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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodist News |
September 2001 |
To share faith, you must have faith, youth told
INDIANOLA, Iowa (UMNS) - Sharing faith is an opportunity for individuals to testify to the generosity and graciousness of God.
That was the message from the Rev. Stephen Handy as he led a workshop at Convo '01, the biennial convocation and legislative meeting of the United Methodist Youth Organization.
Handy, a staff member of the United Methodist Publishing House and assistant pastor at Gordon United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tenn., said faith sharing is a spiritual covenant model where a safe environment is formed for sharing and affirming one's relationship to God and one another.
In an interview with United Methodist News Service during the Aug. 1-5 event, Handy said faith sharing is grounded in biblical passages which calls for both faith formation and action.
All Christians are called to witness to the love of Jesus, Handy said.
In the midst of "doing religious activity," there is a tendency to forget about "being in a right relationship with God" and sharing that with others, he said.
During the Aug. 4 workshop, Handy said faith sharing is as simple as conversation but added that such conversation is short-lived unless there is a set of beliefs guiding the faith and witness.
Some individuals find it difficult to share their faith because of "a shaken faith foundation" or "a hand-me-down faith," he noted. While faith of most people is formed largely by the influence of parents, grandparents, church and community, Handy warned his workshop participants not to forfeit their right to formulate and shape their own faith. "When we are operating from a borrowed faith it is extremely awkward to witness."
Teaching and equipping the next generation to defend the faith is one of the church's greatest theological and practical challenges, Handy said. While faith is a result or reflection of our personal environment, the key for the next generation is that individuals develop their own theology.
To develop a theology, one must become like a small child and ask why, Handy said. "Asking why actually helps us to develop, defend and deepen our faith foundation."
Last updated on 01/14/2004