Young women from the confirmation class of Abiding Savior Lutheran leading the hymns at Sunday morning worship.

Equipping young people to demonstrate The Divine Plan to their home congregation.

At Crossways International, we always say that the surest way to know if you truly understand anything is to try to explain it to others. Pastor Larry Gedde of Abiding Savior Lutheran Church in Mounds View, MN recently shared a story with us that vividly demonstrates this idea!

It all began on a Wednesday, in the church’s weekly confirmation class of sixth- through ninth-graders. Pastor Gedde had selected The Divine Plan —the portable new eight-frame witnessing tool from Crossways International—to use as part of the curriculum. “I picked The Divine Plan because I thought it would be solid, meaningful, practical material for the kids to learn,’ says Rev. Gedde. The Divine Plan succinctly illustrates God’s master plan for humanity—from Creation to Christ—in eight symbolic pictograms with explanations of each picture on the reverse side.

“My goal was first to teach the teens to understand that plan for themselves—and then share that wonderful message with our congregation.”

Later, on a two-day retreat, the confirmands had an opportunity to study scripture in-depth and think about how the message of the Gospel relates to their own lives. On the first day of the retreat, the class focused on the first four panels of The Divine Plan, which depict God’s original design for humanity, and how, by panel #4, humanity breaks its relationship with God through Sin—which is defined as love turned inward on the self.

The next day, the class focused on the final four frames of The Divine Plan , in which God sends his Son Jesus to atone for humanity’s sin and restore our relationship with Him—both now and in the life to come.
 The following Sunday, the young people were put in charge of morning worship. Three of the ninth graders used an overhead projector to show and explain The Divine Plan to the entire congregation. Other students read from the Scriptures, some led the singing of the hymns, while still others spoke about their experience on the retreat.

After the worship service, one church member said, “I was so inspired by the teens’ participation in the Sunday morning service! The singing was wonderful and their teaching of God’s plan was overwhelming. It was a delight to enter the church this morning and be met by so many greeters, who all had such twinkling eyes and beautiful smiles.”

Pastor Gedde adds, “I’ve since had numerous requests from adults for a copy of The Divine Plan, and the teens now have something concrete that they can use as they think about the importance of God’s plan for their lives—and how to explain that plan to their friends.”
 

“Caring for a friend—with Jesus—that was the primary message of our teen worship service. And one of the most powerful things was to see the kids stand up and witness that concept so boldly.”

For more on The Divine Plan, click here.

Please contact us with your questions (& pictures!) and tell us about your own experiences with Crossways International's materials and resources.