Charlie Says… November 2010

As each FootSteps weekend approaches, my mind cries out, “Oh, no! Not another FootSteps weekend! It’s so hard! A weekend away from the family, a weekend of minimal sleep, a weekend of teens asking difficult questions.” Then, as I pull into the church parking lot and see all of the cars and walk into the building and hear the raucous laughter and then… “Charrrrrrrlieeeeee,” I smile and think, “Okay, Satan, you lose again!”
Bottom line: it’s hard! It’s hard to do ministry. It’s hard to proclaim Christ. It’s hard to remember the names of over fifty teenagers. It’s hard to put your love for Christ into words that non-believers can begin to understand.
For our teens, it’s hard to commit a whole weekend, get off of work, miss sports practices, not text for 48 hours, expose your commitment to Christ (or lack thereof), and talk to total strangers from schools from all over the region.
I believe it is supposed to be hard. All relationships are hard. And that’s what we talk about at FootSteps: a relationship with God.  There is anguish, wailing, and gnashing of teeth; arguments, compromise, compassion, forgiveness; and, most of all love.
But that’s what makes the relationship valuable.
It’s really, really worth it! God wants us to hold up our end of this relationship. He is already on board! He is loving us and blessing us. He is waiting for us to respond.
On our weekends, we offer suggestions for this response. We look at the Word of God in the Bible. We discuss what His Word means in our lives. We sing and worship…a lot! The candidates have the opportunity to talk with other teens about the role God has in their lives. We try very hard to demonstrate God’s love through the actions of the teen team.
James 2:26 tells us that “…faith without action is dead.” FootSteps is all about action! We challenge the candidates to live out their faith lives with action. To become involved with their church and youth groups. To make decisions with God in mind. To worship authentically. To live life with purpose!
FootSteps can be many things to many people. For some, the weekend becomes an opportunity to renew a faith that has been dormant. For some, it gives a chance to share a vibrant faith with others. And for others, the weekend is a turning point in their lives as they experience God’s love for the first time.
See ya next weekend!
Charlie