|
Announcements Dates to Remember Documents Mission Statement Our History Worship Services Schedules Communion Flower Guild Liturgist Guides Marriage Service Fellowship Hour Liturgist Ministries Book Discussion Choir Christian Education Library LOGOS Mission Projects Presbyterian Women Session Directory Shepherding Groups Youth |
LOGOSNancy SmithOct 12, 2006 through Apr 06, 2007 Frequently Asked Questions About LOGOSWhat does LOGOS mean? Does it stand for something?The word LOGOS is Greek, and it means "word." It is used in the beginning of John's Gospel, as in, "The Word was made flesh and lived among us," referring to God the Son. We use it for this ministry because we want to be the body (flesh if you will) of Christ for children and youth. We often capitalize all the letters for emphasis.What is this LOGOS ministry?The LOGOS ministry is the theology and practice of Christian relationships in a disciplined, midweek, four-part context. It is a practice arena for living the way God intends and taught us through Jesus and the prophets. LOGOS is a ministry that seeks to nurture children and youth into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ through authentic Christian relationships with peers and adults in the congregation.Who is LOGOS for?LOGOS started over 40 years ago as a ministry to high schoolers and that remains the primary target audience. High school is a critical time in people's lives, and studies show 95% of people who make a decision for Christ do so by the time they graduate high school. LOGOS also works well as a ministry to middle school and elementary school children. LOGOS also provides important ministry to parents and other church adults, but adults are not the target audience.Why does our little church need a ministry like this?We believe that every church needs a ministry like this! LOGOS is based on the same model as Christian camps and retreats, namely the four marks of the early Church. In Acts 2:42-44 we are told that the believers "attended to the apostles' teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and the prayers." We identify these elements as Bible study, recreation/play, shared meals, and worship. Any faithful and effective ministry nurturing people into a life of faith will include these four elements. Even if we didn't have a LOGOS ministry, we ought to offer these activities.What does LOGOS look like?Imagine camp or VBS for a few hours once week during the school year. On a midweek evening (Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday), participants arrive at the church after school. Adults will already be on hand preparing different activities. Over the course of the evening, the kids will join in four parts: Recreation-Play, Family Time, Bible Study, and Worship Skills. Recreation-Play is a time to have great fun at no one else's expense. It may include active games or church members sharing their hobbies with the kids. Family Time is a shared meal served family style. After kids eat and clear their tables, they thank the kitchen crew that fixed the meal, then play a table game. Bible study is the heart of the LOGOS ministry. The goal is to develop intelligent, biblically literate, obedient disciples of Christ through the study of God's Word. The fourth part is Worship Skills. Worship is to the Church what breathing is to the human body, and children and youth need to learn how to worship and to lead in worship. Worship skills often takes the form of choir, but it could include drama, readers theater, or other liturgical arts. The kids practice midweek to lead in the Sunday Worship service. Each of the four parts is led by different members of the congregation who have been called because they love God, love kids, and have a gift to share. The meal is prepared and cleaned up by a crew of church folk and parents, perhaps a different crew every week. During the evening there is a lot of noise, laughter, hugs, and energy.I think whatever the church does should come from the Bible. Where does the Bible say anything about a LOGOS ministry?The Bible doesn't say anything specifically about a LOGOS ministry, but as mentioned above, the early Church in Acts 2 took part in all four parts of the ministry. Further, passages such as Deuteronomy 6 show us that the promises of God and the will of God specifically include children and youth. All the Gospels record the story of Jesus demanding the disciples let the children come to him.How are you going to get enough leaders for such a ministry?We believe that God provides the resources for the ministry that God wants done. That includes people! Also, we believe that God has given all members of the Church spiritual gifts for building up the body of Christ and calls those gifts out for service. We will use a biblical system of calling members into ministry according to their gifts, talents, and passions, trusting in the faithfulness of God, to fill the main staff positions. Parents of participants are required to help out in the ministry, too. If they are not called to a staff position they may serve as kitchen helpers or other uncalled work.Who will be overseeing the ministry?The session has established a LOGOS board to oversee the ministry that answers to the session's Youth Committee. The board is made up of two directors, a treasurer, the pastor, members of the Youth and Christian Education Committees, and members at large, including parents.My kids are all grown up. Why should I care about LOGOS?Because adolescence is such a critical stage of life and teenagers often feel distant and unimportant in the life of the Church, a congregation's ministry to this age group is a good barometer of the overall effectiveness of the church's mission and outreach. Our congregation set ministry to youth and children as a critical priority in its recent mission study. The life of the congregation is enhanced by the presence of children and youth and is not complete without them. In the baptismal liturgy members of the congregation takes vows to help children grow into strong discipleship of Christ, and LOGOS is an excellent way for us to fulfill that vow.My kids are too young for LOGOS. What are you doing for our family?Our session, Youth Committee, Christian Education Committee, and LOGOS board are very aware of the need for ministry to younger children. While we have come to believe that to develop a healthy LOGOS system of ministry we need to begin with high school, we expect to bring LOGOS online for middle school and elementry school as soon as possible, hopefully by next fall. In the mean time, plans are in the works through the Youth Committee to provide fellowship activities for all ages of kids until LOGOS begins for them. Of course, we also need parental support and help for these activities. We also continue our commitment to a strong Sunday School ministry.My kids are involved in (insert extracurricular activity here). How could we fit another thing into our schedule?Certainly, extracurricular activities are an important part of life and help to build character and a well-rounded person. However, we believe that nurturing children and youth into a saving relationship with Christ is more important than all other forms of education or activity combined! Nothing else has the eternal consequences for your child's soul. We want your family to think intentionally about the priorities you set for the development of your kids. Rather than adding something new to your schedule, you may need to replace something of lower priority so your child can participate in LOGOS. We believe children and youth need parents and mature Christians to help them set the direction for their lives. Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray." Will that way be soccer, piano, or discipleship of Jesus Christ?I hear there are fees charged to participate in LOGOS? Why?Church budgets are almost always tight, and this is an extensive ministry. We don't want it to become a strain that the budget won't be able to bear. So training, start-up costs, and some other support items need to be covered in the budget, but the goal is for the regular operating costs of the ministry to be covered by tuition. We also know that people believe the addage, "you get what you pay for!" If it is free in today's culture, most people don't expect much from it. Well, LOGOS is worth plenty, and we want to be honest about it! Further, we also know that if people pay for something it increases their investment, and they are more likely to participate. Bluntly, once you pay you won't want to waste it. So the fees cover the cost of curriculum, food, supplies, mission membership dues in LOGOS System Associates, and other incidentals. Another cultural reality is that families are used to paying for a variety of extracurricular activities for their kids these days, and we believe the goal of LOGOS is of greater importance than any of these. Of course, no one will be kept from participating if they can't afford the fees! There will be confidential scholarships available for all or part of the tuition and other ways scholarship families can contribute to the upkeep of the ministry.Why does LOGOS meet in the middle of the week instead of Sunday?For one thing we know the kids will be around. Weekends are often time for travel or in many families, shared custody arrangements. Weekdays are pretty stable because of school. For another, a midweek ministry acts as a stepping stone of faith in the middle of the week, strengthening kids against the pressures of life and reminding them that our faith is an everyday faith, not just for Sunday morning.How can I get involved with LOGOS?Contact Nancy Smith. |