by Emily Howsden | Nov 14, 2016
This past weekend I served alongside others at my church youth group fall retreat. Friday evening we packed up about 90 students and headed down to Falls Creek for a fun-filled weekend.
It’s been a little while since I’ve spent an extended amount of time with teenagers so I was eager to get to know our group on a more personal level and hear their hearts for the Lord.
Now, looking back at our fun-filled and sleepless weekend, one truth reigns supreme. This generation needs love and attention.
Often, as young people today, Millennials are looked down upon. Whether it’s someone chastising them for being on their phones constantly, acting out with their friends, being too vocal/loud or simply being different, older generations don’t approve.
But what is the common theme among the list of behaviors I named?
Let’s break it down.
What is it Millennials are always doing on their phones? You see them with their heads down, unengaged with the people surrounding them. And while I don’t condone disregarding the people around you, because it is rude, what you DON’T see is that teenager texting a best friend who just moved away in order to keep their friendship going.
What you don’t see about the teenager that’s acting out is their home-life where they receive little-to-no attention. The only the attention they might receive may be negative, deprecating or even abusive. Maybe all they need is a friend, and the Lord has put you there at that very moment in time to be that friend.
What you may not realize about the loud teenager is a human being just wanting to be heard. Have you/we taken time to stop and listen to what they’re shouting before we disregard them completely? Encouraging engagement in current events and the world around them can insure an education voice, whether it’s shouting or standing silent.
What you don’t understand about the teenager that dresses in all black or has a funky hair that won’t ever help them get a job, is an artist using God’s creation as their canvas. We can all look back at some time in our teenage years and regret a fashion choice we made; don’t steal that laughter from this future generation.
These are all things I had to remind myself this weekend when there were times I became impatient or just wanted peace and quiet for one second.
I stopped and looked at these wonderful people the Lord has made to be our future and thanked him for their willing hearts to learn more about Him.
1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Don’t 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 in purity.”
As older generations, making a way for Millennials, don’t be the people to look down on anyone because they are young.
Lead the way in setting examples for these young believers in your daily speech, in how you conduct yourself in less-than-ideal situations. Love these Millennials without holding back. Show your unwavering faith and how the Lord is faithful and good to those who put their trust in Him. Present pure hearts of worship and praise to our High King.
Next time you see any of the above-mentioned characteristics or any i’ve missed, instead of running and hiding, see if there is a way you can offer love and guidance to a Millennial. I know you’ll find, while they may be a little stinky and/or sleep-deprived after a weekend at Falls Creek, they’re not that bad after all.
by Emily Howsden | Nov 7, 2016
What is a Millennial you ask? Let’s define exactly what these mysterious beings truly are.
Merriam Webster defines a Millennial simply, “a person who was born in the 1980s or 1990s.” While Dictionary.com goes into more detail saying, “A term used to refer to the generation, born from 1980 onward, brought up using digital technology and mass media; the children of Baby Boomers; also called Generation Y.”
Now that that’s cleared up, do you ever wonder what goes on in the mind of Millennials? Well, you’re in luck.
My name is Emily, resident Millennial here. I can help explain how our brains work.
This week, I’ll discuss how I think Millennials are more involved than ever in the presidential election.
1. Social Media
It may be more than we want at times, but social media has played a large role in the 2016 presidential election. Why is that you ask? Put simply, Millennials.
As a generation raised using technology at a young age, some younger than others, we are big-time consumers and participators in the media.
Social media has become an informational highway littered with political opinions that most are ready to not see on their timelines or newsfeeds, but the fact of the matter is people are talking about the election, and that’s a good thing.
Facebook added a feature to the top of each newsfeed that asked if you were registered to vote and provided a link to register online. There are almost no excuses anymore to NOT get it done in time to vote. Presidential debates trended on Twitter as users tweeted MEMEs and GIFs of the sometimes comical but mostly tragic behavior of candidates.
NOTE ** MEME (meem) – a humorous image, video, piece of text, etc. that is copied (often with slight variations) and spread rapidly by Internet users.
