This morning, I am preparing for a meeting with two very enthusiastic folks about an event we are planning. Youth directors, pastors, and volunteers will be coming from all over the Benton County area to share ideas, trade tips, and express their vision for youth ministry in their churches.
Our job is to provide the format and structure for the event. But the real treasures will arrive in the form of shared ideas.
If you are a youth director (paid or volunteer), a parent, or even a highly motivated young person, this is the event for you. Watch this blog for the official announcement and follow the Post Oak Youth Group on Facebook.
The main idea here is CONNECTIONALISM.
Many churches are congregational. That means, their leadership is limited to the local church. Their resources are drawn primarily from the local setting.
Connectional churches share a common goal, common leaders, and resource one another with shared assets. in many communities, youth ministry is a perfect way to demonstrate this idea. Four churches might have dead youth ministry. Church A has plenty of kids. Church B has money, but no children. Church C has a large facility but it lies empty and unused. And Church D is blessed with capable leaders enthusiastic about Youth, but they lack money, space, and most
If you don’t know the story of Stone Soup, now is a good time to learn it.
The Story of Stone Soup
Once upon a time, somewhere in post-war Eastern Europe, there was a great famine in which people jealously hoarded whatever food they could find, hiding it even from their friends and neighbors. One day a wandering soldier came into a village and began asking questions as if he planned to stay for the night.
“There’s not a bite to eat in the whole province,” he was told. “Better keep moving on.”
“Oh, I have everything I need,” he said. “In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you.” He pulled an iron cauldron from his wagon, filled it with water, and built a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a velvet bag and dropped it into the water.
By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come to the square or watched from their windows. As the soldier sniffed the “broth” and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their skepticism.
“Ahh,” the soldier said to himself rather loudly, “I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup withcabbage — that’s hard to beat.”
Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a cabbage he’d retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot. “Capital!” cried the soldier. “You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king.”
The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . and so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for all. The villagers offered the soldier a great deal of money for the magic stone, but he refused to sell and traveled on the next day. The moral is that by working together, with everyone contributing what they can, a greater good is achieved.
When we all put our resources together, there is enough.
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