May 15, 2000
FAMILY MATTERS:
Worship should be for the entire family
___All my friends go to this Assembly of God church, and my parents won't let me join. They have a cool youth minister, and they believe in God and Jesus, so I don't see what the big deal is about me joining their church.
DEBBIE CHISOLM
Minister to students, Royal Lane Baptist Church, Dallas
___Isn't it wonderful to go to church and see people you know! From the very beginning of time, God understood how important it was for us to be in community with each other. It's good that your friends go to church. That's wonderful!
___If you know the youth minister at the Assembly of God church is "cool," then that must mean your parents have allowed you to visit and perhaps attend some of their events. I do the same thing with my daughters. They often visit other churches and participate in other youth programs.
___As wonderful as it is to go to church with friends, there are several other important aspects you must remember.
___Although it may not seem like it right now, you have only a few short years to attend church with your parents. Five, 10, 15 years from now, you will be active in a church somewhere, and you will be serving on committees and in Bible studies surrounded by friends, but your parents will probably not be worshipping with you. In our busy world, school, sports, friends, TV and work all take away from "family time." As much as you would like to be going to another church, try to enjoy this chance to worship with your family.
___You are correct that this denomination believes in God and in Jesus, but they follow several very fundamental beliefs that are different from our Baptist beliefs.
___Their understanding of salvation is quite different from ours. As Baptists, we believe salvation is a gift of grace. It's a free gift, one that cannot be earned through good works. In fact, we focus on our relationship with God rather than good deeds or how much we do for the Lord. Because we believe salvation is an unearned gift of grace, we also believe we can't lose it. How can we lose something we didn't deserve or earn to begin with? Grace! What a wonderful gift!
___Invite your friends to some of your youth activities and enjoy theirs as well. Understand what Baptists believe and why we believe it, and learn what other denominations believe too. Worshipping with your family is important. Try enjoying being there with them.
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