{"id":956,"date":"2019-04-25T21:02:18","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T21:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.presbyterianmission.org\/weekly-offerings\/?p=956"},"modified":"2019-04-25T21:02:18","modified_gmt":"2019-04-25T21:02:18","slug":"pentecost-building-a-life-of-faith-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/centernet.pcusa.org\/weekly-offerings\/2019\/04\/25\/pentecost-building-a-life-of-faith-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Pentecost: Building a Life of Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who was the first person to teach you about Jesus?<\/h4>\n

Who was the first person to\u00a0 show you how to honor God with your life? Who helped you open the doors to new understandings of God and of faith? When did these things happen? For many of us, they happened during our childhood. They happened at home, at Sunday School, at church, at camp, or, perhaps through mission trips or experiences of service.<\/p>\n

We probably don\u2019t need a study to tell us that a foundation of faith established during childhood through young adulthood, the first third of life, helps ensure lifelong faith and service \u2014 but yet studies do show this to be true. Psalm 71 testifies to this same truth. Verse 17 says \u201cO God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.\u201d The patterns and lessons established during these formative years continue to bear fruit throughout a person\u2019s life.<\/p>\n

Join others in supporting the Pentecost Offering<\/h4>\n

\"\"This\u00a0 churchwide offering opens the doors to children, youth, and young adults so that they grow in the patterns of faith meant to last a lifetime. When we give, congregations join in shaping the education provided at public schools, through the Educate a Child, Transform the World national initiative. As Presbyterians, we believe that every child deserves access to high-quality education.<\/p>\n

When we give, young adults engage in a year of service while discerning how best to love God and neighbor, through the Young Adult Volunteer program. As Presbyterians, we believe that serving others is more than just something good to do, it\u2019s something that teaches us about God and about ourselves.<\/p>\n

When we give, more than 5,000 youth gather at the Presbyterian Youth Triennium to worship, learn, and serve together. As Presbyterians, we believe that the Holy Spirit moves among us when we gather together and draws us into meaningful relationships and powerful understandings of what God is doing in the world.<\/p>\n

During Pentecost, we celebrate that the Holy Spirit has opened the doors to faith in Jesus Christ. Just as many of us were nurtured in faith during our youth, we give to\u00a0 support these ministries and offer ourselves in service to the faith formation of other youth and young adults. We join with the Spirit and the whole church, so that the\u00a0 generations to come will still proclaim God\u2019s wondrous deeds. Won\u2019t you join in your support? If we all do a little, it adds up to a lot.<\/p>\n

Let us pray<\/h4>\n

Transforming Spirit,\u00a0 as each of us were taught, help us to teach\u00a0 our children, youth, and young adults\u00a0 so that their words and lives will\u00a0 proclaim your glory and your deeds May these gifts we offer shape the future\u00a0 of your Church. Amen.<\/em><\/p>\n

Join us<\/h4>\n

For more information and resources related to the Pentecost offering, visit\u00a0presbyterianmission.org\/pentecost.<\/a>
\n<\/u> This post is based on the Minute for Mission script which can be found on our\u00a0website<\/a>\u00a0as a\u00a0script<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Please give generously to the Offering:<\/p>\n