As much as we fill our students minds with stories from the Bible, inviting them to find their own story within God’s ongoing narrative, there are other stories worth telling, stories that show how God continues to work in us, through us, and in spite of us.
One such story – as is fitting for today – is that of Martin Luther King, Jr.
His words and actions of peace, justice, and non-violence embody the way of Jesus and the story of God in way that was needed then and is (sadly) still needed today.
Similar to MLK is the story of Belhar, South Africa, a community from which emerged a confession proclaiming apartheid to be a sin and that the people of God must be people of peace, justice, and equality. (Even more exciting about the Belhar Confession is the way it is currently being adopted as an official confession in denominations like the RCA, PCUSA, CRC, and more.)
This past December, Fifty6, the preteen ministry at Mars Hill, explored these two stories, learning that God’s story invites us to be people of peace and reconciliation in our world today.
This is the story of Jesus. This is the story of MLK. This is the story of Belhar, South Africa. This is the story of you and me. This is the story of God.
What stories are you telling your preteens?
