Who would win in a cook-off between Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver?
Easy! I mean it’s not even close. But tell me this: who gets more people cooking? Who gets us feeling pure class as we flick that stir fry, twirl that spaghetti or squeeze that lemon? I mean, Gordon is great and all, but I’d rather have Jamie as a coach. He’s got a gift of simplifying things down so even my agricultural self can cook basic meals from scratch and sizzle that bacon with finesse!
We (in Exodus) did a video a couple of years ago called Boldly Following Jesus Together (see below). In it, Jack tells his story. One line from his story continues to challenge me to this day. “[Calvin] showed me how to develop new habits of praying, reading the Bible and being part of my local church. Though these are simple things, I never knew how to do them until he got alongside me.”
There is a myth about ministry: that it’s complicated. This just isn’t true. Trying to coordinate a church full of opinionated people is, organising a missions team is, picking the colour for your youth room wall might even be the most considered decision you’ve ever had to make. But the act of ministering to one another isn’t complex. Every Christian can do it. Jesus believed this, he once sent a man who ten minutes earlier was foaming at the mouth, to be a witness in his hometown. And Paul tells us that our role is to equip the saints for the work of ministry:
“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.”
Ephesians 4:11-12
I think as youth leaders we need to be more like Jamie Oliver than Gordon Ramsey. More like an everyday example than an expert. Equipping God’s people to pass it on. Equipping a church full of ‘Calvins’ who will get alongside young people. Jack’s story runs true with my experience. I continue to see lots of young people who want to know Christ and grow in their faith paired with adults who are hesitant to get stuck in.
So, I want to encourage you today. Show grannies how they can do a devotion with their grandkids, show that retired gent with no family how he can volunteer at your youth club, coach young people in how to read their Bible with a friend, invite everyone over 30 to pray with everyone under 30 at your next Sunday morning service, turn pews into breakout rooms and dinner tables into home groups.
I find what stops many Christians from passing on their faith is that they think they need permission or they don’t feel professional enough. How have we got here as a church?
The spread of the Gospel has never been by professional experts but by personal examples. Real local people, who know how to pronounce the name of Jesus and the name of their neighbour with affinity.
I’m praying for many more stories like Jack’s, that our churches will be filled with people who pass it on, sharing the basics of their faith with another. I’m praying that Jesus will become their guide and that you become their coach.
Right, I’m off to watch Jamie Oliver on YouTube. See ya!
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