At the end of last year, we had the privilege of hosting the Chapel venue at the Methodist church’s 3Generate weekend in their inflatable chapel (yes, you read that right). As part of the activities in the chapel, we set up several prayer stations which invited the young people to reflect and pray in a variety of different ways. Amongst these was a station where young people were asked to think about who they knew that needed a ‘little Jesus’ in their life and to pray for them. To help seal this in, the young person was then invited to pick up a little toy model of Jesus, take it away and either use it as a reminder to pray or to give it to the individual that they have been praying for and tell them why they are giving it to them. We thought (modestly) this was a pretty cool idea and whilst lots of young people participated in the activity and most of our stock of diminutive Messiah’s disappeared, we didn’t necessarily think that we’d hear anymore about how our little Jesus’s were getting on in the world.
We should have had faith because as part of their feedback for the event, one of the leaders shared the following story:
“Travelling home on the train one of the group proudly displayed their little Jesus on the table, right on the wireless charging station. She then proceeded to explain, to everyone, how cool ‘Wireless Jesus’ was, as he could be found everywhere, you could recharge yourself in Him at any time and that no buildings or special actions were necessary. God’s grace, in fact is totally sufficient. Just wow!”
I don’t know if you’ve ever created an activity or run a session which you think is great and your young people seemed engaged with but, in your heart of hearts, you’re not really sure that the key message is landing.
Just us then.
But, if it’s something that does resonate with you then, give “Glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” (Ephesians 3:20).
Released into the world, little Jesus has become ‘Wireless Jesus’ and the young person had taken our small idea and turned it into a bigger (and possibly better) idea which had impacted their faith and the faith of others. Everyone needs a little Jesus and whatever you bring to your work with young people God can magnify and multiply it in ways you can’t even imagine. Just, wow!