Youth from two South County churches will be putting their faith into action this weekend.Â
As many as 25 junior and senior high school students will be participating in the 30-Hour Famine project at the Gilroy First Baptist Church. Their efforts will serve two main purposes.
According to the Rev. Brian Arendt, associate pastor of youth and education, this will be an opportunity for the students to understand what it is like to go without food. Fasting is an ancient tradition in Christianity, and these teens will experience a sample of the hunger suffered by so many people in Third World countries.
After eating lunch at noon on Friday, the teens will go without eating and gather at the church at 6:30pm. There they will play some symbolic games and participate in worship, prayer and Bible study. Only fruit juice will be available for consumption.
Sleeping at the church that night, the teens will engage in community service projects on Saturday morning at South Valley Crisis Pregnancy Center and Village Green of Gilroy, a senior living community. Then they will return to the church in the afternoon for debriefing and instruction about the problem of world hunger.
At 6:30pm they will break the fast with a simple, nutritious meal that is similar to what might be eaten in an under-developed country, with ingredients such as rice and fruit. At the 10am worship service Sunday, participants will report to the congregation about their experiences and how they were affected.
The other purpose of this project is to earn money for helping the world’s needy. The teens have been soliciting sponsors, both individuals and businesses, to donate money to World Vision. This international Christian relief and development agency works for the well-being of all people, especially children. Established in 1950 to care for orphans in Asia, it now helps poor communities in the under-developed world in the areas of education, health care, clean water, public hygiene, food and shelter.
Also on Sunday morning, approximately 20 junior and senior high students in Morgan Hill will be participating in worship services planned and led by youth at Advent Lutheran Church, 16870 Murphy Ave. According to Janet Renick, the church’s youth and family minister, Advent Lutheran hosts this event three or four times a year.
Sunday’s theme is “Who You Are Makes a Difference.” The music, Bible readings and sermon will all reinforce this message. The sermon will be given by one of the teens and is loosely based on Jesus’ Parable of the Talents. The Youth Choir will sing two anthems at both the 8 and 10:45am worship services.
Renick points out that these services should not be considered “performances,” “shows” or “entertainment.” Rather, they are “opportunities for the teens to show their faith in action, what God means in their lives.” Anyone is invited to attend and receive inspiration from these contemporary liturgies. For more information, call (408) 779-3551.
