Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. (1 John 2:10)

by Josh Liu

Loving one another is such a foundational characteristic and primary activity of a believer that those who do not love others show themselves to not abide in the light–that is, Jesus Christ. This is one theme the youth ministry seeks to emphasize.

Cesar preached on 1 John 2:7-11 for a Lumos Friday night Bible study in November. In a subsequent Bible study, he expounded on the theme of loving one another. He shared with us Tim Keller’s organization of the one another commands in the New Testament (from A Gospel Life: Grace Changes Everything):

Affirm

• Affirm one another’s strengths, abilities, and gifts (cf. Rom. 12:10; James 5:9; Rom. 12:3-8)
• Affirm one another’s equal importance in Christ (cf. Rom. 15:7; 1 Cor. 12:25; 1 Peter 5:5; James 2:1)
• Affirm one another through visible affection (cf. Rom. 16:16; James 1:19; Eph. 4:32; 1 Thess. 3:12)

Share

• Share one another’s space, goods, and time (cf. Rom. 12:10; 1 Peter 4:9; Gal. 6:10)
• Share one another’s needs and problems (cf. Gal. 6:2; 1 Thess. 5:11; Heb. 3:13)
• Share one another’s beliefs, thinking, and spirituality (cf. Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19; Rom. 12:16; 1 Cor. 1:10)

Serve

• Serve one another through accountability (cf. James 5:16; Rom. 15:14; Eph. 4:35)
• Serve one another through forgiveness and reconciliation (cf. Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:13; Gal. 5:25; James 4:11; Matt. 5:23-24; 18:15)
• Serve one another’s interests rather than our own (Heb. 10:24; Rom. 15:1-2; Gal. 5:13)

It has been an incredibly challenging time in examining our lives through the lens of Scripture, particularly in measuring ourselves to these tests of love. It was my personal experience during my youth group years of struggling to love my family members. I fought a lot with my brothers and father. Refusing to love them, and in fact actively hating them, should have revealed that I did not abide in Christ. Yet I was blinded by my own sinful heart. Thankfully, by God’s grace, He revealed the depths of my sinfulness and my desperate need for Christ as my Lord and Savior. Only then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, did I begin to actively love, for I then knew the love of Christ through His life, death, and resurrection, reconciling me to the Father.

Our discussion time after the message during Bible study was encouraging. Some of the youth shared about areas that they struggled in and thoughts on what to do differently next time.

In the same way, I present this challenge to you: examine your life–your heart attitudes, thoughts, actions, speech, tone. Does it reveal one who abides in the light? Or, one who abides in darkness? Are you actively loving others to make God big? Or are you actively loving yourself to make you big? Prayerfully rate yourself in the above one-another’s that Keller summarizes.

As you do so, I suggest using the following from The Passion of Jesus Christ: Fifty Reasons Why He Came to Die…To Show the Wealth of God’s Love and Grace for Sinners, by John Piper, to reflect on Christ’s love for us.

One will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace. (Ephesians 1:7)

The measure of God’s love for us is shown by two things. One is the degree of his sacrifice in saving us from the penalty of our sin. The other is the degree of unworthiness that we had when he saved us.

We can hear the measure of his sacrifice in the words, “He gave his only son” (John 3:16). We also hear it in the word Christ. This is a name based on the Greek title Christos, or “Anointed One,” or “Messiah.” It is a term of great dignity. The Messiah was to be the King of Israel. He would conquer the he measure of God’s love for us is shown by two things. One is Romans and bring peace and security to Israel. Thus the person whom God sent to save sinners was his own divine Son, his only Son, and the Anointed King of Israel—indeed the king of the world (Isaiah 9:6-7).

When we add to this consideration the horrific death by crucifixion that Christ endured, it becomes clear that the sacrifice the Father and the Son made was indescribably great—even infinite, when you consider the distance between the divine and the human. But God chose to make this sacrifice to save us.

The measure of his love for us increases still more when we consider our unworthiness. “Perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:7-8). We deserved divine punishment, not divine sacrifice.

I have heard it said, “God didn’t die for frogs. So he was responding to our value as humans.” This turns grace on its head. We are worse off than frogs. They have not sinned. They have not rebelled and treated God with the contempt of being inconsequential in their lives. God did not have to die for frogs. They aren’t bad enough. We are. Our debt is so great, only a divine sacrifice could pay it.

