st george's youth emagazine - feb13
DESCRIPTION
A magazine for youth by youthTRANSCRIPT
1
Heaven TogetherST. GEORGE YOUTH
FEBRUARY EDITION
He a v e n T
og e t he r
E-MAGAZINE 2013
2
I was fortunate enough to a/end SGY’s annual youth camp at Forest Edge. In an ac=on packed, s=mula=ng weekend, we discussed the topic of ‘iAM, iSERVE, iWORSHIP’. Never have I been struck with such great clarity and prac=cality. Here are the points that struck a chord with me…
iAM
Each person has their own character. Their own personality, their own quirks and their own being. Yet we are all made in the image of Christ. This is what binds us all. Being made in the image of Christ is a pure act of love;as it is by these means we are able to a/ain a level of godliness. It’s kind of mindboggling that we the crea=on, we the servants, we the children are capable of a/aining fellowship and unity with Christ. He is the manifesta=on of an ideal human being and our ul=mate role model. We can learn His pa=ence, His love, His tenderness, His care, His equality and incorporate it into our own lives. This is in direct contrast to the wishes of the world where acts of revenge, backstabbing and trampling on
others are ok. It is through the character of Christ that we are taught how to be transformed from worldly to godly.
iSERVE
Service is of paramount importance. “The Lord is not in need of our servitude but we are in need of His Lordship” We serve out of love; that we want to share the mercies and blessings that Christ has bestowed upon us with everyone else. We serve because it is a moral obliga=on, it is a sign of obedience and a sign of thanksgiving. It is a means of preaching and seeking God in our surroundings. Service is discovering your God-‐given talent and using it to be/er the state of humanity; rather than hiding it because you like to play it safe and not take risks. Service is simple yet it has a profound effect. Service may seem like a sacrifice on our part; a sacrifice that can never be equated to the blood shed on the cross. It may seem like a rou=ne and we may never s=ck with it long enough to experience the inner joy it cul=vates. So we must equate effec=ve service to prac=ce and pa=ence, because who honestly gets the
hang of something the first =me round?
iWORSHIP
Worship is mul=faceted. It is defined as the ac=on of bowing in adora=on. It is a means of communica=ng the emo=ons of profound love and adora=on. Worship is expressed through our service, living Chris=an values, sacrificial acts such as fas=ng, obedience, apprecia=ng beauty. All of these aspects are culminated in the liturgy. We worship out of humility and submission, as a sign of respect, thanksgiving, blessing, to be prepared for heaven and for the fear of upse\ng God. We never persevere with worship/prayer. Maybe it’s a result of the fast paced environment we live in now. If we don’t get speedy results, we must be doing something wrong and quit the task at hand. Yet St John Chrysostom’s words ring in a bell for our current state. If we have a medicine failure we try again and con=nue taking our meds-‐ if a tree logger strikes a tree and it doesn’t fall, does he not strike it again? Yet in church when anything fails do we try again and give it another go? St John certainly has a point.
BACK TO BASICSHE
AVEN
TOGE
THER
3
NEWS
St George’s Youth Camp went off with a big bang!
HE
AVEN
TOGE
THER
YOUTH UPDATE
HEAV
ENTO
GETH
ER
HEAV
ENTO
GET
HER
Habitat for HumanityBy David Georgy
WORDS OF WISDOMHabitat for Humanity is a world wide nonprofit Christian housing organisation that seeks to put "God's love into action by bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope."
By the grace of God, the church youth in Adelaide were granted the blessing of working with Habitat for Humanity to help those less fortunate than us rebuild their lives, and put a roof over their head.
The beauty of 'Habitat with Humanity' is that under guidance- you are granted an opportunity to work hands on outside your area of expertise.
As such, in a truly Christian manner, the youth worked together to undertake varying activities including gardening, digging, plumbing, painting and plastering to name a few.
It was truly a blessed opportunity to once again show our Christian workmanship, and offer our time and love to those less fortunate.
A blessing not to be missed!
As young people we often forget the need to lead. Sometimes settling for being a follower in order to avoid standing out and therefore, ensuring we :it in. Here is a quote from Nelson Mandela to expand on this point.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Nelson Mandela
As Christian youth we must take a leadership role in everything we do. Be a leader with yourself, be a leader with your family, be a leader with your friends, be a leader at university, be a leader within your Church, be a leader with your Sunday School class, be a leader within your sports clubs!
In today’s world people need true, sincere, strong and honest leaders to help them see a way of life that has eluded them for so long – a life in Christ! However, before taking the immediate decision to become a leader, I think it is worthy to learn some of the characteristics of a good leader.
The good leader has the following qualities:
1. They know where they are going – they have a vision for their life, they understand that there mission is to do the will of God, to live inspired by the Bible through the Holy Spirit. They know they are leading people to LIVE! LOVE! LEARN! GROW!
2. They know why they are leading – their WHY keeps them going when things get tough. Think of Christ’s WHY? OUR SALVATION!
3. They are driven by values not by people – they don’t care what others say or think, all they care about is that they are upholding their values as a human being and are always pleasing God.
HEAV
ENTO
GET
HER
Spiritual Monologue
Qualities of a LeaderBy John Nasr
HEAV
ENTO
GET
HER
4. They are selfless – they lead standing at the front when there is danger but they always lead from behind the group when there is reward. There exists no selfish ambi=on within them! People appreciate this type of leadership!
5. They communicate effec=vely – they understand that if they talk to people at their level, with their language they will be able to influence them!
6. They never ask someone to do something that they don’t – people respect the leader who sets an example!
7. They reflect on and learn from their mistakes – they understand that making mistakes is part of the learning process and is important as long as we can learn from it.
8. They take full responsibility for their ac=ons and results.
9. They are determined but humble (below is the descrip=on of each)
But I would like to :inish by saying that the best way to lead is to be the best person you can be and this will attract people behind you. You do not need to be loud, you do not need to be a great speaker or writer, you do nt even need to be an extrovert, just be the best you can be and remember the words of Christ:
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-‐16
Determined Humble
Always creates excellent results. Shows modesty, shunning public adula=on
Does whatever it takes to reach the outcome or result
Acts with quite, calm determina=on. Relies on inspira=on not charisma
Never se/les for sub-‐standards Sets-‐up successors for the next genera=on
Looks into the mirror not out the window for responsibility
Looks out the window not at the mirror for credi=ng success.
Youth Meeting Updates
Patristic Lens Bible Study
Mondays at 6.30pm
Youth Meeting
Fridays at 7.30pm
Followed by an outing
Youth Kitchen
March 10th
Register with Nuha Bebawi
A Magazine for Youth
Written by Youth-we need
your talent
Feeling outspoken lately?
We’re continually on the search
for literary whizzes to contribute
to this magazine. Email
[email protected] with your
expression of interest.
HEAVEN TOGETHER ST. GEORGE YOUTH E-MAGAZINE NOV 2012
H
e a v e n Tog e t h
e r