Creating space for students at JAFC’s convocation

Creating space for students at JAFC’s convocation

by | Mar 22, 2023

This summer, the Jurisdiction of Armed Forces and Chaplaincy hosted a retreat for middle and high school students during their annual convocation. Students spent time with the rest of the jurisdiction during morning prayer, worship, and meals in addition to having dedicated time on their own. Throughout the retreat, students’ time together was focused on learning about and practicing prayer. Discussion often included challenging questions and a sense that many of these young people wanted to make faith their own.

This was the first time the JAFC hosted a program specifically for students, and their commitment to the emerging generation was evident in the way they welcomed students and worked to support parents. There was dedicated family time which allowed children, students, and parents to connect and process the events of the convocation and retreat.

For students, this time together was an important reminder that they are not alone in many of the challenges they face. At lunch on their first day together, one student said, “raise your hand if your dad is in the military” to which all the students raised their hands. Then he said, “raise your hand if your dad is a chaplain” with the same response. In seeing the humor here, this student continued to ask such questions as friends around the table started to groan and raise their hands. Even with something as small as this, it was a clear picture of the community that these students found in simply being together.

One student shared, “Thank you so much for having this retreat. It’s really helped me grow in my relationship with God.”

Spaces away from regular routines and rhythms allow us to pay closer attention to the relationship God is inviting us into. The hope is that this focused time away will empower students to continue growing in their faith as they go back to their daily life. This retreat gave these young people a chance to form new friendships with other Christians their age and gave them practical ways to deepen their relationship with God.

How might you create space for students to grow in their friendship with Jesus? How could the Champion Grant support your ministry ideas?

Blessing Bags for Homeless Neighbors

Blessing Bags for Homeless Neighbors

by | Dec 27, 2022

In Tempe, Arizona, a student recognized a need in her community and wanted to mobilize her church to do something about it. With 10,000 families homeless in their state and about 7,000 of them in their city, it became clear to the student ministry at Living Faith Anglican Church that they needed a practical way to help. Blake Plympton, the Director of Youth Ministry, shared, “We have been seeking ways to have a missional encounter with our community. After a student mentioned making blessing bags, God made it very clear us that this is something we needed to do.”

Students first spent time learning more about the felt needs within their community. With funding from the Champion Grant, these students then put together 36 bags to be handed out in their community. Not only did they put together the bags, students were instrumental in handing them out as a part of their daily lives. Blake noted, “I wanted to make sure that our students felt empowered to take on this task and ask their parents to be intentional with the way they drive and what exits they take off freeways and such.”

Throughout this project, students were challenged in their way of thinking about the needs around them. They were also invited to take on new initiative in serving their community. Parents were grateful, though some were surprised, that students were invited to take the initiative in seeking out people to whom they could give the bags. This was an eye-opening experience for young people at Living Faith and a practical way for them to serve and respond to the needs of their community. As we love and lead young people, how are we sending students out with the love of the Father?

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