We started off the year at SkateChurch talking about the new things that God wants to do in our lives in 2007. Jesus says in Matthew 9:17, "Nor does anyone pour new wine into used wineskins, for the skins will burst, the wine will pour out, and the skins will be ruined. Instead, new wine is poured into fresh wineskins, and both will keep in good condition." (TEV) We learned that back in the day, they didn't use wine bottles, they used wineskins. When new wine fermented it would give off gas causing the wineskin to expand. Old wineskins were cracked and dried because the old wine that they held had finished fermenting. If you would try to put new wine into the old wineskins, the old wineskins couldn't handle the fermentation process of the new wine and they would break and be good for nothing. That means that new wine needed to be poured into new wineskins.
THE OLD WINE AND OLD WINESKINS AT FACEPLANT MINISTRIES
Let's say that all of the amazing things that took place last year at FacePlant ministries is like old wine and old wineskins. The old wine is synonymous with the things that God accomplished. The old wineskins are synonymous with how we at FacePlant ministries housed what God was accomplishing. For instance, from January 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006 at FacePlant Ministries we saw 80 young people say for the first time in their life that they wanted a hand-holding relationship with Jesus Christ - old wine. We saw our Tuesday and Thursday night youth ministries grow from a handful of people to hundreds or people - old wine. We started the year off holding youth programs at Alki Middle School and at the house of one of our church families and ended the year with youth group meeting at our new Whipple Creek church campus and even turning our main sanctuary into a make-shift skate park - old wineskins. Obviuosly, much more took place last year at FacePlant Ministries that could fall into the category of old wine and old wineskins. The old wine and old wineskins are GREAT THINGS! We should look back and celebrate what God has done in our midst. But I think that they will pale in comparison to the new wine and new wineskins that are in our future for the year 2007 at FacePlant Ministries.
THE NEW WINE AND NEW WINESKINS AT FACEPLANT MINISTRIES
God's part is the new wine. Our part is the new wineskins. I believe that this year God's desire is to do new things at FacePlant Ministries that we could never have imagined - new wine. What that exactly looks like, I don't know. But I know that it is what I desire for FacePlant Ministries. I do have some ideas of how we can house these new things that God would want to accomplish this year. For instance, I have quit my full-time job doing hardwood floors so that I can work full-time as youth pastor of Whipple Creek church, which will free me up to focus my time and energy on FacePlant Ministries - new wineskins. We will be seeking after grants and help from the community to fund the building of our very own indoor skatepark and youth facility right next to the church - new wineskins. Something important that we must realize is that A LOT of having new wineskins to contain the new wine means that we take our plans and agendas, place them in God's hands and be ready for those things to be adjusted or even changed by Him. This is called being open to the Holy Spirit in our lives. We have to have an open handed mentality. If we clench our fists so tightly around something we thought to be a new wineskin, and God tries to pour out His new wine into what we are so desperately and mistakingly taking ownership of and calling ours, we will realize that what we thought could contain His new wine has burst in our grip and His blessing has spilled onto the ground. Having an attitude of surrender and openness to change - new wineskins. May FacePlant Ministries be a place that seeks new wine and new wineskins in the year 2007.
Christian Young
Youth Pastor
