Tevis Austin

The Journey

We have spent the past few weeks preparing for a journey that would lead us to Easter.  The journey started on Ash Wednesday where we set up several different stations that were designed to help people begin the Lent season.  The first station was titled "Prepare Your Heart" and was about recognizing and eliminating distractions in your life.

The second station was "Seek God" and involved taking time to talk to God. 

The third station, "Focus on the Cross," invited everyone to reflect on the sacrifice of Jesus and come to the place where we are all on equal ground because of our need for forgiveness.

With the cross still in view, the next station was called "Be Clean and Transformed."  This station focused on how we can receive forgiveness and be made clean through Jesus.  It encouraged each person to focus on how God wants to shape and transform our lives.  

The final area encouraged people to "Draw Close to God" by committing to seek Jesus during Lent. 

To help people seek Jesus during Lent, we put together several different resources and activities.  These opportunities were designed for all ages.  They included opportunities for individuals and families to serve in our community.  We set up a website where everyone could go to get more information on these opportunities and to sign up.  You can click on the picture below to see it for yourself. 

 

Lost Voice While Students Do Something

I spent last weekend with 48 students and adults at a two day event called "Do Something."  The greatest challenge for me was speaking.  I actually lost my voice.  I felt fine, but my voice was gone.  I was was supposed to speak two different times.  I was able to use a sound system to attempt saying a few things when we kicked off the event, but that was about it.  I'm sure there were some who thought this was great.   I had to work with another leader to speak for me in the evening.

 

We served at Lower Lights, a compassionate ministry center, in Columbus. 

We worked on four different apartments that will be used for families needing housing.

 

Students painted, moved appliances, and did minor demolition. 

They even cleaned floors.  I should probably send some of these pictures to their parents.

It was a great weekend.  What was most frustrating to me were the conversations that I wasn't able to have with many of the thirty-eight students who signed up to go.  So many times I would stand and try to talk.  I would then get this strange look and the question, "What did you say?"  Eventually you just want to give up. 

We actually stayed a few miles away from Lower Lights at Fort Rapids where there was an indoor water park.  The water park was great, but we used the dichotomy between Fort Rapids and the needs that were just a few miles away, to point out how we often become numb to the needs that are around us everyday.

It wasn't about serving at Lower Lights.  It was about noticing the needs that are around us in our own community and schools.  The focus was on our theme "Do Something."  We intentionally challenged these students to become more aware of the needs of others and to do something about meeting those needs.

Being Family

I have been teaching a class at Mount Vernon Nazarene University again this fall.  This class has to be one of the most unusual classes.  The class is on family ministries, and I have found that some of the students seem to be resistant to the idea of family ministry.  In fact, a couple of the students seem to only want the traditional youth group that has students down in the basement away from everyone else.  On Monday, one student even asked, "What happens if we don't believe in family ministry?"   

I wish I could describe in detail some of the loss, pain, and joy I have watched in the lives of people over this past week.  I have seen people experience the loss of family, parents experience the birth of a new baby, parents and kids experience the pain of divorce, students express the pain of family that is hurting, a student express joy because someone cares who isn't immediate family, the struggle of a person trying to figure out how to pay the bills and keep their family together.  I could go on. 

It was also in the midst of this week that one person said to me, "I am so thankful that in the mist of our pain, we have found people who are family." This statement was a subtle reminder that what people often need today is family.  

I am currently in the process of serving more in the area of family ministries.  We are still navigating through what all this will eventually mean.  However, due to the way things have evolved in the setting where I serve, I have naturally been involved more and more with kids, teens, and parents.  I have found myself teaching classes, leading workshops, and writing articles on family ministry. I have found myself being an advocate for the importance of partnering with families today and the importance of challenging others to be family by building into the lives of those around them. Of course a major part of the importance of being family simply lies in the importance of building community.  People need to feel connected to people who care. 

I am just not sure which is more challenging.  Is it more challenging to help parents understand the importance of partnering with us or is it more challenging to get people to take the time to really build community with others?   Today I felt that it might be more challenging for people to take the time to build community.  Tomorrow I may feel differently.

In an effort to partner with families and build community, we have been working on a new website at www.gatheraround.org.  We have placed various resources for different kinds of families on this site.  We have also included different opportunities for people of all ages to join others in community or to get involved by volunteering.