There is only one explanation for God’s sacrifice for us. It is not us. It is “the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). It is all free. It is not a response to our worth. It is the overflow of his infinite worth. In fact, that is what divine love is in the end: a passion to enthrall undeserving sinners, at great cost, with what will make us supremely happy forever, namely, his infinite beauty.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

by Josh Liu

Ministry (and the Christian life) has often been likened to warfare. On one hand, you train, prepare, and discipline yourself for the task; you engage in a battle wrought with obstacles and opposition to your goals; you persevere until the end is won; and you seek to obey and follow your Commander into battle. On the other hand, you experience hardships and wounds that come from intense fighting; you are burdened with a weary soul that has been fighting for what seems to be an indefinite amount of time; you question about the end of the war; you lose sight of your Commander in the midst of the battle. Beloved, let us persevere. Let us behold the holiness of God, experience the abundant sufficiency of Christ, and hope in the victory secured by our Lord and Savior.

While reflecting over the past year on the youth ministry, I have been deeply encouraged by the staff’s faithful serving despite the demands of ministry and various trials and hardships each of them faced or are currently experiencing. Imagine joining youth staff and being required the following: “Train to be of above reproach character and to be an effective and intensive discipler. Challenge the youth to not waste their lives; teach them how to read their Bibles and pray; and equip them to evangelize to their friends. Encourage and support the parents to faithful parenting of their children. Constantly and consistently initiate, relate, and invest into the youth and families. Maintain deep personal devotions and fulfill your other church responsibilities. Immediately respond with joy and thanksgiving to all trials and suffering. Always exude with joy; overflow with energy and excitement at Bible study. Be a faithful and excellent worker at school or at your job. In all that you say, think, act, or do, be a godly, mature example.” And at the same time, you are experiencing a season of great trail, suffering, despair, discouragement, or persecution. In the midst of personal struggles and trying circumstances (and even without), the above exhortations accumulate and appear to be a goliath of a task. This may result in a burdened, downtrodden, weary staffer. As I reflected over the past year on the youth ministry, I saw the importance of camaraderie amongst the staff. I saw how God in His wisdom and grace gave the church–fellowship with brothers and sisters in Christ–to support each other with loving encouragement and to persevere in God-ordained ministry.

I believe there is validity in temporarily stepping back from serving in order to strengthen your walk with God, to biblically confront personal struggles and situations, and to be a faithful steward of responsibilities and resources. At the same time, I also believe we ought to come together to encourage and support each other. Many carry the above pressures, burdens, and discouragements while feeling alone. Let us come alongside each other and shoulder one another’s burdens.

At the beginning of September, the Lumos youth staff went on a staff retreat to Santa Monica, California. There, I read from Paul David Tripp’s Dangerous Calling, challenged the staff to examine themselves, and encouraged them to humbly seek support from the ones who are serving alongside with them–those in the midst of the battle with them. In the opening chapters, Paul David Tripp offered warnings and signs of one (a pastor) going down a destructive path of ministry that results in total defeat. I have condensed what I shared that weekend from Paul Tripp’s book to the following questions:

• What do you say or think to yourself about yourself and your situation? Do you think you are in a different category from those who you minister to, or do you think you are in need of the same transforming grace of God? Is your identity found in the ministry you serve in, or in Christ who is your Lord and Savior? Is there a discrepancy between your personal devotional life and your public ministry? Do you believe that no one else has a more accurate view or understanding of you and your situation than you do? Do you measure your spiritual maturity according to less than biblical standards of maturity (e.g. theological or Bible knowledge)? (Tripp, Chapter 1)
• Do you defend, reason away, are numbed to, or silent about personal consistent struggles? Do you seek godly, mature, vulnerable accountability? Do you humbly seek the evaluation of others knowing that you may be blind to your own sin? Has ministry administration and preparation replaced personal devotion and worship? Are you daily, deeply aware of your personal need of Christ’s redeeming work, or are you deluded by a sense of self-sufficiency or self-righteousness? Has ministry become only a source of burden? (Tripp, Chapter 2)

