By Doug Creamer

A New Beginning

            We are quickly approaching the time when students will be returning to the classroom. It is hard to imagine that summer vacation is coming to a close. Please pray for teachers and all the staff that work at the schools. They care for and nurture our children. Ask God to work through them as they raise up the next generation.

            A new school year means it is a new beginning. Last year’s successes and failures are gone and students begin with a clean slate. Teachers have had time to rest and recuperate and the challenge of a new year with a new group of students is set before them. Pray that our schools will be safe for the children and that they will have the equipment and supplies they need to grow and expand their minds.

            Today was my first day with new students at the community college. It is always exciting to meet my new students and begin to help them discover their potential. We had a good first day meeting each other and starting to get their minds working and thinking. Hope and optimism are at their brightest as we begin our new journey together. I can’t wait to see what my new students will accomplish and help them take steps to success.

            The reality is that new beginnings require work for both the students and the teachers. There is lots of planning that goes into student success. It doesn’t just happen. Creating the right environment and encouraging the right attitudes are big contributors to success. But all the planning and enthusiasm on the teachers’ side is not enough for success. Students need to bring the right attitude and effort to the table. They also need a good support system at home to help them take the necessary steps.   

            The same thing is required to help a believer begin their walk with Christ. They need help. Someone has to teach them and help them develop the spiritual disciplines that are needed to grow and mature in Christ. Some may say that those are the pastor’s responsibilities. That’s not entirely true. It takes all of us working together to help new believers begin their journey. Those of us who have been around for a while are called to encourage and support the new believers.

            Some people think that discipleship and training falls to the Sunday school teachers. While Sunday school classes can help with the basics of our faith, they can’t keep going over the basics every time a new believer comes along. Mature believers need to be encouraged and challenged in Sunday school classes, too.

            The problem with faith is that it is not a once and done thing. Faith is constantly evolving as we grow and mature in the Lord. In the beginning, new believers need spiritual milk. As we grow we need to move on to solid foods that help us grow and develop deep roots that will help us through the dry and challenging times.

            There is no retirement plans in the Kingdom of God. We are all expected to keep working at both growing and helping the younger ones in the faith. Older believers can bring wisdom and guidance to younger believers. This happens in many ways beyond Sunday school and church.  We need to be ready in season and out of season to help younger believers grow and develop their faith.  

            We are constantly encouraged in the Bible to pass on our faith. One of the effective ways of doing that is through building relationships, which takes time. We can do that through sharing meals, working on projects, or participating in small groups. Developing connections with other believers builds a deeper commitment to each other, the church, and the Lord. These opportunities open doors for us to speak into each other’s lives. 

            We all find ourselves in different places in our spiritual journeys. Sometimes we need to be encouraged and challenged, and other times we need to be the encourager and challenger. I want to encourage you to be in relationship with other believers, especially those who are new to the faith. If you are new to the faith, find some older believers that you can connect with and receive from to help you along on your new spiritual journey. If you are an older and experienced believer I encourage you to share your stories, your testimonies, with younger believers so they can develop strong roots that will help them through the storms of life. When you think about it, we are all in school, learning spiritual lessons that will help us grow and mature in Christ.

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com