Mardi Tindal
Be ready - they're coming home!
Posted on: 08/14/2011 16:09
Over 500 United Church of Canada youth, young adults and leaders are on their way home from Rendez-vous 2011. Be ready.
I've had the priviledge of spending the past four days with this lively community of faithful, creative individuals, through powerful expressions of Christian witness, in song and in prayer, through the challenging presentations of plenary speakers and in many conversations.
These teens are coming home with enlarged hearts and big ideas about being 21st century disciples.
They need you to be ready to stand with them as they take their next steps to enliven the church of Jesus Christ in love with the world God loves.
Be ready to listen carefully to their dreams for themselves and their church. Resist the temptation to offer advice before it's asked. Trust that they already understand a lot about their gifts and limitations. Find ways to affirm and receive their gifts.
It is my prayer that with one another, in congregation and community, we will be able to risk being what the transforming power of the Spirit is calling The United Church of Canada to be; that we will find ways to support one another in taking the next steps of faithfulness; that in conversations like the ones I've had this weekend, we will give one another the necessary encouragement to listen deeply to our souls in response to Christ's call toward a world that reflects God's love.
I closed my Thursday night presentation with some of Reinhold Niehbuhr's powerful words as you will see in this video clip of day one.
Be ready to be saved by love - in your community.
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Comments
Matthew Stevens
Posted on: 08/15/2011 11:36
Right-on Mardi!!! Thank you for saying it like it is. After four days at Rendezvous 2011 I too genuinely believe that there is a real hope for the future of this church of ours. The key is for we old folks to stop playing gate-keepers, and start acting as true Christian enablers for the youth. They have some answers - and yes they'll make some mistakes along the way - but so what? We older folks have made more than our fair share of mistakes, but to stand in the way of these inspired and fired-up youth would be the biggest mistake we've ever made! Thanks again, Mardi, for your leadership.
somegalfromcan
Posted on: 08/15/2011 22:10
There were several youth from my congregation who attended (along with one of our ministers) - and I am really looking forward to hearing what they have learned from this event. I hope that what they have to say to myself and my congregation will energize all of us - and that we can find ways of working together with them.
RevLGKing
Posted on: 09/16/2011 17:05
When needed, I always remind myself: Those who thought the "OLD FOLKS" odd, are now the ODD OLD folks. Are we ever!
I know all about children! After all I was once, believe it or not, a child.
Whenever I meet young people, with a smile on my face, I usually say: "I remember that I was once a child, a teenager, a young adult, etc. May I ask you: Do you remember ever being old?" I always get a
or a nervous 
Here's an idea: Could we who are in our second childhood, teenage-hood, whatever, have a day with youth ... the moderator, or anyone willing to put up with us, eh? (As we say in Canada, eh?)