I have never heard my staff complain. By contrast, I see them joyfully serve and graciously sacrifice much for each other and for the youth. At the same time, I am aware of their extensive involvement in church and the various hardships they experience. During the staff retreat, I exhorted them to prayerfully and actively support and encourage one another. It was a blessed time of sharing, encouragement, prayer, and fellowship! The bonds we are forging as a staff go beyond the youth ministry; we are forming our bonds as brothers and sisters through the fellowship of Christ, ready and willing to encourage each other to persevere through trials and ministry. The Lumos youth staff has greatly ministered to me, reminding me by their example to remain steadfast and faithful like a good soldier. Their servant’s heart reminds me that ministry is not a burden or merely a duty. Their humility reminds me to daily focus on my need of the gospel, depend on God’s grace, and honestly evaluate myself. Their personal testimonies of God’s work in their lives remind me to never prioritize preparation and academia over personal devotion and worship.

May all glory, honor, and praise be given to God! In His sovereignty and grace, He uses broken vessels such as us to be “under-rocks” for each other, pointing to the true Rock of Refuge in the midst of tumultuous times. Beloved, remember that the ultimate goal is to know and love Christ more in all that you do. May the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus your Lord persevere you in life and ministry.

by Josh Liu

At the beginning of August, the Lumos youth ministry had its annual summer youth retreat! This year’s summer retreat focused on the theme of “Holiness.” The staff took the youth to Lake Elsinore, California–just north of Murrieta. While it may not have been the typical youth retreat many of us are familiar with (e.g. cabins, ridiculous (gross) games, complete isolation from society, cafeteria food), it was a blessed time of studying God’s Word, deepening friendships, and enjoying exciting activities!

On the first night, Friday night, we had dinner at the church–good ‘ol Costco pizza. We joined College Life’s praise time and retreated to the youth room for our first session. To introduce the theme and first message, we briefly examined the awe-inspiring and sin-exposing holiness of God from Isaiah 6:1-7. Then, I preached on 1 Peter 1:13-23, “Be Holy: Set Apart and Clean.” Through His life, death, and resurrection, Christ has justified (redeemed, declared innocent, imputed His righteousness upon) those who by faith have submitted to Him as Lord and Savior. In that sense, God has sanctified the genuinely saved believer–set him apart for the Kingdom of God; he was once in Adam but is now in Christ (cf. Rom. 5:12-21; Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 15:49). Thereafter, God is continually sanctifying the believer–setting him apart from the world (sin), which will be completed at death or at the return of Christ (cf. John 15:19ff; Rom. 8:29; 1 John 3:2-3; Phil. 1:6). In the midst of that progressive sanctification, God has commanded believers to be holy, to actively participate in becoming more like Christ (not like the world) and to pursue purity. The obedience to this command is a result of treasuring Christ’s precious blood, which paid the penalty for sin. After our first session, we packed up and drove to our hotel in Lake Elsinore.

We began Saturday with our second session at a park. Cesar preached on 1 John 2:15-17, “For God So Loved Worldliness?” It was a great and challenging message, one that I wish had been recorded! One cannot love both the world and God; one cannot both pursue sinful desires and Christ; one cannot both persistently consort with sin and live in obedience to Christ. To pursue and invest into worldly treasures will prove futile–it will all pass away–and it will prove fatal–the world stands against God who is the final judge. After our second session, we headed over to the lake and rented jet skis! Kristen and I piloted the jet skis while the youth rotated as passengers. While at the lake, Roger and Grace Alcaraz made a surprise (planned) visit! We got back to the hotel and had In-N-Out for lunch.

After lunch, we drove over to UC Riverside for a low/high ropes course program! We played some fun games, tried some low-ropes obstacle courses, and tackled high-ropes challenges. Many of the youth completed a rock-climbing wall and tried Giants Ladder, parallel beams that increased in gaps between each beam and required a partner. They all worked well together and had a good time! After, we had dinner on our way back to the hotel and had our third session at another nearby park. I preached on Romans 12:1-2, “True Spiritual Worship: Total Self Dedication.” When one is gripped by the holiness of God, goes to Him in faith and repentance, the result is worship through the total dedication and sacrifice of self. I challenged the youth to consider how they are worshiping God with their lives with what they treasure and pursue. Afterward, we hung out and had free time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Sunday, we joined Faith Bible Church’s worship service at 8:30am. While Chris Mueller was away, John Pleasnick preached on “Sanctification: Set Apart by God” (http://media.faith-bible.net/series/gospel-greatness/sanctification-set-apart-by-god). It was an extremely helpful, encouraging, and challenging message, and a great way to end our sessions. After service, we drove an hour north and had lunch at Portillo’s Hot Dog in Orange County. After lunch, we surprised the youth with Knott’s Berry Farm! While at Knott’s, Cindy Tran made a surprise (planned) visit to hangout with the youth as she leaves San Diego for the LBCLA church plant.

