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Post by deadsky on Dec 13, 2006 10:00:10 GMT -5
I miss the days where we go hangout at church to watch movies on the projection, play games in the baby room, and just having small talk with the youth. It made me feel that in some sense we or I could feel connected as a youth with similar interests that made our other future fellowship activities stronger. without a common interest, separation is still strong.
you know, not just video games I mean. rollerskating for example, brings alot of youth towards one interest. But there is no chance for me to play video games or volleyball (which are my own interests) with my youth without it being at church and i wouldn't mind doing what interests them either. They're not going to come to my house and play. And not that it's bad, but activities with the topic of bible as just the premise kinda stunts the time to get to know one another through activity. for example bible study, which I don't really consider a source of getting to know one another. I just believe biblical studies and sermons are an individual's activity within the act of fellowship. Of course nothing wrong with having a session during activities to devote to God. And to remind you, I'm only talking about developing relationships with others.
It seems selfish but when the youth has fun in church and we all have to stop to go home when we don't want to, I find it a fork in the road of fellowship. I want the youth to enjoy a certain activity and allow it to remain. Like how Fitchburg has Flag Football, we don't have anything. There's no situation where if we just want to play video games or table tennis, we could hang out at church and play as long as we'd like. But it'd be cool. That kind of fellowship, works for me.
Typically when we arrange some event that just involves simplistic activities and junk food, many come and enjoy themselves. I'll have to see what the Fellowship ministry is doing. unfortunately I can not be involved with more than one ministry.
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Post by maichoua on Dec 13, 2006 17:27:36 GMT -5
very true. i dont think you have to worry about this year. the fellowship group has alot of things planned this year. haha. but its a surprise so i cant tell any of you guys what we're doing. haha..
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Post by mattxiong on Dec 13, 2006 23:39:51 GMT -5
Fellowship (among Christians) involves any activity that promotes community among participants, growth of the body of the Church, and companionship. It is also just the gathering of people with common interests/belief (God), not necessarily doing things of common interest. So yea...Bible study and church service is fellowship too. Fellowship is a verb AND a noun. Us just being together for a common goal is fellowship. It's a whole lot of things!
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Post by deadsky on Dec 14, 2006 1:09:02 GMT -5
I kinda threw in the word too much but as I said, I'm only talking about a means of developing fellowship. A suggestion to the idea to developing fellowship activities, I think need some simple interests that brings us together.
and we join in fellowship yea but many do not allow us to feel like a united and personal youth.
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Post by p3ngus on Dec 14, 2006 2:32:43 GMT -5
i wish i could join fellowship group for next year but i wont be here though...  |
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Post by mattxiong on Dec 14, 2006 3:53:00 GMT -5
Hm...I just feel that the interest that brings us together is God. If He isn't enough, and we need other things of this world to feel more like a united group in God, then I think we're misguided. Wouldn't it make sense for a youth group hungry to be a unified group under God to feast and drink up God, rather than other leisure activities? He is more than enough for us. He is our drink. He is our feast. If we don't believe this when we sing out these words, then we haven't really been worshipping Him at all.
Worship isn't just believing the words we sing during praise & worship either, it's living out what the words say. I think that the best and most sufficiant way for us to fellowship is through worship (not singing and playing music together). Worship is the main activity up in Heaven. All the angels and elders up in Heaven do is worship God. And they do it FOREVER! Man...if worship isn't enough for us, then I don't think we'll really enjoy Heaven.
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Post by deadsky on Dec 14, 2006 10:03:56 GMT -5
but you're looking at the youth as though they all have the same conception. If everyone's theology and opinion were the same as that, than there would be no point in a fellowship ministry because it is just to say that if they all believed that, there would be no need in developing the youth because it is now their choice whether they want to or not. If 5 out of 10 believe worship is a sense of companionship, of course those 5 people will be friends. Then what about the other five? should we let them be because they have different ideals? shouldn't we find some means of developing friendship as a whole in order to spread the ideal of worship instead of thinking of letting them be because they just don't see it like us?
I'm already basing the audience as the youth which means it's already people who go to a church of God. And within a church of God, why mustn't we get to know one another still even if we do already come to worship him? I'm talking about companionship. Do you feel that when you worship God, you finally developed a relation to everyone in your youth group?
It's like if you date someone or want to be their friend, there is no such thing as a relationship without you spending leisurely time. If you want everyone to simply worship and already feel a sense of unity, they must first have the same conception that worship God is companionship.
spending leisurely time with members of the church of God, I wasn't taking it so far as to say this is all we should do or if it was the answer. It is just another route or step to as I keep saying develop. To develop a mindset of common interests such as worship, we should include other things. We shouldn't just jump into only worship and expect everyone to join. of course the ones who are going to accept worship and join already feels unified with people of the same interest.
By ignoring those who have different ideals there is still separation in our youth because it's not as though everyone enjoys it. If we leave it at that to their choice to worship than we shouldn't be talking about developing a youth in general. Everyone is capable of knowing that worship is essential but yet some don't worship. We're accepting that we are united in Worship while not united with the others even though we're in the same youth group. As I agree with you that they should like worship and feel unified but it's not whats happening. Not everyone in the youth is "hungry" for God. But let us assume we were developing as a youth, I'm pretty sure sooner or later if everyone felt friendship than they would have similar interests, especially Worship. If every action will help a specific interest towards God, it is not misguidance. If there is only one way to feel united and only one direction to get there, we should've reached it already.
If someone depended on friendship to eventually like Worship, I think it's still a blessing. And if I may know better my fellow Worship-ees, by hanging out; Worship can be enhanced.
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Post by mattxiong on Dec 14, 2006 12:01:43 GMT -5
hm yea...I think we're both on the right track. We're just emphasizing different things. And I believe that the fellowship ministry team does exist to do what you're saying. I'm just seeing a bigger picture, perhaps of a possible future, of ultimate fellowship happening in worship, which is happening in everyday life...every hour, every minute, every second. Many people don't understand what worship is. And right, we cant really fellowship by worshipping if no one knows what worship is (or no one wants to yet because they don't know what it is or don't know how to). There's a huge misunderstanding nowadays with worship and music. Music is music, and worship is worship. Music does not equal worship. We worship with music though. In fellowship, God is a common interest that binds us together. To break it down even more, worship should be the common ground. If we're all living a life of worship, our unity is most powerful (if we dont let pride get in the way).
But yes...we're not all at that point yet. And yes...we will need plenty of fresh and new leisure activites to get things going. I just didn't feel like you emphasized worshipping (Romans 12:1-2, Hebrews 13:15-16) God as a means of fellowship. So I did.
Also, I'm not doubting your knowledge by any means, I'm saying most of this to inform everyone reading and really help them to know what it is that fellowship is all about. But I really must say...in whatever we do in our fellowship, we must first ask ourselves, "is this Biblical?", "does this glorify God?"...Because the Bible says that in everything that we do, may it bring glory to God. Whether the youth will feel like a family or not, are we even pleasing to God? That's what I'm asking myself.
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Post by deadsky on Dec 14, 2006 13:44:34 GMT -5
I understand. I like the clarity and conclusion that we made.
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