返回上頁



二○二一年七月二十四日/二十五日                                                                                                       Click here for English

少年牧養新的一頁

鄧頌翹牧師


最近如常在社交媒體上瀏覽,看到不少市民上載了一些自己所拍攝的「天空之雲」,照片中的白雲有各種有趣的形態,有像海豚的,有像哥斯拉的,有些像飄浮波浪上的小船,有些則像一片片灑滿藍天的葉子。我舉頭一看,滿天的白雲不但叫我驚歎天父的藝術感,也告訴我今年的暑假已悄然來到。

暑假是少年人的季節,也是少年人新開始的前哨站,因為假期過後他們便要升上新的年級,學習新的知識,嘗試新的事物,認識新的朋友。羅馬書十二章 2 節所說的「心意更新而變化」,正是給少年人的一生良言。少年人處身於世,面對各種新事,叛逆真理的流行文化與思維每天都在招惹著他們,他們確實需要學懂如何在「追逐世界」和「效法基督」之間的戰場上保護自己,抵抗不敬虔。

也許你會問:我們身為少年人的屬靈前輩,可以為他們做些甚麼?可以如何為天父守護我們的新生代?首先,我們先要擺脫效法世界的潮流,不要一味跟少年人談考試、選科、升學,反倒要天天跟他們論信仰、談耶穌。當少年人問:我不想效法這個世界,我想變化,我該怎樣做呢?我們便跟他們一起尋找答案,討論這方面的真理是甚麼?上帝的道怎麼說?

少年在追尋人生目標的道路上,實在需要有先行者、牧羊人陪伴在側,指引他們不要跟世俗走得太貼,卻要趁著青春的日子察驗何為神的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意。如要少年人活出羅馬書十二章2節的教導,我們可以根據這節經文勸導他們:

 · 記住上帝的豐盛和恩惠,祂從我們小時候起,到青少年時代,以至其後的一生,都一直對我們信實不變;

 · 以敬拜上帝為日常的生活態度,每時每刻將整個人降服於上帝之下,不為自己保留丁點自我;

 · 拒絕屬血氣和滿足肉身的想法和行為;

 · 專心留意上帝的道,緊緊跟著聖靈前行。

 · 我們要鼓勵少年人把持這些要訣,不惜揮著汗水,奮力直跑,活在上帝的旨意當中。

少年人啊,要趁這青蔥歲月、金色年華,學習不效法這個世界,只要心意更新而變化,叫你們察驗何為神的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意。這正是天父賜給北宣少年群體的智慧之言,告訴我們在藍天白雲與晦冥陰霾交替的日子下,可以如何、需要如何牧養當下的少年。在翻開少年牧養的新一頁之際,我們相信,上帝總是與我們同在的。







Pastor's Sharing
A New Page for Youth Ministry

Rev Maggie Tang

Recently, as I browsed through the social media as usual, I noted that many citizens have uploaded their photos of clouds. The clouds in the pictures appear in many interesting forms – dolphins, Godzilla, a boat tossed in the waves, leaves in the blue sky…. I lifted my head and marveled at how artistic our Heavenly Father is. It also told me that the summertime had quietly arrived.

The summer vacation belongs to adolescents. It is also the prelude to their new start. After the summer vacation, teenagers are promoted to the next grade. They will learn new things, try new approaches, meet new friends. It is said in Romans 12:2: "…be transformed by the renewing of your mind." This is good advice for the adolescents for their whole life. Adolescents face all sorts of new things in the world. They are exposed to thoughts and a popular culture against the truth. They need to learn how to protect themselves when struggling between "pursuits of the world" and "imitating Christ." They need to combat worldliness.

Some of you may ask: What can we do as spiritual mentors? How can we help to safeguard this new generation according to the will of God? First, we need to do away with worldly trends. Do not just talk to adolescents about exams, choice of school subjects, or further education. Instead, faith and Jesus should be a daily topic. If the youth ask what to do if they do not want to conform to the pattern of this world and desire transformation, we will need to find the answer together with them, discuss related biblical truths with them as well as what God says.

In pursuing their life goals, teenagers really need mentors and shepherds to walk with them. They need to be advised not to stay too close to the world. While they are still young, they should test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. Specifically, to help youngsters live out the teaching in Romans 12:2, we should exhort them:

 · To remember the abundance and grace of God – He is unchanging and faithful to us since our childhood to our adolescence and through the rest of our lives;

 · To make worship an attitude of life – Surrender all to God every moment and leave nothing of the self behind;

 · To reject thoughts and actions for fulfilling the flesh and body; and

 · To Take heed of God’s truth and closely follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

We need to encourage our adolescents to hold on to these teachings and run life’s race with their utmost in accordance with the will of God.

Dear young people, seize the days of your youth. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will. These are our Heavenly Father's words of wisdom to the youth of our NPAC family. They tell us how we can and how we need to minister to our youth in the sunny days and the rainy days that so often alternate. It is our conviction that as we turn a new page in the youth ministry, God will always be with us.