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Jun 09, 2014 | Matt Blank

Youth Model Abundant Living

 

[Diolog Magazine] In the  parable, Jesus recounts the master who gave one servant five talents, another two and another one. The master commends the servants who were faithful and took risks in growing their talents rather than hiding them. This gives us a clear biblical image of what faithfulness to Jesus Christ looks like.  

 

Participating youth showed an abundance of creativity in community fundraisers like the Burgers & Bluegrass event at St. Thomas, College Station. The Lazarus Project concert at Holy Comforter, Spring, raised funds for the city’s homeless ministry. St. Thomas the Apostle, Houston, and St. Timothy’s, Lake Jackson, facilitated outreach events for their youth; and Holy Spirit, Houston, held a Color Me Fun Run, raising $6,000. 

 

Helping to plan the Color Me Fun Run for Holy Spirit, Houston, Anna Thomas said, “This changed my idea of what it means to be a missional church. With our $2,000 grant, our event raised more than $6,000, pulled together 60 volunteers, 120 participants and 500 pounds of colored powder!” 

 

Other groups hosted a community Christmas pageant at Christ Church, Cedar Park, and a neighborhood Pet Fest at Good Shepherd, Tomball. The Pet Fest collected food and money for families in need as well as local nonprofits. Trinity, The Woodlands; Good Shepherd, Kingwood; and All Saints’, Austin, opened their doors to host wellness, substance abuse and other educational classes for their neighbors. 

 

Jesus teaches abundance and we, as a church, are called to live abundantly, to expand the resources God has entrusted to us. Living with an attitude of scarcity only hinders our ability to serve as a beacon of light and hope in our communities. 

 

This parable assumes that godly risk-taking is part of God’s good plan to help us learn how to be more faithful and effective. The foundation of all godly risk-taking is a firm knowledge that God is good and generous. It is only as we know God’s goodness that we take risks and celebrate both “successes” and “failures” as part of the learning process.

 

“Together we learned to be creative,” Thomas said. “We learned that to be faithful as Christians we need to experiment, learn, trust God and take risks.”

 

Blank is diocesan missioner for youth and young adults.