Beacon District Youth News
Happy New Year! 2020 is behind us, and God continues to be with us! I give thanks for each of you that make up the Beacon District and the work you are doing in your communities to proclaim the gospel and follow the Holy Spirit’s leading. I give thanks for our District Leadership Team, led by our District Superintendent, Rev. Gil Wise. I have been part of two meetings with this team. I have learned so much about how we can, as a district, be faithful disciples and leaders that first follow Jesus and second seek to make Jesus known in all the ministry areas of our district.
For Rev. Matt Seals, that focus area is youth ministry. Please know that I am praying for your community’s youth, the leaders that are reaching out to those youth, and I am here to help you in any way as you seek to share the gospel with your young people. Our youth are not just the future of the church. They, like us, are the church.
They are experiencing the moving of the Holy Spirit in mighty and profound ways. We need to pray for the Holy Spirit’s continued movement in the lives of our young people as well as for a continued awakening to take place in our communities. I encourage you to, with me, hear and share the words daily from Ephesians 5:14 (The Message), “wake up from your sleep, climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light!”
So how can you help support and be part of The Beacon District Youth Ministry? I am glad you asked.
First, I invite you to pray. Pray for our youth, pray for revival to break out in youth groups across our district and communities. Pray for the leaders that God is forming and shaping as we look to put together a District Youth Leadership Team.
Second, explore with your church’s youth if any would like to serve on the District Youth Leadership team. Our leadership team consists of our youth who serve on the Conference Youth Leadership team. Landon McKnew, our Conference Youth Legislative Affairs Person; Olivia Suggs, Beacon District Youth Representative; and Kallie Gregg, our Middle School Beacon District Representative. We would like to add more youth voices and create a leadership team with officers as well as adults to mentor and come along side these young people. We also would like to add a second person to the District Youth Coordinator Team. If you feel God tugging at your heart to serve that way, please contact Rev. Gil Wise or myself. All of our meetings will be virtual and it will be an opportunity for the youth to plan district youth events and district youth worship services.
Third, Using the model provided for us by the early Methodist, we will consider each local church youth group in the district as a band, the sub-district grouping of the youth groups, the class, and the district the society. Adults, pray and ask if you are being called to lead a virtual District Youth Class. This would be a space where youth leaders, volunteer and paid, can share ministry ideas and create a community for leaders and the youth groups beyond the local church. I envision a class being set up in some geographical way throughout the district.
If you are a volunteer or paid youth leader, I want to meet you and explore with you what God is doing in your ministry. Please reach out to me via e-mail or phone call. You can reach me at mseals@nccumc.org or (910) 417-9660. Let’s go and shine bright the light of Christ.
IN ADDITION:
February Beach Retreat will not take place in February.
February 10th: 6:30 pm District Youth Leader Meet and Greet via Zoom
February 18th: 6:30 pm District Youth Leadership Team
Please make note that Pilgrimage 2021 will take place at NC Wesleyan in Rocky Mount, NC. I look forward to sharing and growing youth ministry and the revival that will take place throughout the Beacon District in 2021.
– Matt
