Welcome to The F.L.Y. Café!
I have a dream...
...a hope...
...a vision.
That dream, hope and vision is this: getting teens EXCITED about God, Christ's message, and their role in the mission of the Church.
God tells us that he has a plan for all of us, and that we
have each been made for a very special purpose. “For I know
the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to
prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”. Jeremiah 29:11 reminds us that God has a plan
for our lives and that it is a good one! Unfortunately, when teens are
muddling through the sometimes rough waters of teenage life, they can often feel
excited, lonely, oppressed, independent, angry, accomplished, rejected, happy,
and sad all at the same time. Being a teenager or early 20-something can be one of the most
enjoyable and simultaneously difficult times in a person’s life. It is the point in life when people go through some of
the most rapid and dramatic changes on their way to becoming an independent
adult. Growing up, forming “forever friendships”, moving to high school,
learning to drive, dating for the first time, breaking up for the first time,
graduating, preparing for college or
trade school, starting a job…these are all life-altering events and many
decisions and emotions go into each of these moments.
A teen’s quest
to discovering God’s purpose can be daunting and a lot more difficult that they
expected. Hearing God’s voice above all the other noise becomes quite a task
and then confusion sets in. Often times,
this is a “make it or break it” point in the life of a teenager or early 20- something concerning their
relationship with the church.
That is what The Fly Café is all
about!
Matthew 5:6 tells us that those who hunger
and thirst for “God’s way” will be filled to the brim! Isaiah 40:31 tells us
that if we hope and trust in the Lord, he will lift us up on wings like eagles
and give us the freedom to soar, never growing tired or weak!
These two verses are central to the mission
of The Fly Café, the new Sunday school class for high school and
young adults ages 18-21. Beginning September 15th 2013 at 9:30 AM in the
Fly Café (located in the fellowship hall basement – high school room), will
serve as a place of study and worship on a reinvigorated level, where teens and early 20-somethings can
come to learn about God in a way they have never experienced before.
I am truly
passionate about reaching teens for Christ and helping them to find their place
in the Church, so that they can take God out into the world with confidence as
young adults. I have been blessed with the wonderfully amazing opportunity to serve as the new high school Sunday School teacher at First Lutheran. As the new High School SCS
teacher, I wanted to bring an excitement and life into the Sunday School classroom. I got the idea to turn the classroom into a café when I overheard a group of teenagers talking in Panera Bread over coffee. They were comfortable, laughing, talking openly about all sorts of things. I, being a very brave person (lol), walked up to the table and asked the group if they would mind answering a question for me. I told them I was doing "research"; which in a way, I was. they looked confused and a little uncomfortable, but they agreed to answer my question. I asked them if any of them attended church Sunday School. Two of the five said yes, occasionally. I asked them to go into a little more detail about what they liked, what they didn't like, why the ones who did not attend decided not to go, and what they would change if they could. One of the teenagers simply didn't believe in going to church. The two that attended stated that they were often bored, but they went because their parents went. The other two stated that they often felt uncomfortable or treated like they were "babies" and so they stopped attending. One of the girls stated the she really "believed" in God, but just didn't feel like she could get anything out of Sunday School anymore, since it is "the same stuff over and over, year after year". This was an eye opening experience for me. Their feelings didn't surprise me all that much (I was a teenager once too!), but it DID surprise me that they were so ready and willing to answer, very bluntly, about their feelings toward Sunday School for their age group. I asked the group one last question..."what would make you WANT to come to Sunday School"? One of the more vocal individuals said, "well, if it was more like this, I would probably come". I asked her to clarify, and she essentially told me that she would come if it were more laid back and comfortable...more conversational; if she could just talk things out and make sense of it without feeling like her opinions or thoughts didn't count. She stated that she talks with some of her friends about their faith, but it's usually over coffee or when they are out to eat or just "hanging out". This made something click, and soon after...The F.L.Y. Café was born. The logo and mission verses came to me one day when I was driving to work. I had thought and thought about what do for a logo and which verses to use to emphasize the mission. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, and as I was pulling into the parking lot, a bird almost few directly into my windshield. It scared me half to death, but in that split second, Isaiah 40:31 popped into my head. God speaks in mysterious ways! What a perfect vision for a teen Sunday School class......using scripture to help them find their wings. (PS...no birds were harmed during this epiphany!)
The purpose of this blog is to take The F.L.Y. Café out into the world and show others what we are up to! I will periodically be posting themes and upcoming lesson topics on here, and my students will be posting some of their projects as well. This blog will function as a way for the congregation of our church, our community and the world take a look at what we are doing here at First, and for us to spread the excitement of Christ's message in accordance with the great commission of the Church.
It is my hope and vision that, in conjunction with the youth ministry
team at First Lutheran, The Fly Café will create a Sunday school space where teens can
feel free to be themselves in a friendly atmosphere. I hope they will discover
a place where they can learn about God and how truly relevant Christ’s message is
to today’s culture, learn that all those lessons actually are applicable to
daily life, form genuine friendships, and truly discover who they are in
Christ.
Be Blessed!
Ms. Shultz
High School Sunday School
Teacher
The Fly Café
