This is Chris. Chris is a fellow youth pastor. Chris is an encourager and a man of prayer. He works hard to show his students the way to Jesus. And, I’m sure he would tell you, he has lots of fun along the way. His letter to us today reflects a conversation I’ve heard many times as I’ve navigated my way through churches of all sizes. It is also a word that has welled up in me from time to time. Chris approaches this with such grace. I pray we take his words to heart and perhaps adjust our course a bit. 

To the Church That I Love So Much,

You may not know who I am. I’m Chris, I’m 25, and I’m Youth Pastor in Fredonia, KY.  I’m single, and I gave my life to Christ when I was 17 years old.  I have been in ministry for three years, and God has blessed me in that.  You have been so supportive of me and my ministry, and everything that I do and I absolutely love that about you.  You are a true servant of Christ, who will do anything for anyone.  You love God, and you love people, and I am so thankful to be a part of this wonderful Bride of Christ.  In the past eight years I have been a part of you, you have taught me how to love, you have taught me how to be loved.  If it’s not like the love that Jesus Christ has shown us, then it’s not a love worth having.  We’ve had our ups and downs, there have been times where I wanted to walk away, not from my faith but from you, The Church, but just like Jesus did you’ve always welcomed me with opens arms.

However, we are not always doing what God has called us to do.  As a single, 25 year old man, not as a minister, but as a man, as a part of your body, it seems like you’ve forgotten about the fact that it’s not all about married couples.  As a single man, sometimes I feel as though you look over my wants and needs and just focus on the work that I’m doing.  Discipleship has not been one of your main focuses, and neither has the health of your leaders.  I come to you out of love for you, because I want to ensure the longevity of your Body, because of your love for Christ.  However, you must always confirm the spiritual and emotional health of your Body.  The health of your Body is the most important thing for you so that you can thrive for an even longer period of time.  You are the Bride of Christ, and we must keep ourselves healthy so that when Christ returns we are the perfect bride, waiting for our Groom.  

Please, Church, hear me out, I love you, with all my heart, the only reason I am sending this to you is because I love you.  You have been such a blessing to me, and I want you to be even stronger, healthier than ever before, the only way to do that is to make sure that you are healthy, strong, that your Body gets the nutrients that it needs in order to survive.  We must make sure that one another are strong, healthy and ready to go every time we meet.  You are the backbone of the Kingdom of God, and my concern for you is that you haven’t paid enough attention to the health of your Body, and I want to encourage you to do so, in all times, in all ways, so that God may be completely glorified in all that you do.

With Love

Chris