| Its not the altitude but the attitude to reach God By Linda GreenUnited Methodist News Service T hey came by bus, plane, car and van. They were 9,000 strong. They came to learn about God and reach beyond what they already knew. United Methodist youth from across the globe took over the campus of the University of Tennessee to participate in Youth 03, the international gathering for young people and youth leaders to grow in faith and learn how to live out their faith daily. I see 9,000 angels today, said Bishop Mike Watson of the South Georgia Annual Conference. You are children of God and are called to be Gods chosen. There is something for you to do. I see in you the glory of God. Are you willing to reach higher to be disciples of God, to let someone see Jesus through you? Inspired by the theme Reach, the youth spent July 23-27 learning how to do that. Through Bible study led by bishops and teens, participants received the key to focusing on Jesus and going higher. The Scripture is teaching us that it is not the altitude but the attitude that makes a difference and determines how far youll go, said Bishop Violet Fisher of the North Central New York and Western New York conferences. Held every four years, the international gathering of United Methodist youth is sponsored by the churchwide Board of Discipleship. Each day of the conference emphasized reaching higher, deeper and further in faith. The young people learned how to go beyond themselves and their immediate communities to help others. Young people came from the United States, Mexico, Germany, Poland, Kenya, Congo, India, Lithuania, Mozambique, Nigeria and Russia to attend the event. Some expected from countries such as Liberia could not obtain visas for the trip. Jay Williams, co-chairperson of the denominations Shared Mission Focus on Young Peoples initiative, triple-dog dared the youth to leave Youth 03 changed. What if 10,000 youth were to go back to their local congregations excited and renewed, movers and shakers to change their local communities? he asked. Williams spoke of his work as an advocate to free slaves in many parts of the world and of his most recent efforts to emancipate slaves in the Sudan. What if 10,000 youth said slavery must not continue? What if they demanded to be respected and loved, not only tomorrow but today? He challenged the church to accept all ages, creeds, races and sexual orientations. He spoke of his dream of a church that does not change with the times but changes the times. The Rev. Stephen Handy, associate pastor at Clark Memorial UMC in Nashville, Tenn., offered three types of reach physical, emotional and spiritual for the youth to consider in their faith lives. Physical appearances are a concern for teens, but Handy encouraged the youth not to worry about their physical reach because you cannot improve on what God has created. Regardless of where you think you are with your looks, God wants to give you favor, he said. Focusing on emotional reach, he urged the youth to realize that individually each had the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome their emotional trippin. Too much emotion exists in the world today, he said, and because things are not the way some think they should be, there are more suicides, homicides and gang activity, parent-teenager arguments and fights, stealing, lying and cheating and depression. Emphasizing the need for spiritual reach, Handy urged the youth to reach for the hem of Jesus garment, get on their knees and pray. Regardless of what you are going through, Jesus will be with you. Contemporary Christian artists Kirk Franklin and Natalie Grant were two of many featured acts that provided music and witness to Youth 03. | 
Login/Register to leave comment