Close Encounters
Nicodemus
The 12-year-old daughter of Jairus
Saul
Zacchaeus
Woman at the well
Pontius Pilate
The blind man
The demoniac
Simon Peter
The dying thief
The child with the lunch
Andrew
The Centurion
The Leper
…and the list could go on and on. But what do all of these people have in common? An encounter. Specifically, an encounter with Jesus – one that no doubt left an impact on who they were, who they became and the future decisions that they would make. They were men, women, kids, the sick, the healthy, the rich and the poor.
All of these interactions that we read about in the New Testament are quite powerful and a reminder of the importance of an encounter with Jesus. This past June I got to spend some time in Israel walking in the footsteps of Jesus. It felt like a daily encounter with Jesus as I witnessed some of the places where these interactions took place. But it wasn’t just the significance of some geographical holy sites- it was the power and the presence of the person who made these sites- Jesus. As I’ve continued to read and interact with the Gospels since returning home, I am reminded that Jesus desires to have these encounters with me. And with you. And with the youth who will step through our doors this school year.
As we kick off our M.S. & H.S. youth ministries this month, our focus will simply be on helping students have encounters of their own with Jesus. Our teaching series will focus in on some of the Gospel encounters from the list of people above with the hope of merging those stories with the lives of our youth. Encounters with Jesus can be life changing and we want these stories to spread within our schools and families. We want Jesus encounters with our youth – encounters that impact who they are, who they are becoming and the future decisions they will make. Every name matters…
Ava
Lucas
Devin
Lily
Kaitlyn
Drew
Lane
Destiny
Dawson
Regan
Clay
Izaak
Hadley
Peyton
…and the list could go on and on. Those names and 80-100 other students will have weekly opportunities to encounter Jesus. Sometimes those encounters will be revealing answers to questions they didn’t know they had, or maybe even pointing out some of the grossness that sin creates in our lives. We hope that nonbelieving students will come to saving faith in Jesus and those who are believers will take major steps of spiritual growth throughout this school year. Please join us in praying to that end. And join us in praying for the 15-20 adult small group leaders who will work with these students throughout this school year. What an awesome opportunity our leaders and each of our youth have of encountering Jesus this year!
Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42 NLT)
