Connect Reconnect Follow-up

How many young Christians do you know that you have followed up with after they left the church to go to college or start a job in another area where they have had to leave your congregation? Of that number, how many have you followed-up with? If the answer is even just one then you are doing the right thing. If there are many and you have chosen a few and other adults share in the responsibility with the rest then the church is doing real good. If the answer is none, do you not care for the well-being and spiritual fitness of the soul you let out to the wolves?
The problem we are running into these days is that of epic proportions. Every child that has grown up in the community of the church no matter how old must maintain a connection with someone they can trust within the bounds of the community. But the problem is that many fall through the cracks and are seduced by the extremes of society. Think of the prodigal son on a grand scale but this son does not come back even in his/her lowest. That is what happened.
How many times have you heard it said of a youth that they are in a real bad way and just talk without any kind of action? WHAT IS WRONG? Have we forgotten that the college/young adult years are actually the most vulnerable? This is the time the Adversary moves in quickly unless they are firmly grounded and had a good healthy upbringing.
Then there are those who are in the church try to do their best and still have people downgrading them instead of guiding them including their own parents. For one, BAD Parenting. For two, bad congregation for not seeing the truth of it. What happened to guide and protect the youth, letting them explore but with the knowledge they can come home. If the situation is bad at home they will want to escape and maybe find the straight and narrow or be pushed into the Devil’s arms.
If we do not care for those who are in those very tumult years, the Devil wins and takes us with. You want to know what is wrong with society today, look into your own church first then look at those young adults sent out into the world from your church. Then look at the dangerous attitudes outside the church and you will see why this country is suffering from a Romans 1 type destruction. Churches lose people from 18-35 because they get lost to the world. They grow into bitter and lost adults when they are left from any kind of follow-up.
The distortion of the Christian world-view is also at fault. Yes, some traditions are archaic but we must keep God at the center. Everyone sins and there are some that God abhors more than others but everyone still sins. The issue should not be who is allowed in the church and who isn’t, all who sin and seek forgiveness and have faith in Jesus are allowed. Of course they must (as we should) be the same in and out of the church. The basic tenants of the Bible and the church need to be firmly stated, affirmed, and adhered to in all facets of life. We must stop separating personal and church lives.
People who see Christians doing as they say, living a Christ-like life the best possible way, will begin to understand how good it is and how hard it is to truly be Christian. When brothers and sisters in Christ become lost in the world and stay lost, there was a lack of Christians doing good follow-up. We are to check up on each other and remind ourselves of the oath of faith and the reason for the baptism. Remember, it was not, “I’m baptized, I got Jesus, I’m good and can go on sinning” (the Sola Jesu thinking of post-modern Christians). It is, “Jesus is my Lord and Savior and accepting Him means taking up my cross daily, doing my best to live in accordance with the teachings of Christ, emulating Him in my daily life”.
Are you ready to reconnect and follow-up?? Are you willing?
Heavenly Father Gracious Lord,
Please help us reconnect with the forgotten generation, they have lost Your teachings and need to come home. Shower us with Your Holy Spirit and revive us so that we may live a more Christ-like life. Grant us the desire once again to share Your Word no matter where we are or whatever situation in which we find ourselves. Teach us to love all people no matter who they are. Thank You Father for giving us Your Son as the ultimate sacrifice for our salvation.  
       
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