Youth Revisited

Last night I had the privilege of being led in worship by the youth of EMBC. It was an amazing time of worship and reflection. I have not experienced worship like that in a long time. I realize that has alot to do in part to my attitude, but I also think it has something to do with the way I am wired. I have long focused more on the message of music, rather than the mechanics. This is something that has been at the forefront on my mind, concerning worship since I was in the youth group. Yes we want it to sound pretty, but when we truly focus on worshiping God and singing the words as a prayer to Him, it is the sweetest sound on earth. Apart from the music, I was touched by Erica Johnson's testimony. It was amazing for a girl her age to stand up in front of a congregation of people and proclaim her love for Christ the way she did; also it reminded me how I had been on fire for Christ my Senior year. I felt convicted and took it as a call to action. I had the privilege of being a part of something special. Most people don't get the opportunity to be in the youth group I was in. Anyone who has grown up in church, has special memories of their youth group, but my whole experience in the youth group is a special memory, and much of what took place in those years made me who I am today. I remember when my parents first decided to go to EMBC, I was unhappy and thought I would never fit in. A special lady didn't give up on me and it is because of her I found my place at EMBC. Mrs. Lea Anne Barnett was my Sunday School teacher at some point for every year I was in the youth group. I still have notebooks from Bible studies she did with us in the summer. I remember looking to her and realizing what it meant to walk the walk. Another person who had a great impact on my life is Adam Bishop.


The picture above is of Jenna Sanders, Courtney Loftin and I at our Senior year Choir tour. The M.O.M. on our t-shirts stood for Minister of Music.


Adam led the youth choir when I was in the youth group, and the things he taught us will stay with me the rest of my life. I understand that when someone moves on to another church, that for some reason people who used to like them somehow find fault where there is none. This is not to say that Adam is perfect, and also not to say that Michael Evans isn't as good as Adam, just that when someone moves on don't write them off and forget about them. If the church today functioned like the church of Paul's day we wouldn't worry about who is at EMBC or First Baptist or Buck Run. It would simply be "The Church" a cohesive group of believers with the same mind to worship Christ. Just like Paul wrote and encouraged churches all over, we too should be about encouraging our fellow believers, no matter which congregation they choose to be a part of. That was totally off the subject, but just something I've had on my mind for a while. Back to what Adam taught me, it is precisely the thing I spoke about before. Worhip should be about the message, rather than mechanics. He always made it a point to look at the words and not only to focus on what God might be saying to us through the music, but also what God might use us to say to the people listening. That is something that stuck with me and translates into how I worship today. I understand this is beginning to get lengthy, but I could never talk about people who impacted my life without talking about Gene DeVaughn.



No other minister at EMBC or elsewhere has ever impacted my life as much as Bro. Gene. Not only does he practice what he preaches, but I don't think there is a more down to earth guy around. Bro. Gene is a phenomenal speaker and I remember spending many afternoons in his office crying or just talking and never once did he let me down in offering Godly and sound advice. Bro. Gene can't do it alone though, his lovely wife Mrs. Lesley has impacted me as well. I understand that no marriage is perfect, but in so many ways Drew & I look to these two as an example of what a marriage should look like. Bro. Gene and Mrs. Lesley aren't perfect, but part of what makes them so special is that they don't pretend to be. When so many people put on airs, these two are real and I feel like that is part of the reason they impact so many lives.
The EMBC youth group I was a part of was special and I feel so blessed to have been a part of it. The things I learned stay with me today and even though I know I am not as close to God as I was then, I was challenged by the youth group of today to get back to the place I once was and get back to a place where I am SOLD OUT!!!