I woke up this morning in prayer as I do most mornings.

Although this morning came with passion for a Future of Faith. Looking out to future generations of faith.

Years ago when Al and I were newlyweds and fresh in the Lord together, in our church there were no couples our age. There were older people who had raised their children in church and had prayers that one day their children would return to the church to their faith, and to the Lord.

I thought often of God’s promise in his words, “Raise your children up in the way of the Lord and they will not depart from it.”

Many years have passed and we find ourselves at the end of the journey of “raising our children in the way of the Lord.” They did not depart from the Lord. And now they our on their own journey of raising their children in the way of the Lord.

Passing our faith on in our families is priority in our journey in Christ. Our daughters were preachers-kids. My constant prayer was that they would find a very close intimate relationship with their Lord and savior. They did.

Recently our younger daughter and her husband moved to the small community of Republic outside of Springfield, Mo. They had been living in Springfield and were attending the 1st Baptist Church of Republic, where they had found lots of couples their age that they enjoyed the worship and fellowship in that church. They joined this church and bought a home there in the community.

Not long after they become actively involved in the ministry of this church, my daughter found herself sitting beside the pastor’s daughter in a Baptist type meeting such as my daughter had never experienced in her fathers ministry. Details were never brought to the surface to anyone’s understanding, toward the Pastor. After too much stress and lack of constructive communication, the whole church staff resigned in one Sunday evening. The Pastor of youth, the minister of children, the worship minister and the Pastor.

When this Pastor came to this church, he was asked to minister in a way that he would bring young couples into the church. He did bring many young couples in to the church. They are all gone now. Now there is a new church in Republic full of young couples and also older people who have a passion for future generations in faith. In their 3rd Sunday of worship together they were 127 in attendance. Worshiping in joy and passion of raising their children up in the way of the Lord.

The 1st Baptist church of Republic recently displayed on their church sign “old fashioned music and preaching.” My question is, do they love their traditions, heritage and hymn books more than they love the Lord or God’s plan for future generation of faith?

I am a Pastors wife that God has given an extreme passion for our young adults and families in my church of 1st Baptist Pea Ridge. I am so thankful for the ministry in our church that promotes the growth of young families and the future of their children. As I become older and hopefully more mature in the Lord, my personal prayer is that I am a part of God’s ministry in a current world. I love seeing the passion of younger people worship with all their hearts in the songs of their time period more than my songs of old, because I see Christ alive in their hearts. And our Faith marches on into the future as God has purposed it to do.

In the fly leaves of my Bible I have what I call my Hall of Faith. My mentors who have inspired me with their faith. Elders of my life who touched me in a way that has formed my inner spiritual character.

Edith Burling taught me simple faith and trust and keeping a single focus on the love for God and all his people.

Maxine Lee reconfirmed the importance of loving the church, God had placed me in. She said this church needs a lot of love. “Love never fails.”

Maxine Richardson showed me faith in action, her presence, her hospitality, her servant’s heart will forever change who I am in Christ daily- thank you so much Maxine.

Maxine Morrison’s great joy and sense of humor, a spinster retired school teacher, she read the Bible through on an average of 6-7 times a year.

Edith Laramore’s caring for others, making sure the Pastor knew of ministering needs of everyone in the church, networking fellowship to care for one another’s needs. On her dying bed as I held her hand a few days before she passed away she expressed her understanding of the churches need to minister to a current world, in new ways.

There are more in my personal Hall of Faith and I am sure more to be added. It has been important for me to remember those who God used in the building of his kingdom and the future of an on going faith.

Please join me in these prayers for our church:

Truth prevails over the darkness of dissention and gossip.

God helps us to see a world in need of a savoir as more important than ourselves and our traditions.

Elders who are willing to Love and affirm young families in our church, and also pray that because we have a heart for future generations of faith, God will increase our ministry.

Protection for the Pastors and all those called by God to lead the Church.

A closing thought:

When I think back about the church that was waiting to see the children who were raised in the Lord to return. Was it the staleness and stagnant traditions of their perceived ideas of church that they raised their children up in, rather than really raising them up in the way of the Lord?

The church split my daughter has gone through left parents behind in the ole church with their good ole fashioned religion and a very small group of ole people who cling to their traditions. Their children, as young adult are willing to move on into the future ministry of new generations.

I want to be one of the ole people that wrap my arms around them and cheer them on, rejoicing in worship with them and hopefully mentoring as God calls me.

–Kim