From the Rector: Father Chuck Mann

Jesus held a special place in his heart for children. He saw in them a heart that was searching, a heart that was open to the truth. In these verses from Mark, we see children being brought to Jesus to be blessed by him. The disciples were being overly sensitive and protective of Jesus and began to rebuke these actions. But quickly Jesus puts his disciples in their place. His words that follow are piercing, “…do not hinder them…” But sometimes we do hinder them. We hinder them in ways we may not be fully aware of.

Nativity has a terrific Sunday school program. Our teachers are eager and enthusiastic about working with our children, and our new curriculum that is being introduced this coming fall is second to none with cutting edge resource materials. Jeannine and her helpers have done a fantastic job in seeing that our Sunday morning programs are provided for.

But there is more to youth ministry than Sunday morning. Youth ministry, like adult ministry, requires an effort that continues throughout the week.

This is especially true for our junior and senior high school youth. These teens and young teens face peer pressures that have become
increasingly heavier as each year goes by. We as a church and as a parish body have a responsibility to see that our youth are supported in their life and ministry.

When a youth walks in our doors and asks, “What is here for me?” I don’t want any of us to just say, “Well, we have a great Sunday school.” I want to also tell him or her that we have youth night on whatever night, we have a youth Bible study on whatever night, and we have scheduled mission trips and youth outreach work being done in the community. In addition, I want to tell youth we have a place they can come to and vent their frustrations in life, to grow in the Lord, and to be strengthened by a parish body that will stand and support them as we promised to do at their baptism. I want to tell them that we have a mentoring program where some of our retirees take part in visiting with our youth who in a few years will be facing real life. Can you imagine the knowledge that a retired Christian can give to someone who is seeking direction in a career path? What a resource of wisdom and knowledge!

When I was called to be your rector, I asked the search committee
a few very direct questions. One question was about Nativity’s commitment to youth. I asked if this parish was committed to a solid youth program—a program that will minister not just through Christian education and children’s chapel on Sunday mornings but to building a youth program for all youth including junior and senior high school kids. These youth need a place to grow, to learn, and to be supported in their faith—a place where they will be able to share and support one another. Such a program would require the additional staffing of a youth minister who has the talent and skills to work with our youth and to reach out to other youth. The search committee’s answer was overwhelmingly yes. We recently conducted a parish survey regarding the search for a bishop coadjutor in this diocese. Again the number one concern, reflected not only at Nativity but in survey results throughout the diocese, was our youth.

So, I believe that all of us feel the same way about the need and the opportunity we have regarding our youth. I cannot express how important it is that we make every effort to build such a program here at Nativity. We are sitting in the middle of one of the fastest growing areas in the Sarasota/Bradenton area. On Lockwood
Ridge alone there are five new communities being constructed right now. People are visiting us weekly in search of a church home. We have an active program that is attempting to reach those moving into our area, and people are seeking us out. Our parish family has grown by about 70 persons in the last year alone. Our vestry has been restructured and increased in number in order to better facilitate the ministries we currently have and the ones we are building. We are adding a contemporary service to our Sunday
service schedule in June. This additional focus in broadening our worship style will certainly be attractive to youth and young
adults as well as many senior parishioners. That has been my experience in over twenty years of contemporary worship.

I want to reiterate my commitment to you and to our youth here at Nativity. I am now actively seeking ways that this might happen. It is my hope that we will have a program beginning by the end of
this summer. It will take commitment and financial resources
to make this happen. I know in my heart that this is vital to the ministry of our parish family and to the youth in our area who are searching for purpose in their lives as we all are. Please pray for this program and that God will move in a mighty way to make this happen.