GIF (g-if) ((there is much debate over how this is pronounced but just trust me, it’s a hard G sound)) – a MEME that moves or short video usually with no sound.
There are people my age whom I know registered to vote and exercise their civil liberty because of social pressure to get involved. Millennials want to have their voices heard. Whether we agree or not with what it is they’re shouting, I’m glad more of my peers are paying attention.
2. Daily Conversation
I am only 23, but I remember the day when who you were voting for or your political party affiliation was not something you discussed in public.
However, the days of private beliefs are long gone. Millennials want to know what you believe, why you believe it and of whom those opinions are leading you to vote.
While I know it’s not just Millennials talking about whom they’re voting for, sometimes I feel we are a bit louder than most. Hear me now, this can be a major fault of Millennials.
We can be too quick to speak and not slow enough to listen. Again, I would rather my peers be passionate and involved than indifferent and not involved.
So I say, converse about the election as long as you can stand to do so.
3. Public Forums/ Rallies
Presidential candidates swept the country this past year, gaining support and drawing large crowds. Who was in those crowds? It wasn’t just Baby Boomers; it was Millennials as well.
I know people my age that drove many miles to support their candidate. I also know those who went to opposing candidates rallies to protest or get a better idea of the opposing side’s ideas.
While I may not agree with those protesting or how they go about it, it comes back to Millennials developing their own opinion and passionately sticking to it. That can take guts and makes me proud to be a part of such a generation, however misunderstood we tend to be.
4. At School
Students in college have taken it upon themselves to make sure we are an informed voting body. Whether it is via a TED Talk, an open forum, or standing on a campus corner handing out materials, Millennials are talking.
NOTE** TED talk – TED is a nonprofit devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks (18 minutes or less). TED began in 1984 as a conference where Technology, Entertainment and Design converged, and today covers almost all topics, according to ted.com.
Professors have a part in this movement across college campuses, too. By encouraging (mostly) intelligent discussion on why we believe what we believe, they make way for critical thinking. This provides a platform for informed voters to learn why others believe the way they do.
At my Alma Mater, The University of Central Oklahoma, there will be full election coverage on our campus news station. Students have been preparing for tomorrow night all semester in an class specifically devoted to the election. The election is important to us!
5. We’re Voting
According to NPR (National Public Radio), “Millennials are now as large of a political force as Baby Boomers according to an analysis of U.S. census data from the Pew Research Center, which defines millennials as people between the ages of 18-35. Both generations are roughly 31 percent of the overall electorate.”
We want our loud opinions to count for something, so we’re doing something about it.
In my sophomore year of college, the 2012 presidential election, I was the only one of the people my age, whom I knew, who voted. Now, almost all of my peers are making it to the polls and even voting absentee, which is incredibly intentional.
I say all of this to encourage you to encourage civic engagement to the Millennials you know rather than discounting them as a lazy, uninformed generation. We’re a highly influenced body of people, and we are the future of this great country.
God’s blessings be with you tomorrow as you go to the polls. I am thankful that, regardless of who holds the presidential office, the Lord remains in control of our great country, and that is how I will get through this election season.
by Emily Howsden | Nov 1, 2016
Halloween has come and gone in the blink of an eye and the world has begun preparations for the holiday season.
Photo by: Matt Stevenson
While we are excited to celebrate the birth our Lord and Savior, let’s not forget the fun we had on Hallows Eve.
Yesterday, people celebrated Halloween by dressing up as a favorite character from a fairy tale, their favorite super hero, or something just plain spooky.
Personally, I attended a Halloween House Party involved with my church, which I previously mentioned here on the blog.
Like any good Baptist function, there was food, and lots of it. Our family group decided to have a chili cook-off and what a good decision that turned out to be.
We had a total of seven varieties of chili ranging from white chicken chili, spicy chili, classic chili with a twist and even BBQ chili.
To go along with the chili there were chips, little smokies, cheese balls, corn bread and all the sweets you could eat.