It’s been such a joy to be part of the youth ministry, to share in the youth and staffs’ lives and to extol the greatness of God through His Word to them. Personally, I am constantly encouraged and challenged by these individuals to pursue Christ harder, to love, worship, and know Him more, to live a life set apart and pure for God’s glory. I thank God for them and look forward to sharing more of our lives together (and more retreats)!

 

by Jennifer Shih

Can you remember your teenage years? What was it like? How did you spend your time? Who did you spend most of your time with? Who made the biggest impact on you and who were your influences? Was it your parents? Maybe it was your siblings, classmates, a teacher or a youth group pastor/leader? Likely all of these people have made some impact on you, whether they had positive or negative influences. Perhaps the older people in your life made a positive impact on you because they provided you guidance and mentoring. Maybe classmates did not have the best influence on you. How did the people in your life affect and shape your identity?

Everyone has a different testimony of their teenage years. My teenage years came to an end about 10 years ago, but I can still remember the people who made a big impact on my life and why. Through middle school, it was my after school tutor who would patiently help me through Algebra in the public library. She stands out because she went beyond just helping me with homework but took an interest in mentoring and guiding me through those awkward middle school years, and this happened usually over KFC wedge fries or McDonald’s soft serve ice cream. In high school, much of my influence came from friends and my school community because they were the people who were prominent in my life. Many of those years were marked by people-pleasing, and striving to fit in and trying to be popular among my peers. Looking back, I wish that I had known Christ in my growing years or had the benefit of going to a Bible-teaching church, hearing God’s Word preached weekly. If I had been saved by the Gospel, I’m sure that I would have avoided a lot of heartache and wandering in darkness and sin.

It is a fact that young people can be easily influenced by the community and culture around them. And too often teenage years can be wasted pursuing worldly things and building an identity and foundation on superficial and fleeting things. One of biggest blessings that the youth at Lighthouse Bible Church has is the opportunity to grow up in the community of a local church, and the benefit of learning from older men and women what it means to follow Christ. Also, vice versa, one of the biggest blessings and responsibilities of the older members of the church is to walk alongside younger men and women, helping them grow in their faith and modeling for them godly character. This is the way that God has instructed the church to work together, as written in Titus 2.

Over this year, I have been really encouraged to see how the youth are really excited about Friday night Bible studies and our many youth retreats – because they get to learn from God’s Word and spend time with one another. Josh and Cesar have been leading the youth through studies on Romans and 1 John, respectively, and in small groups it’s been a really sweet time learning, growing, and praying together. The youth staff have the opportunity to meet more often with the youth, but you don’t have to be on staff to make use of the opportunity to get to know the youth. Each member of the church has the opportunity to make an impact in their life, and it can happen even over a conversation on Sunday. Keep in mind – the Lumos youth can be really energetic and excited about life or more quiet and shy – but in either case, they have an eagerness to learn and grow in their faith. If you haven’t had a chance to get to know them – I’d encourage you to stop one of them on a Sunday and ask them about their weeks, hobbies, likes, and dislikes, and what they’ve been learning. Or you can even talk about that Sunday’s sermon and share prayer requests. One of the practical goals and challenges we’ve come up with in my small group is to get to know the church better in order to practice loving the church better. So chances are, if you haven’t had the chance to introduce yourself to the youth – they might come to you on a Sunday and ask for an introduction!

Praise God for Lighthouse Bible Church and the work He is doing in the life of the church!

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

What was your experience like in your high school youth group? Did you make a lot of friends? Or were you the shy type who only opened up in front of a small, select few? Did you enjoy your time with those in your youth group, or did you secretly dislike some people there? How was the teaching? Was the Bible central in what was being preached during Bible study, or did it seem more like a footnote to what your leader really wanted to talk about? What do you remember most about your youth group? How big it was? How small it was? How many friends you made?

