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Local 20somethings: Beginning with the End in Mind By Andrea
Mathews “Be prepared
to step out of the ordinary” was the text message that went out
to all of the members of The Garage College and Career Group in
Euless, TX on Wednesday, May 14, 2008. As they stepped into
class that evening they were met with an unusual feeling.
The garage, which has become our home for class, had been turned
into a funeral home. Everyone was handed a program as they
took their seats, not knowing at all what to expect. “With Hope”
by Steven Curtis Chapman began to play as soon as everyone was seated.
Instead of the normal chatter, everyone sat silently listening to
the music. From there we proceeded with a normal memorial
service for Faith Renee Jurney (a character that our Ministry Team
developed and will be using throughout our series). Jason
Ouellette welcomed everyone on behalf of the family, Keith Mathews
somberly read the obituary, and Julie Ouellette read a poem.
Another beautiful song was played before Brother Richard M. Davis
began the eulogy. Following the inspiring message, which left
us challenged to live a faithful, God-centered life, we concluded
with everyone joining in the singing of Amazing Grace. What Was The Purpose? Allow me to
share our vision behind this dramatic introduction into our new
series, “Beginning with the End in Mind.” We are starting
a series on the doctrine of salvation. We will be teaching
on the basics of what it means to be saved and why we do what we
do. The reasoning behind the funeral service was two-fold:
1) shock value and 2) bringing attention to the fact that it is
the end that we live for and to make them think about what would
be said at their funeral. Our group is
made up of about 10 young adults between the ages of 18 and 30.
As you can imagine, there are many different stages of life represented
from those who have just graduated high school to those who are
graduating college. Some are working full-time positions,
while others are still trying to decide what they want to do with
their life. We felt led that no matter what leg of their journey
they are traveling, now is the time for dedication. In this
age group, we find ourselves busy with school, friends, and church,
but it is so easy to lose focus on what truly matters. It
is time to make sure we are focused more on the finals we take in
life, as there are no retakes, and it is definitely not graded on
a curve! Before Life Comes Death To close out
the evening, I challenged everyone to envision their funeral.
What if you were the one that was being spoken of tonight?
If you died tonight or tomorrow, would you be ready? What
would be said about you? Would you have friends there to celebrate
a life well lived? Were you faithful to the things that really
matter in life? We all took some time to inventory our lives
and the presence of God swept in so strong. Everyone was encouraged
to come each Wednesday night in a prayerful spirit, ready for God
to speak to each of us. In preparation
for this series, the C&C Team has made video clips of Faith's
life prior to her death. We will show a clip each night before
class that will serve as a teaching point for each lesson.
We will end this series with a class titled, “Decision Time.”
We have a lot planned going forward, and I can't wait to see what
God has in store for our group! © 2008, Andrea
Mathews ---------- Andrea Mathews and husband Keith fulfill their passion in part by directing the College and Career Department at First United Pentecostal Church in Euless, Texas, where Carl McLaughlin is pastor. At home, they find themselves directed by a headstrong Schnoodle by the name of Einstein. |
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