I was blessed to have met again with our friends over at the Cincinnati Chinese church yesterday. We’re currently putting together a two-year curriculum run that will integrate spiritual disciplines, apologetic training, theology, history, culture, and practical application of all of the above. I can honestly tell you that I’m more excited for teaching this fall than I have been since I first began ministry. It’s not just the topics (which are looking phenomenal), but that we’re looking at taking this up as the collective. Jayson French once expressed to me that what sold him on taking his position at CIY was the thought of accessing so many teens (literally the next generation) and seeing them rise up as one to take on the world. The longer I’ve been involved in church-proper the more convinced that real change is only going to come from our shaping the coming generations, and only then if they can figure out how to unite efforts and stop this precedent of competition that we in the church seem so fond of. It excites me to think that we could literally be a part of engendering a generation of disciples the likes of which this earth has not yet seen… Too idealistic? My skeptical side says yes, but I look at what the Master’s done with us in the past, and I know that He wills to do exceedingly abundantly more than we can expect. Our Master surely has a plan to counter this cultural slide… please Father, let Your servants here be part of that plan!
Eph 3:20-21
20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,
21 to Him {be} the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
(NAU)
