Biblical foundation for peer relationships
Faith formation is encouraged by building Christian relationships through quality age-specific ministry.
God loves to speak into our lives. How might you create space to be with God and receive encouragement and strength as He speaks to you? Think about a Christian friend who encouraged you. What did they do that was significant? Can you recall a time when God used your friends or family to speak into your life? Share a memory from a Christian camp or youth group. What made this event special?
Peer ministry is an intentional gathering that leads young people into a deeper relationship with God. While intergenerational relationships are important, so are quality peer relationships based on a solid foundation of faith formation, as young people that share similarities due to their age or stage in life.
Peer ministry is about more than gathering for ‘something.’ It is an intentional gathering that leads people into deeper communion with God and one another. Peers that reflect similar family and faith values can be a strong influence and have a lasting impact on our faith formation.
The writer of Hebrews gives the foundation and core of what encourages the fellowship that young people often discover in quality peer ministry.
- A continual, ongoing drawing near to God.
- Grasping the privileged relationship that we have with God and how it connects us so profoundly to the cross.
- Getting used to the full, complete, and unconditional forgiveness we have received – that we so often struggle to come to terms with daily.
We think it would be difficult to try and talk about even one of these areas in a short devotion at the end of an event. We also know that the kind of hope that will grip anyone will only come through an encounter with the risen and reigning Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us consider how we can stir up one another to love. Let us help one another to do good works. And let us not give up meeting together. Some are in the habit of doing this. Instead, let us encourage one another with words of hope. Let us do this even more as you see Christ’s return approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25
Thoughts to ponder:
- How can we tweak our peer ministries to help people draw near to God and renew them in their baptismal identity?
- In what specific ways could you spur one another on toward love and good deeds? How have you been encouraged by your Christian friends or family members?
- Is there anything your congregation could do to encourage people to regularly meet together to study God’s word?
If you would like to learn more about our guiding principles, you can find out about them HERE. You can also contact the team at Grow Ministries by emailing growministries@lca.org.au and a member of our team will contact you.
