government were swift and were tighter than many of the first moves made by other countries, who’ve been experiencing an outbreak of the virus. As I write, we are currently on day 7 of what the government has stated will be a 21 day lockdown (most are expecting for this period to be extended). It was necessary for the government to respond with the speed and gravitas with which they did given the vulnerability of so much of the South African population. Many in the country can’t safely quarantine with many living in small spaces under one roof and then who households living in neighbourhoods which are densely populated. Many don’t have access to the healthcare which would be needed to help to fight such a virus. To add to this, the vulnerability is accentuated massively with the large number of people (approximately 7 million) who are immunocompromised living with HIV and TB.
The youth ministry at Hope Church is formed of teens and their families, coming from a range of backgrounds. There have been so many questions to consider, as the situation has been developing on a daily basis.
Questions such as…
Can we continue to engage in a context which is so diverse, particularly with the differences in accessibility to resources? If yes, how?
Can we now engage effectively with so many of our youth families who aren’t properly connected into the church community, aside from the youth ministry? If yes, how?
Can we show love to our youth and their families, in this situation? If yes, how?
The need for perspective
As I was able to take some time to pause and reflect on how we move forward, it was good to be reminded, once again, about how little control I have over the situation I find myself in. I know this as a reality in my head but so often, I fail to live it out because I realise that it’s not a reality that always penetrates into my heart.
As a Christian, I firmly believe that I’m fully dependent on the relational God of the Bible. I can enjoy the care of a powerful Father, instead of being left to a frightening loneliness where everything is down to me. You see, I don’t view God as a nice ‘add on’ to life or even just a psychological crutch but view him as essential to my existence – as the source of all life, love, goodness and grace! And all of what is going on in the world, at the moment, and what we’re coping with in the youth ministry has helped me to realise, yet again, how much I need God. It’s been another wake up call for me, for sure.
I believe that we’re called to respond to all that is going with faith, hope and love and not fear. More of this will be addressed in the next post, as I explore what that looks like in the youth ministry. However, despite some fears I may have (I’d be lying if I said I had none), I can remind myself of an ultimate reality and a certain hope which calls me to not fear.
I have a hope which is concrete, irreversible and undoable and so does anyone who trusts in the Lord Jesus. I’m encouraging people around to use this as an opportunity to point more people to the hope in Christ, to see people safe for eternity. I’m also encouraging people to love others by caring in other ways by demonstrating God’s love, care and compassion. We can love each other in so many tangible ways as we unite and come together and demonstrate the love of Christ to the people around us.
My answer to the earlier questions I’ve been wrestling with, in the youth ministry, is a resounding ‘YES’… to the first part. By God’s grace, we can still engage, we can still connect and we can still love, in this time. We can do these things even though it may seem hard at points. The answer to the ‘how’ of all of this will be explored in more depth, in my next post to follow shortly. Watch this space.
Peace,
Adam 😊
Another Brit Abroad 