I had all these thoughts that I felt I needed to share, typically they disappear from my head as I am about to start sharing them. I just hope that my message gets across. So here it goes:

While I was getting ready this morning to go down the meeting I had this thought and pictured myself standing up in the meeting at some point and saying that we need to start working together as a Corps to build up our church. We desperately need young people and to get the message of Jesus to young people. Knowing that Tyler wasn't going to be in the meeting as well as Darren the thought crossed my mind that I would or could possibly have been the youngest regular attending member of the Corps in the meeting this morning. It was actually a scary thought. The possible youngest regular member in the meeting being 39 years of age. Scary hey. How and what are we as a Corps doing to get the young people in? We can prayer about it but we need to take action. I know that is not only our Corps that is battling with the young people they are plenty others. We need to work, we need to get out there, we need to try different ways of outreach. It is not just for our Officers to do the business, they are here to over see things and not have to be doing the work. It is the Corps folk who should be doing it, it is our Corps our Church. My heart sunk this morning when it was announced that there would be a meeting to discuss the Young peoples ministry and the question asked who is interested in our Young People  or something to that effect and a mere few hands went up, when the question was repeated a few more hands up went very slowly. I felt every single ones hands should have shot up instantly. It is everyone's responsibilty to make the Corps the church grow.

I was up at the ICO (International College for Officers) on Saturday and my mother in law was telling me about one of the Officers who is currently a delegate on this current session. He is a Corps Officer in Zimbabwe and has a Corps of 1700 with which 700 attend the meetings every Sunday. They start their Sunday off with Knee Drill at 6:30am until 8:00am, Sunday School then starts at 8:00am. Holiness meeting at 10:00 till 12:00. A half an hour break and then the Praise and Worship meeting and then people going out over the area and doing an Open Air and outreach work. I can see why they The Army is growing in Africa. Gods people are going out and sharing their faith and not sitting in their Hall. It can be the same in the UK and other areas in the world.

They give up so much time to God. IT CERTAINLY MADE ME THINK and I am ashamed at how little time we do actually spend on a Sunday at the Corps worshipping God. An hour of worship in the morning and for some an hour in the evening.

As a child I remember there being a half hour prayer meeting before the morning meeting. An open-air on while the children were at Sunday which included a March of Witness. This was repeated in the evening as well.

How often do we actually go out into our Community where people can see us,  where we can share/testify about Jesus? How often are the doors to the Hall or any church actually open were people can come in and find someone to talk to or simply to come and prayer if needed during the week?  God is always open and available and so should we. We are not going to win people for him if we lock ourselves away for 6 days and only come out briefly on a Sunday. We ALL need to be out there 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Maybe this has turned into a bit of a rant, but yet again it I strongly believe that God has placed this on my heart and for me to share it.

My personal prayer is that God will use me to serve Him and to win young people for Him. I will offer all I am and all the hours I have to serve and to build up His Kingdom.

My prayer for others is that we will all pull together and work as an extended family to build up our church so that it will be come a place where people will want to come to know our amazing God.

God Bless

Luanne