These are some questions I never entertained during my high school years, since I never attended my church youth group. I was always put off by some of the students’ attitudes, and no one ever reached out to me. I was actually more comfortable hanging out with some of the senior citizens in my church, since they were very friendly, and they always had stories to tell about their lives. Friendships with my peers at school were what meant a lot to me, and I always knew where they stood (since I perceived Christians to be transparently hypocritical during that age, I reasoned non-Christians weren’t because of their transparent disgust for Christianity, which made me think they were more honest).

One of the regrets of my life was the fact that I had easily judged those who went to my home church and yet had no desire to serve my peers and develop an atmosphere of fellowship among them. It wasn’t until college that I realized I wasn’t a Christian that I had wasted so many opportunities to learn from those who served specifically in the youth ministry. There was a disconnect between what I was learning in school, and what I was interested in studying: apologetics. I wanted to learn how to defend the faith before I actually had faith!

Now that God has placed in my heart a desire to serve the youth, it has been a goal of mine to train our youth to be ambassadors at their respective schools. One of the ways this youth ministry has moved in that direction is to have Saturday Seminars. These times are dedicated to specific training in issues that these youth are already encountering or will encounter in the near future. If you read anything related to youth ministry, numbers are thrown out that ¾ or more of the youth who professed faith in Christ during middle and high school enter college and abandon the faith they once held. Though statistics are not our guide for determining our approach, we do see a need for those within our church to grow deeper in their knowledge of God, that it would withstand the storms that will come their way.

As an extension of fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), we want to foster a ministry conducive to discipleship, which includes the preaching of the Word of God. What these seminars are intended to accomplish is to set forth a biblical worldview that meets daily life, and is immediately applicable to the youth. A couple years back, I had the privilege of going through evangelism training that encompassed the message, the man, and the method of Gospel witnessing.

This year, our focus has been on building a Christian worldview, and areas our youth can apply their faith towards. I had the privilege of presenting first the building blocks of a biblical worldview, followed up by Lumos leader Josh Liu on applying it in the areas of modesty and purity. Seeing the many changes in culture that are sure to drastically affect the world the youth will be living in, we spent another seminar on the issue of abortion, and plan on spending time focusing on the nature and history of Scripture, since it is constantly under attack.

Though we understand these seminars will not be comprehensive in scope, we hope and pray that they will be a guide for them to begin studying more in-depth the issues that we see are important for them to understand. We live in a day of moral compromise and lack of fidelity to the truth of God’s Word, when models of courage and character are hard to find. We must be in the business of discipling and modelling of spiritual maturity for those younger in the faith. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to speak to our youth in areas that many involved in youth ministry have not deemed vital to address in the youth culture.

It is my conviction that the youth can understand more than the culture promotes. Our youth are living proof that they can listen to a 45-minute (many times, longer!) sermon, and can be challenged to live out their faith with prayer and encouragement. It is a joy and honor to play a small part in the work that God is doing in the hearts of our youth, and I pray you too can play a part in teaching the greatness of God to the next generation. What one pastor is known for saying is “Theology matters.” Theology matters extremely for the youth, since knowing who God is and who we are will radically affect the beliefs they will hold and color the many decisions they will make. Pray that our youth will be the next group of leaders in the church and will themselves be great models of godly living and bold witnessing!

by Joyce Kang

Four years ago I made the decision to serve in our youth ministry not really knowing what to expect. After spending part of my summer ministering to the youth in the Czech Republic for summer missions, I desired to continue to cultivate discipleship relationships with ladies in this age group. I can hardly believe that several years have gone by since then, and as I look back at my time with the youth I can honestly say that this ministry has been one of the greatest sources of encouragement and joy during my time at Lighthouse.

Over the years I’ve come to realize that what I love most about working with the youth at our church is their incredible passion for life. Whether it’s playing games, going out for frozen yogurt, or simply chatting in the foyer, the youth are notoriously known for their excitement and high energy. One of the greatest privileges that I have as a staff member is to witness the Lord’s work in maturing these young men and women and teaching them to channel their energies in service to God and His people. It still encourages me every week to see a group of young people take seriously the preaching of God’s word and engage in meaningful discussions afterwards about how they can practically apply what they’ve learned.

Our youth understand that the wisdom of this world is vain and that true wisdom can be found in fearing God and studying His word. In the midst of their busy lives of endless studying, participating in extracurricular activities and hanging out with friends, it’s amazing to see our youth continue to make Christ a priority.

