Kingdom Service

Last weekend of the term hols. 8 kids – teens 13 to 18 years. 3 adults. We called it a ‘boot camp’ but it was really an extended sleepover focused on discipleship and learning tools for sharing one’s faith. We titled it, God’s Kingdom Strikes Back!


So what does it mean to ‘follow’ Jesus, we asked? No easy answers, but if “to love is to obey” then we all need to work out how our devotion is expressed, and what fruit is evidenced by obedience. We watched Star Wars IV: A New Hope; Michelle taught us a rope trick (Wa-ah, like magic!); everyone learned to write down their testimony (good enough for a 2-minute sharing); everyone had to do some community service picking up trash around a couple of neighbourhoods (people are unashamedly dirty!); Junie made us talk about our bad habits (!); teams took turns to serve and do the dishes. Finally, Sunday morning at Titiwangsa: face-to-face encounters, putting into practice what was learned. Ended with lunch with some adults, with the kids talking informally about their experiences.

Learned a few things:
[1] Call it what you like - 'conversion' or 'accepting the Lord,' but a spiritual awakening is often a journey that defies order
[2] You may know a lot about Jesus because you were born in a Christian home and you may go to church diligently, but unless you’ve met Jesus personally, you do not know him at all
[3] It’s the easiest thing to talk about Switchfoot, Star Wars, PS, and everything else, but your throat goes dry when the subject is about your faith in Jesus
[4] How you use the washroom says a lot about who you are
[5] Many things are possible when the heart is in the right place

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Luke 18:16

NB: Read one teen's review (June 16 post) of the retreat here.