Have you ever played the game Catch Phrase? This is one of my family's favorites, and we enjoyed it while on mission trips this past summer. There are certain words I come across, and use regularly, but when under pressure and tasked with explaining it, I often struggle to define it. In my head I know what it means conceptually. I can use it in context. But to actually define it, articulate it, and explain it in a way that someone else could understand proves to be a challenge.
I think "gospel" is one of those words for most of us. Maybe we grew up in church, and have a good grasp on what the gospel is. Maybe we have no idea, and that is just a very churchy word. Regardless of what side of the spectrum you find yourself, most people cannot clearly explain it to someone else, myself included.
This year we hope to change that among our students. We have a goal of engaging every teenager in this community with the gospel of Jesus Christ! Before we do that, though, we have to first have a firm grasp on what that is to begin with. And be trained and equipped on how to share that with others. With the help of some resources from Dare2Share ministries, we are going to dive deep into the gospel this Fall, the greatest story ever told. For those students who already know Jesus, our hope is to equip them to share the good news with others. For those who do not yet know Jesus, who have questions about Jesus, or even who are anti-Jesus, our hope is to invite them to check him out and experience the life-transforming power of the gospel.
So what is the gospel? The word literally means "good news." It is the good news of Jesus' life, death and resurrection, and what that means for us! This year, we will be using and learning the following acrostic to help us better articulate the gospel.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (NLT)
If you, as a parent, has questions about who Jesus is and the gospel, I would LOVE to talk with you! Let's set up a time to chat. Thank you for allowing us to partner with you as we seek to grow extraordinary students who love God, love people and make disciples.
You can find the Fall Schedules for both JH and HS Category 6ix posted under the calendar below.