(Hear me out here. I'm not trying to develop a Rick Warren-type philosophy.)
Many, many years ago, not long after I started my second career in teaching, it came to me that kids needed a better-rounded education than textbooks could provide. So I started with simulated real estate projects and then moved on to actual projects with science and history. It gave them an opportunity to put into practice what they'd learned. National competitions followed, with some of my students winning, at least at the regional level. A decade in, I came across something "new" that the public schools were heavily investing in: Project Based Learning. What I'd been doing all those years now had a name.
After a certain amount of time teaching his disciples, Jesus sent them out in twos, encouraging them to put into practice what they had learned. And they definitely learned a lot during that time. Time for us to learn something from that example. I've long bemoaned the lack of active participation by younger men in church. I've tried this and that, to no effect.
Projects. Perhaps these are a way to get the younger guys in the game. The ladies have done this for years: prayer quilts, cookie plates for the neighbors, baskets for new mothers, etc. What could the guys do? A spring clean-up at a city park, light home repairs for seniors, cutting firewood for widows, etc. Perhaps these kinds of manly projects can serve as a catalyst for young men to realize that they can contribute to God's kingdom. The physical and social growth can lead to mental and spiritual growth. And future leaders?
Home 