One of my favorite memories as youth staff is being able to witness my former and current youth girls take ownership of their faith and make active steps to follow Christ in the midst of various trials. Being a teenager in today’s society is no easy task, and yet I am always amazed by the boldness of our youth in actively sharing their faith and being a witness to their friends. In fact, their countless attempts to invite a friend out to Bible study or to share the Gospel with a classmate has often served as a gentle rebuke to my own pride and laziness in evangelism.

Unfortunately youthfulness is often associated with ignorance and can often stand in the way of being taken seriously, but as we look to Paul’s advice given to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12, one should not be looked down upon because of their age. And believe it or not, there is still a lot that we can learn from those younger than us. So the next time you happen to bump into a youth member at church, I would encourage you to take a few minutes to get to know them. Chances are you will walk away from that conversation surprisingly encouraged and challenged to live and love like they do.

by Kristen Lim

Recently I have embarked on the quest to find the perfect chocolate chip recipe. Chocolate chip cookies are a classic and have been around for quite some time now, but I was surprised to find so many variations and websites that claimed to have the BEST recipe. As I did more research about the different types of chocolate chip cookies there were, the main categories were soft, Keebler style cookies, others a crispy-on-the-outside-chewy-in-the-middle texture, and yet others with special ingredients to enhance the flavor. But all in all, the recipes were generally the same with minor adjustments of ingredient ratios, and they all produced the same end result: a chocolate chip cookie. What does all of this have to with the Lumos Youth Ministry, you may ask? Read on to find out!

I am privileged and blessed to have been shepherded by the Lumos staff since I moved to San Diego, a total of 5 years. Back then the youth group was very small with just myself and four other youth, and the staff-to-youth ratio was at one point 1:1! My memories of high school are mostly filled with the times I spent at church on Friday nights during Bible study, Sunday school, the crazy events the staff planned for us, and most importantly the biblical sermons delivered by faithful men. Since graduating from Lumos about two years ago, I joined the Lumos staff at the end of this past summer and am humbled and overjoyed to take part in continuing this ministry of passing down God’s greatness to the current youth.

Currently the youth ministry is walking through the books of 1 John and Romans on Friday nights, and during our monthly Saturday seminars we address different topics that would be helpful in their stage of life. In previous seminars we have covered worldviews, modesty, hermeneutics, and will be starting a series on the Bible. Interspersed, Lumos has Gospel nights once a quarter, retreats, game nights, and random hangouts. As the staff plans these events, we are prayerful that these activities and times of instruction would be profitable for their souls, that we would have the same mindset as Paul in Colossians 1:28, which states, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” Our goal is not merely just entertainment, but to be intentional in the limited time we get to teach the youth about Christ both in our words and deeds, praying to God that He would soften their hearts to submit to Him as Lord and Savior, and all the while knowing that God is the one who causes the growth and we are just called to be faithful. I hope and pray that Lumos would never deviate from this mission.

From my perspective, I’ve seen the dynamics of Lumos change over the years, from staffers joining and leaving, new youth coming and others graduating, and the logistics of how the ministry was structured based on who the leader was at that particular time. Truly, ministry is about the people and not the program. During our last staff meeting, Josh reminded us about the analogy of the trellis and the vine and how the purpose of the trellis (youth programs) was to support the vine (the youth). It didn’t matter if we had an intricate and ornate trellis if the vine was dying. Since ministry involves people, it makes sense that the details and programs could change based on the needs of the current people. That’s why it’s so imperative to be flexible and ready to make adjustments, not in theology or foundations of faith, but in how we minister to them.

Now, going back to my chocolate chip cookie illustration: just as there are many different textures and variations of chocolate chip cookies, essentially they are all the same at the core. Youth group has undergone many “textures” and “variations” throughout the years, yet I’m so thankful to say that the core of the Lumos ministry has remained constant: to glorify God through teaching young men and women about our glorious savior, Jesus Christ, and to disciple them to be bright lights in this dark world. May the youth group, as well as the church body, seek to be faithful chocolate chip cookies, whether it be soft or crispy!

by Josh Liu

Editor’s Note: Josh has kindly put together a flyer that illustrates some of the highlights of the 2013 Winter Retreat.  You’re welcome to take a look, and it’s a handy size in case you wanted to share it with interested friends and relatives.

Enjoy!