Knowing, Trusting and Passing on Jesus

Here’s an update on our kids and youth ministry for you to give thanks and pray!

We had so much fun at Kids Church last term learning about God’s mission in our world: that he is gathering people from all nations and languages to be part of his family, including us!

We are so thankful that God loves us and wants us to be part of his family when we put our trust in his Son, Jesus, who laid down his life to save us and gather people into God’s family.

We gave out booklets for our primary school kids to take home and work through different exercises to help them read the Bible with their families. It has been a great encouragement to us as leaders to see how keen and excited the kids are to learn God’s word, both at home and at church. Please praise God with us for the kids at St John’s, and pray that they and their families would grow to love God’s word and obey it together.

In Term 4, we will be learning from 2 Timothy — a letter that the rest of St John’s went through in our sermon series and Growth Groups earlier this year. We are excited to teach the children about Paul’s last words to Timothy, his beloved child in the Lord. Paul encourages Timothy not to be ashamed of the gospel or of the suffering and opposition that come with it, but to guard the gospel, pass it on, and live a godly life because of God’s power and faithfulness. God’s word is not bound! Please pray with us that the leaders and children would guard the gospel, live godly lives, and entrust it to the next generation.

Please also pray for the Kids Church kids to reach out to their friends and family with the gospel.

City Youth had a great time in term 3 looking at 2 Timothy. We were encouraged to be those who know, trust and pass on the good news of Jesus. We can do this with confidence because he has destroyed death and so his message is unchained (even when Paul is!). We also thought about how our world calls us to be self-, money-, and pleasure-lovers, rather than those who love God and what he calls good. Please pray that our youth and youth leaders might continue to grow as those who hold on to the gospel and pass it on.

In Term 4 our youth will look at Jonah, which challenges the attitudes we have toward our neighbours and those who have not yet received mercy from God. Jonah flees God’s call because he longs for Nineveh to be destroyed and considers God’s mercy toward them as evil. But this attitude itself is the evil God seeks to confront in his people. Please pray that our youth and youth leaders might have their hearts expanded to have a wider love and larger mercy.

Please also pray that our love for each other would increase, that our love as a community would grow, and that each youth would have at least one person to call friend.

Carmen Lau & Callan Pritchard
Associate Ministers

Pray for Kids Church and City Youth

Give thanks for the children, youth, and leaders at St John’s, and for the joy of seeing them learn God’s word and grow in faith. Ask God for his help for them to guard the gospel, live godly lives, love God and others, and pass on the good news of Jesus. Ask God to grow their love for his word, deepen their friendships and community, and give them courage to reach out to friends and family with the gospel.