Amy Nelson
Youth director at First Baptist Church of Two Harbors
Two Harbors, Minnesota, USA
Tell us about a moment in ministry where you felt all hope was lost, but God did ___.
This year I’ve felt more hopeless than any other year. It seems like the enemy is really focused on deconstructing our ministry right now.
I faced some conflict with our trustee board last fall when they rejected my request for a church van. I didn’t agree with the decision, and I shared my frustration with them in a letter. They didn’t receive the letter very well.
I felt that I was in the right, but God showed me that I needed to swallow my pride and apologize for how I reacted. I was worried that I’d unintentionally burned some very important bridges. I was also worried that the trustees and deacons would lose faith in me, and that I’d have to do a lot to earn back their trust.
But God used a simple apology to calm my fears and mend my relationship with church leadership. Never underestimate the power of an apology.
What have you done to build a Gospel Advancing volunteer or student leader team?
We’ve worked hard to develop our student leadership team over the past three years. Each year we’ve developed our programming so our student leaders can continue building on the leadership skills we’ve taught them.
Our student leaders’ biggest responsibility is leading the youth group culture by welcoming newcomers. We also encourage them to intentionally reach out to students outside of their “best friend” cliques. These simple practices have led to a welcoming culture that makes it easy for new students to get integrated.
While cliques still form—that’s pretty hard to avoid—hardly anyone spends youth group by themselves.
Do you have an example of a Bible passage that doesn’t seem Gospel Advancing but actually is? How does it tie in to the Gospel?
Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.
Paul reminds us to be unified in Christ and to value others above yourself. At a glance, this sounds like nothing more than the golden rule: Treat others like you want to be treated.
But the truth of this passage is much deeper. We’re empowered by Christ’s sacrifice and united together with one goal: to share the Gospel and make disciples. The best way that we can value others above ourselves is to share the truth of the Gospel with them!
