Sharing Our Voices…Together

Contributing to Grow Christians for the last six(ish) years has been an honor. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to share my ideas and reflections with this community, and for the ways others’ writing has grown my understanding of how we can nurture the faith and discipleship of the young people in our care.

When I first began writing for the blog, I was very conscious of the fact that my perspective is of someone whose experience of nurturing faith comes primarily from my work and ministry. Though I have many years of experience teaching and leading in children’s and youth ministry, I’m a single woman in her mid-to-late thirties who is not raising kids in my own household. I partner with caregivers and work to equip households in nurturing kids’ faith every day, but I don’t know at all what it’s like to navigate the world of parenting. Perhaps it was imposter syndrome, or the feeling of vulnerability that comes with sharing your thoughts and reflections on the Internet. It might have even been a mix of both that made me wonder if my voice even had a place in the conversation.

To be honest, I still wrestle with this today. Although in my heart I know that my perspective is valid (and even needed!), I still wonder if it matters. If I’ve never experienced what it’s like to be a parent in the day-to-day, how can I bring meaningful ideas to a resource that encourages and equips others to nurture kids’ faith in everyday life? However, being a part of the Grow Christians community has consistently reminded me that my thoughts, ideas, and experiences domatter and that we all have something to bring to the conversation about how we help our young people follow Jesus every day.

A turning point for me in this journey was about a year ago when I wrote this post about my broadening perspective on the use of the phrase “it takes a village.” In the year since I first penned that reflection, I have been reminded time and time again that it takes everyone—family, caregivers, church leaders, teachers, mentors, and others—to raise kids who follow in the way of Jesus. Different voices, different experiences, and different perspectives of faith all come together to create communities where faith is nurtured in powerful and meaningful ways. This is the thing I appreciate the most about the Grow Christians community; it’s a place where people of varied backgrounds and faith journeys have come together to share their thoughts, reflect, and grow while working toward the same mission: to deepen the spiritual growth of kids and to celebrate God’s presence in the everyday. The legacy of this community embodies the command we find in Deuteronomy:

Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem on your forehead, and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
—Deuteronomy 6:6-9, NRSVue

I’m always reminded that it takes all of us, regardless of our role, experience, or background, working together to fully live into this commandment.

I am glad that this season of my life and ministry included being a part of the Grow Christians community. I am grateful for all of the voices that have given me new perspectives, ideas, and resources. I am grateful that my voice is appreciated and valued, too. I hope and pray that we can, in our own homes and faith communities, value and appreciate the varied experiences of our own people. That is how we can continue to work together to help our young people become thoughtful, faithful, and loving followers of Jesus.