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Student Ministry June 2017

Dear Church Family,

Well, here we are! It’s summer time! This is the time of the year where the living is easy and people are out having fun in the sun. Summer time has always been one of my favorite times of the year, but it has also been a very dangerous time for me. With the fun of summer activities, more free time, and many temptations, summer has been a time when it was much harder to say no to sin. I think that students and their parents need to be aware of this and take precautions to stifle sin before it awakens.

How do we guard ourselves from sin especially when it feels inescapable and surrounding? How can parents help their students be prepared to make the right decisions when faced with temptation? What do we do when we fail to triumph over that which is enticing us? How do we celebrate when we victoriously conquer trials and snares? The answer to these questions, I believe, is the key to living for and growing in Christ. The answer to these questions will be the decisive element that parents must have to raise their children to be godly people. But before I give the answer to those questions, there are two other questions that need to be asked. For the answer to the above questions to actually be helpful, you need to ask yourself these questions: Is this summer going to be about me and my pleasures, or is it going to be about Christ and His kingdom? Secondly, are my desires for the lives of the
students I know in line with what Christ desires for and from them? Essentially these are the same question, but one is about yourself and the other is about the students in your life. They are both asking if Jesus and His desire for our lives is going to be what we actually pursue for ourselves and for others.

The reason we must ask ourselves that question is because we often take it for granted that we are living for Christ without ever evaluating what motivates our actions. We think, “of course I’m living for Jesus and showing others how to live for Him.” But when we start really evaluating our choices, our motivations can be frightening. If living for Jesus in the mundane simple everyday things is not our motivation, then we will not find the answer to the first four questions to be very helpful. That’s because the answer is the gospel.

The gospel is the answer to all our struggles in life. This is because the gospel is the only thing that can truly make us more like Jesus. The gospel is the only thing that can motivate students to fight temptation, have peace when sin prevails, ultimately overcome sin, and then give thanks to God when the temptation is far behind them. The gospel is what we need to be focusing on and motivated by every single day. When we think about what Christ did for us on the cross and remember that He is here with us even now, we are motivated to live for Him. More than that, when we rest in His righteousness (His perfection and right relationship with God) that He has given to us, we are empowered to overcome sin and grow more like Him.

This is how we fight sin! This is how we teach students to fight sin! We look to Christ and rest in the gospel of His death and resurrection for us. But, this answer will only be helpful to you if you desire Christ and His kingdom and His will for students’ lives above all else. So, I will ask you the question I must ask myself; which do you love more? The summer and its pleasures, or Christ and His kingdom?

Sincerely,
Brian Van Doren

Spare Change June 2017

Helping the Poor and Homeless

What do we do when we see someone pan handling on the side of the road?  Often, it’s at an intersection or at an off ramp.  You try to look the other way and not make eye contact, but like any good Christian, there is a pang of guilt that won’t let go.  What do you do? Give them money or ignore them?  Are these the only two options?  Through working with our food pantry, doing inner-city missions, and connections to organizations in the city of Evansville I have some insight that may be able to help you.  I believe there are six things you can do to help
someone that is in a desperate situation.

1. View them as a person created in the image of God

The first thing we need to do is make sure we are thinking about that individual correctly.  They are a person created by God, in the image of God.  No matter how dirty or disheveled they might be they are deserving of dignity and respect.  We must fight the temptation to think less of them and think more highly of ourselves.  The reality is that the greatest need of all of us is not money or food— it is Christ.  I am fond of the old saying, “The ground is level at the foot of the cross.”  In treating them as an image bearer you need to realize they have a story, if you can safely talk to them, try to understand their story.  This will help you to make the decision about whether or not you should help.

2. Be familiar with the resources in your city/church

You would be surprised if I told you of all the help that is out there for poor and homeless people if they know where to look.  Every year our city has a homeless connect event (www.evansvillehomeless.org) in which agencies and businesses come together to help people in this exact situation.  There are several shelters where people can stay, provided they have not been kicked out for breaking rules.  There are also several places where people can get a hot meal throughout the day.  You need to be familiar with the resources that are in your area.  For Evansville go to www.unitedwayswi.org and click on 211, you can search the many local resources that are available.  Many people have ended up homeless through a series of bad circumstances and may just need a helping hand.  Others have chosen to remain homeless despite the resources available to them.

3. Be wary of scammers

The reality is that we do live in a very fallen world and people will use your guilt to take advantage of you.  I almost never give money directly to someone unless I have a relationship with them and the only thing that will help is money.  We have all seen exposés on fake homeless people raking in the dough from suckers with tender hearts.  There are some scammers out there, but there are also some genuine people that really do need help.

4. Think creatively about how you can help

Are there other ways to help besides giving money?  I know many families that will carry around homeless packs that have nonperishable food and hygiene items.  You can find many examples on Pinterest.  This is another way to help without offering cash that can be used for drugs or alcohol.  You can also volunteer at a soup kitchen or food pantry.  This will help you to think creatively about meeting the needs of homeless people.

5. Offer the greatest gift - Prayer

I always try to offer a pray for someone.  When Peter and John were confronted with a lame beggar they gave a gift in the name of Jesus- healing.  Many people you meet do not need physical healing, but they certainly need healing from their circumstances of life and healing of their heart.  The best thing you can do is turn to the Lord and openly pray for them in that moment.

6. Let the Holy Spirit be your guide

The Holy Spirit is a great gift to us.  He will lead and guide us even in matters like these.  I remember my wife, Kristi, telling me that when she was pregnant with our third child she saw a young pregnant woman that was homeless on Green River Road.  Her heart broke and she wanted to help.  She talked to the lady who really just wanted food.  My wife went to Fazoli’s and took her a meal. That was truly a Holy Spirit led moment.  Like Kristi, trust the Holy Spirit to guide you.  We need to care for the poor and downtrodden, they matter to God and they need to matter to us.