If you've ever been to the Willow Avenue church of Christ, you will notice a distinctive desk in one corner of the foyer. Around this desk sit three men that have had an immeasurable impact on my life. These three men combine humor, with encouragement. Topics discussed range from sports to politics to dating and marriage advice. These three men know almost everyone that come through the doors of Willow Avenue and they almost always know when someone is absent. The relationship that I have formed with these men over the years, reminds me of the relationship that Paul had with Timothy. The books of I and II Timothy were written by Paul to a young aspiring preacher named Timothy. In these two books, Paul took on the role of mentor, telling the young man to "fight the good fight" (I Timothy 1:18-20), "preach the word" (II Timothy 4:2), and also how to organize churches and treat people. Paul realized that he was not going to be around forever. The future of the church was about to be in the hands of Timothy. I don't know about you, but I really take this to heart. I see congregations all throughout the brotherhood struggling to keep their doors open mainly because of a lack of leadership. We are losing good men that were leaders in the brotherhood and are struggling to find replacements for them. In this article I want to offer two ways that older people can encourage young people and also how young people can get involved in church leadership.
1. Older people, don't treat young folks like they know nothing. Value their opinions and offer constructive criticism when they are wrong. I can't begin to tell you all the times that I have got in over my head in a specific task in the Lord's church. One that is still fresh on my mind was the time I led the song "Nearer Still Nearer" at a Willow Avenue 5th Sunday Singing. If you're familiar with this song, you might have heard it sung in a way that involves the four different parts singing in a round where each comes in during each of the four verses. Well, yours truly decided to do this. Somehow I got the alto and soprano parts backwards and the song sounded horrible. After the last prayer I was ready to make a mad dash out the door, but one of the elders, who's my cousin, came up to me and said that was the most beautiful version of "Nearer Still Nearer" he had ever heard. For about a week other members of the congregation came up to me and told me that was the prettiest song they had ever heard but offered constructive criticism saying that I did indeed get the two parts backward. I was floored by the compliments, but I appreciated them. At the next 5th Sunday Singing, you guessed it, I sung "Nearer Still Nearer" in a round, but got it right this time. It's amazing what a few compliments and words of constructive criticism will do.
2. Young people, get involved in the "thankless jobs" in the church. When I turned 21, I signed up to be in the bus driver rotation. Eventually, Willow Avenue got a new insurance policy that stated that bus drivers had to be between the ages of 25-70. I was forced into a brief retirement. On my 25th birthday I received a call from our deacon over transportation. He said "Happy Birthday Carver," I said "Thanks," and he said "How old are you this year?" I told him "25," he said "Can you drive the bus this Sunday," and I said "Sure!!" The bus ministry is my favorite ministry at Willow Avenue. It's what some consider a "thankless" job, but in a congregation of 500, it gives me a purpose. These "thankless" jobs while not flashy, serve a purpose and will make you love God and develop a servants heart more than you might realize.
I want to go back to those three men around the desk that I love so dearly. Through them I have learned to love and embrace the "thankless" jobs. They have and if they hadn't I don't believe the church at Willow Avenue could function quite the same. They have taught me how to get to know and be friendly to everyone that comes through our doors, a practice that I use at Chestnut Mound. They are also quick to offer constructive criticism when I ask for it, or when they see me do something that I could do better. About a year ago I heard one of them say to a visitor that passed through our doors, of course the person wasn't a visitor to him, but in response to the visitor making a comment about their generation getting older, the man behind the desk said "that's why I hang out with guys like him (pointing to me), he keeps me young." I don't think I'll ever forget those words as long as I live and I hope to pay them forward one day. This week and every week, be a Paul to a young Timothy!!
In Him,
Carver Moore
We would be honored for you to join us for worship at the Chestnut Mound church of Christ.
Our service times are as follows:
Sunday Morning Bible study: 10 am
Sunday morning worship: 11 am
Sunday evening worship: 5 pm
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