


About 55 years ago, a young woman named Inja escaped from North Korea. Through stowing away on boats and hitchhiking in cars and trucks, she found her way alone to the United States and then to Asheville, North Carolina. In Oakley’s small, lower-income community, she found a large brick building with an old green steeple. I am not sure how familiar she was with Christianity at the time, but not knowing a word of English, she recognized the building as a church. With her last ounce of energy and hope, she pulled herself up the stairs and collapsed in a sobbing heap at the front door. Sometime later, she was discovered by a young man from the church who was caring for the grounds that day.
Oxford partly defines “value” as “the importance, worth, or usefulness of something.” As we get older – and hopefully wiser – we invest our finite resources of time and money into the things we find valuable. The very fact that we are here together at St. Matthew’s, serving and worshiping in unity and constancy, shows that we know the importance and worth of church and Christian community.
Whatever happened to Inja? After Joe found her, the kind people of the church took her in and cared for her. In time, she learned English, and Joe married her, giving her citizenship and a family. When their kids were grown, she became the youth Sunday School teacher: Mine, to be precise. Inja believed giving back to the church that had saved her was essential and wanted to share with the youth the importance of Christianity in a broken world.
Throughout the season of Epiphany at St. Matthew’s, our children have been learning how God is revealed and how God calls each of us into ministry. Our first week together in the new year covered the story of God calling Samuel, who answered, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening!” In contrast, in our readings the following Sunday, God called Jonah, who ran away in the other direction. In my own ministry, I have been both Samuel and Jonah.
St. Matthew’s offers a myriad of wonderful and important ministries to be involved in. Our children’s formation program aims to provide a consistent and quality program to our young people, instilling in them an understanding and a working knowledge of Christianity. This is no easy task in a world where Sunday mornings present young people with thousands of other places to be. For those of us who believe Christianity is still worthy and needed, it’s an important one. We can’t do it without your help.
Sunday School programs are more fun for our children when more people are involved. If you have children or grandchildren, please bring them when possible. If you know people with children – neighbors, coworkers, friends – invite them to our 5-12 or EYC programs. Our Bishop has asked that we mindfully invite others to church. Letting others know that we offer a good and safe community for our youth may be all someone needs to visit.
If you have an hour during formation time, consider donating it to children’s ministry. Even one Sunday a month is a help. The more adults we have involved in both groups, the more consistently we can offer our programs. Many of us had a Sunday School teacher who inspired us; perhaps you feel a calling to be that for someone else.
Finally, please pray for our children, our formation programs, and those involved with them. If the church is to continue to the next generation, it’s in their hands.
~Joseph
