As part of our service last Sunday, we had two short talks from students. These two young women shared some of their testimonies. Both had grown up in Christian homes to love the Lord Jesus, but both had lost their faith and refound it.
One of the students was physically bullied by a boy at secondary school and she went from being a confident child to a shy, scared teenager. In this process, her church was in between youth workers and she lost confidence in God, stopped going to church and lost her faith. It was only years later, as she looked back, that she realised how much she was missing. She gave her life back to Jesus.
The other student, Katie, found online church unhelpful and difficult to connect with during the pandemic and lost her faith during this time. It wasn't until Year 13 when she experienced the conviction of the Holy Spirit calling her back. She recommitted to Jesus and has been plugged into our church since she arrived at university.
I was so moved by the strength of these testimonies. How amazing that these young women were found by Jesus again and that they are still going in the faith. I wonder how many other students have similar stories and how many have not yet found a way home.
Growing up as a disciple isn't easy and there are so many distractions and enemy tactics to steal, kill and destroy faith. The years affected by the covid pandemic left a wreckage in young people. Deep community and so many formational experiences simply weren't possible.
BUT...
God never gives up. He remakes. He reworks. He reroutes. He regrows. I am praying that we start to hear more of these stories as the prodigals come home. Will you join me in lamenting the loss of young adults for the church? Will you cry out to God with me to rescue them? And let's celebrate like never before as we welcome them home into a living faith in Jesus Christ.
The prodigals are coming home. As this happens, we can prepare for an increase in the mess in people's lives and an increase in the presence of the Holy Spirit in our midst as this happens.
