Hospitality and Love

Almost every Sunday night, the Youth Group gets together for a meal and some study and, of course, fun.

This is a great time for a couple of reasons...

First, these students genuinely love getting together and enjoying each other. They are a loving and social group, rarely walking the "clique" or "exclusion" path. Typically, they are beautiful at enfolding new comers and visitors.

Second, it's a more relaxed atmosphere where they seem to have their guards down, as well as do those who are teaching or leading them.

And, finally, it's a great time because it allows the students to see hospitality and love for them in action. We have somebody from the church provide the dinner for them. They come, drop it off, and leave the students happy and well-fed. And, it's rarely one of their parents, rather somebody who doesn't even have a child in the group. Somebody with no obligation, other than caring deeply for that particular group of the church.

A couple of Sunday nights ago, a sweet family offered not only the meal, but their home...their property...their time to the students. We all met at the church and carpooled to Madera where the students were greeted with the smells of amazing BBQ cooking just for them. The horse shoes were waiting to be played along with a couple of bikes and a volleyball court. They enjoyed playing and laughing together while the meal was being laid out for them. BBQ chicken, garlic bread, beans, salad, lemonade. Amazing meal, amazing love for the students.

Lex brought them together and talked about being the aroma of Christ. Just as the BBQ smells filled our hearts as we got out of the cars, so should we be to a world so hungry for a Savior.

And finally, a big campfire with songs and prayers.

The kids were definitely filled with goodness from that night. They were covered with the aroma of Christ from adults who let them know how important they are to the Kingdom.