Mill Creek Church

It is helpful to admit we are limited in our understanding of God and his ways and will never have all the answers. Rather than deconstruct, I can embrace the mystery of a great God who loves me with confidence in him rather than my understanding. This is faith.

Loving community is a crucial part of our reconstruction process. A strong community will be built if we can create space in our lives and our churches to truly understand and connect with one another. It is this sort of authenticity that can sustain us through our wanderings, doubts, and hurts.

Struggling with doubt is a part of the human existence. But maybe we grew up in systems where a struggle with doubt was considered un-Christian. What do we do with them? God is the one who began the work in us and the one who brings it to completion. My relationship with Jesus is secure even when I am struggling.

Those who find themselves in a deconstruction journey have rarely begun it flippantly. Most have been faced with difficulties that would rattle the strongest of foundations. Too often our faith has been built on something other than the solid rock of God's truth. When the storms come, how will it hold up?

Our pursuit of Jesus can get entangled with man-made systems that do not reflect the gospel or hope of Christ. A life in Christ is not meant to be lived within man-made parameters. We follow God, not systems of belief. If the life of Christ is in opposition to cultural or religious systems, we abandon the systems, not God.

While the current generation of young people are the most tech savvy, at the center of social interaction for them we are finding an incredibly staggering sense of loneliness. It's becoming more and more apparent that while online contacts have never been more accessible, there is a distinct lack of connection. 

To help our students who are facing peer pressure more pervasively than ever, older generations are to live out a life of faithful discipleship themselves and, through their example, equip this new generation with what they need to make the right call.

Kids and young adults today are unique in history as the first generation to never have been alive without the internet. The entirety of their identity, philosophy, and societal expectations have been shaped by exposure to and experiences within the internet, especially in various avenues of social media. There can be an enormous pressure to perform or else face the consequences of being "cancelled". 

Kids these days are facing unique challenges in a complex world. How can the adults in their lives help them navigate those challenges with a greater sense of empathy and support and lead them in the way of Jesus? Before we consider kids these days, what about adults these days?

Our witness is not just private or individual but also corporate and communal. As the church, we give witness to Christ in the world. But it's not just words or teaching or our wisdom and strength. Jesus said it would be by our love for God and for one another. So how can we be a good witness in the community together?