Southwood Lutheran Church

Senior High Ski Trip Promo Video

The High School youth group are going skiing over spring break. Check out the promotional video made by our creative youth!  

Who not How

Galatians 6:2 (NIV) Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you fulfill the law of Christ.

What if in our lives as Christians we focused on who instead of how? Instead of asking how to be a part of the church, how we should pray, or how to encourage other people to live as Christians, we asked who was sitting next to us in the pew. What if we asked who we could serve in our community? What if instead of looking at how Jesus lived, we asked ourselves who He was? What if we asked ourselves who He is in our lives today?

In my first week here at Southwood as the youth director, all of my questions started with one word, how. How does the youth group operate? How does Sunday School get organized? How will I remember all these names? How do I route my drive from home to church in the most efficient way possible? How will I ever not miss the turn onto 40th from Saltillo Road? While these were good questions, they were—as is often the case—missing the point.

In preparation for our youth kick-off pizza party, I read a book I received from Pastor Sara, Relationships Unfiltered, by Andrew Root. Root raises the how vs. who issue, emphasizing the humanity of the individual far above any method or practice. Root believes that the truer question for us to ask as Christians is who.

As sneakers bopped through the door for our first youth event, I smiled seeing our youth here at Southwood living out this concept. Upper classmen welcomed new freshmen, reaching out to see just who they were. During games, new faces moved among the familiar, welcoming each unique individual. All who attended could identify unique gifts they could contribute to the larger group. As I introduced myself to newcomers, it was fun to discover their interests and quirks, and sometimes to hear of their struggles barely hiding just below the surface.

After laughter and games, we came together to conclude with community prayer. In this prayer one person offers up a concern and another offers to pray for it. As each prayer went up, I was humbled as I saw a community holding itself up, even in this first meeting, and I couldn’t help smiling at the blessing we have as Christians to ask who, as we share our joys and also stand next to each other in our struggles.

    —Evi 

If you have questions about youth programs, would like to sign up for the high ropes challenge, or would like to sponsor the high ropes trip as an adult sponsor, please contact me at ewusk@southwoodlutheran.org.