As we ate and fellowshipped inside, we simultaneously passed out candy to the children of the neighborhood, who’s costumes were quite impressive, I might add.
Moore, First Halloween House Party family group costumes. Photo by: Emily Howsden
Of course there were many Star Wars characters from galaxies far, far away on our doorstep. We saw Rey, Chewbacca and even BB8.
There was another impressive robot built completely out of cardboard boxes and some of our favorite Pixar characters as well. The creativity was plentiful!
But what did I enjoy most about this fun-filled evening? Sitting around the table with people I know well and some that I am still getting to know, enjoying the community in which the Lord has placed me.
The Lord tells us to love our neighbors. Sometimes, I agree, it can be a bit of a task. But when we let the Lord into how we love others, the joy that follows is more than rewarding.
At Idabel, Trinity 400 hot dogs and over 350 Gospel tracts were handed out to children at their Trunk or Treat celebration. Photo by: Andrew Riddle
How did other churches celebrate the evening?
Trunk or Treat is a wonderful way to reach the community by simply opening the trunk of your car (usually decorated or following the theme of your costume of choice) and passing out candy.
Several Trunk or Treats across the city had abundantly more families than expected visit their events and for that outreach opportunity we can only thank the Lord.
Jimmy and Karen Kinnaird of OKC, Village shared the gospel with families at Trunk or Treat with their “3 things God cannot do” themed trunk. Photo by: Karen Kinnaird
A colleague of mine celebrated with her husband by decorating their trunk with the theme “Three things God can’t do.”
In their trunk they wrote about what the Lord can do for us as his children, sharing these three truths: God cannot lie, change or let sin into Heaven.
Most people assumed there was nothing God couldn’t do! One child answered, “God can’t give out candy!” I say, it depends on who you ask!
There were many opportunities to explain what sin is and families received a Connect 1 gospel tract.
Whether you did good, old fashioned trick or treating, were able to fellowship with friends and family or got to share the Lord’s love with someone new, I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did.
Now…brace yourselves. The holidays are among us.
by Emily Howsden | Oct 25, 2016
It’s late October, which means Halloween is right around the corner. You may be asking yourself if-or-how you should celebrate the holiday.
Merriam Webster defines Halloween as, “October 31 observed especially with dressing up in disguise, trick-or-treating, and displaying jack-o’-lanterns during the evening.”
Admittedly, it is fun to dress up and have an excuse to eat excessive amounts of sweets with friends, but where does celebrating this holiday fall in the discussion of compromising your Christian beliefs?
Some of the controversy surrounding Halloween and the church include celebrating the dead, evil spirits, ghosts, goblins, ghouls and even demons. We’ve heard it all before.
My answer is not should we celebrate Halloween, but how can we celebrate Halloween to where we are not sticking our nose up at a largely celebrated holiday by the secular world?
Celebrating Halloween does not have to include the above mentioned evil things.
At my church, First Moore, we celebrate with Halloween House Parties.
With food, fun and games for all ages as well as silly costumes, we embrace the fun parts of Halloween and fellowship with our neighbors and friends.
There are parties around the city of Moore hosted by different family groups in order to reach as many people as possible in an environment with which they are comfortable.
What I like most about the Halloween House Parties is they provide a fun environment conducive to meeting the people in your neighborhood, making it possible to get to know each other and establish a relationship.
The best way I know how to share my faith is by first building a relationship and trust with whomever the Lord has put on my heart.
By denouncing a holiday like Halloween, saying it’s the devil’s holiday or adding any other negative connotation, we are missing out on a tremendous opportunity for ministry where we live.
In order to reach those who are lost, we have to get out of our comfort zones and show that we care enough about others to share the Lord’s love for them. What better way to do this than gathering with food, fun and the silliness of Halloween?
If you have an opportunity to celebrate the holiday, I encourage you to be open to how the Lord might use you in your neighborhood.
Make friends with neighbors and invite them to church. We have seen lives changed through Halloween House Parties, and it all started with someone willing to open their home, garages or yard to the families in their neighborhood.
