Our Church's Future

The students at Forestdale Christian School "took over" the Woodstock Seventh-day Adventist Church last Sabbath, May 9th. Part of our school's curriculum is to educate our students on their future in the church. Church sometimes becomes a mundane routine. We wake up, get all pretty (or handsome) and go. We sit in Sabbath School. Maybe voice a few comments. We greet friends in between services. We sit through the pastor's sermon and then we go home. Yet how does a church service run? How many people are responsible for different duties? What exactly are the church officers? When I was in grade school and in high school, I had heard about Elders and Deacons, but I had no idea what they did. It became a burden on my heart to teach the young people about how to run a church service. In the Northern New England Conference of Seventh-day Adventist, there is a saying about our young people: The future is now. Our young people are our future. And they are here. Now. They are willing and ready to stand up in front of the congregation and praise the Lord!

I am proud to say that the Forestdale students did amazing at their church service. They performed the duties of an elder and deacon in calling for the offering. They read scripture, called for praises and prayer requests, and offered the morning prayer. These kids had practiced so all the nerves would be out. They performed a beautiful play about Prayer. Their message to our church was simply that they are here. They are ready to be apart of our congregation. And we at Forestdale Christian School are here to guide our young people and educate them not just for the future, but for eternity.