Don’t forget about the teens when you pass the collection baskets! A group of teenagers in Boston pulled together all their resources and sacrificed many of their favorite things to help souls be saved around the world.
And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 2 Corinthians 8:1-4
Taking inspiration from their first century heroes, the teenagers of the Northwest Region of the Boston Church of Christ set out to sacrifice like never before for the IMS Missions Contribution this year. While many of their peers complain about what they don’t have, these teens “pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints” of Europe and
By faith, the group met in early July and decided on a goal of giving $5,000. For weeks they sold lemonade, coffee, organized yard sales, babysat, cut grass, anything they could do to raise money. Many made the decision to save the money that they would have normally given to iTunes, movie theatres, video games, vending machines and coffee shops.
Each Wednesday, we met at midweek and tracked their progress with a handy giving thermometer. Along the way we read scriptures to help us understand that why and how we give is ultimately more important than the amount we give. We talked about giving out of dedication and gratitude to God, love for their saved brothers and sisters, and for the hope of those yet to be saved. We focused on the joy of giving to those in need and the fact that it is simply the right thing to do.
One of the blessings of this summer was the opportunity to meet several disciples from the European Churches. Patrick Wietlisbach, who leads the teen ministry in
On Wednesday, September 17th the Northwest Region gathered to give their offering and the teens were full of anticipation to see if they would actually meet their goal. To everyone’s amazement, the teens had not just met their goal, they crushed their goal. The 45 teens who participated gave $7,057.08! During the evening, a young teen disciple (who did not grow up in the church) stood in front of the Region and challenged the group to not let this be a seasonal service, but to continue to give to our brothers and sisters through prayer, emails of encouragement, and reaching out to the lost around us.
The faith of these few teenagers has served as a great reminder for us that as we “excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge… see that we also excel in this grace of giving.” We are proud of this next generation of sacrificial hearts!
For more from the Boston Teen Ministry see www.bostoncoc.org/index.php
