The Book of Faith Project

Tell the youth leader in your life about this!

Over the last year, I've been reflecting on my years in youth ministry up to this point. What was good? What was useful? What would I change?

One thing I would add is a more time connecting young people in the church with older ones. Becoming a catalyst for stories of faith being passed down from generation to generation, in a way that is meaningful and memorable for all.

It is my deep desire that we live out Deuteronomy chapter six, verses four through nine:

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up."

Our sending church, Center UMC, is blessed with Cheryl Adamson, an amazing youth leader who wholeheartedly desires this for each and every family there. And this little paragraph has no other purpose than to state that. :)

This project is for Cheryl and everyone else who loves Jesus and loves young people.

The Book of Faith

The Book of Faith is a collection of stories of faith, collected by and passed down to young people from their elders. The stories may be first person or told about someone else, but you must adhere to a few guidelines:

1. Stories must be true. It may be tempting to embellish a story to make God or Aunt Floyd look a little better; please resist. God doesn't need your help and Aunt Floyd would want you to tell the truth.
2. One point per story: God's faithfulness.
3. Only one story per entry - if you have a story with two main points, break them out into two stories.
4. Keep stories short. One typewritten page (after editing) should be enough to tell most stories.
5. Include a scripture reference with each story. This will help keep you on task.
6. Stories may be edited for readability. However, cross-check with another person to be sure the facts of the story remain.

You may approach a story in several different ways, keeping the focus on God's faithfulness:

• How God answered prayer
• God's faithfulness in a particular situation in someone's life
• Someone stepping out in faith to God's call, and how it went
• A person responding to God in faith, and how God was proven faithful

Read Hebrews 11 for several excellent examples of stories of faith.

Students should present the project to the church and include a timeframe of when the stories are to be completed, and when they hope to have them edited and ready for publication for the church.

Students should then actively seek out at least one story FROM EVERY SINGLE ADULT CHRISTIAN IN THE CHURCH. Yes, that's right! In fact, I believe we should have a new story of God's faithfulness each and every day. But that's another day's post. If we really believe God's mercies are new each day, we should be able to tell about them. Try to include everyone in this. Take careful notes and record the stories, or let people submit written stories.

Next, edit the stories. You may be surprised to find several experts in this field right in your own congregation. Edit for readability and length, and to keep the focus on God's faithfulness.

Finally, publish and distribute the finished stories. This might include creating a website, making two-sided copies in a binder, making a photobook, or self-publishing (there are several excellent self-publishing sites online). It can be as inexpensive or not as you wish. The important thing is to get people thinking about God's faithfulness and passing on those stories!