My family began attending Eastbrook in the late 90s when I was ten years old. As a junior high student, I had incredible mentors at Eastbrook who poured into me as a young Christian and musician in ways that shaped the course of my life. Over 25 years later, I am still connected to this community, growing in faith and continually spurred on by many of the people who poured into me when I was in junior high. I became a music teacher in an urban school because of those at Eastbrook who recognized and encouraged my God-given gifts in music and teaching and helped me develop those skills as a young person. The intergenerational relationships of encouragement and connection at Eastbrook are a clear display of the body of Christ in action.
Ephesians 4:11-16 speaks about the giftings of Christians as teachers, apostles, pastors, prophets and evangelists, but how are these gifts cultivated? They are grown in the healthy soil of the community of the church, where we build one another up for the good work of bringing the kingdom of God on the earth. Just as the body has many parts with different functions, so do the varied gifts of the people of God serve different and meaningful purposes in both the church and the broader community. This is true fruitfulness.
As a young person at Eastbrook, I remember being inspired by 1 Timothy 4:12 which reads, “Do not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and purity.” We have a responsibility to empower the younger generation of leaders in our church to use and develop their gifts. I pray that we will take up this intergenerational gift-growing work as a community “so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith” (v. 12-13).
For reflection:
- If you are a young person, what are you good at? How can you develop those gifts to serve others?
- If you are an older person, are you connecting with the younger generation of Eastbrook and encouraging them in their giftings?
by Erica Breitbarth
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