By Kyle Nolen
I love the story of the young Church in the book of Acts. It’s what keeps me grounded when I get distracted about what the purpose and function of the church ought to be in today’s world. To me, the end of Acts 2 succinctly paints a beautiful picture of fellowship and describes a formula for action that should serve as an example for every church to follow. Acts 2:42-47 says, “[The early church] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
This passage was one that the FCPC Youth Committee took to heart when attempting to restructure our church’s youth program. We prayerfully and hopefully believed that if our program devoted itself to regular youth meetings full of fellowship, the breaking of bread, prayer, and the teaching of Biblical lessons/lifestyle of faith, then the Lord would be faithful in “adding to [our] number daily.” It has been humbling and fulfilling to see this promise kept, and it is with great joy that we continue to share how the Lord has been moving in the lives of the youth of Fountain City Presbyterian Church.
The Spring season ushered in the beginning of Lent, and our Sunday School lessons and weekly devotions focused on everyone’s personal relationship with God. The youth worked both individually and collectively to identify areas in their lives where they might be distracted or pulled away from living the best version of life that the Lord has in store for them. Many identified excessive screen time, some chose healthier food habits, and others identified a need for regular prayer and/or Bible reading. Most then committed to Lenten fasts around these areas. We used our group text message thread to stay connected, while offering prayer and encouragement to each other over those 40 days.
As Easter approached, the youth collaborated with Faith Formation to help host our church’s annual Easter egg hunt. This event was a major success, was well attended, and even attracted outside visitors from our community. The youth hid eggs, donned the Easter bunny costume, and helped guide our youngest children towards a fun-filled afternoon. It was a joyful day of “fellowship”, of “breaking bread together,” and of “praising God” for His grace and mercy as we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus!
During this season, the youth also began their preparation for Youth Sunday. When reflecting on “the apostles’ teachings” that have meant the most to them, they unanimously chose a theme of “Community.” Under Shelley’s leadership, the youth worked to build a worship service around this theme. Of course, planning goes a little better over Italian food and cannolis at the Gondolier!
Every song, scripture passage, reading, and sermon was crafted out of the youth group’s desire to celebrate and remind the congregation of just how much the FCPC community has meant in their lives. They remembered times when we have all gathered “in the temple courts” of our church, when you have “[given] to anyone who had need,” and church events when we were together “with glad and sincere hearts,” while supporting one another and “praising God.” Charlotte’s sermon beautifully and eloquently summed up just how much these moments have meant to them. It was a poignant reminder of what a blessing it is to have a church that stays united around the teachings of Christ and the love of one another when so many churches and Christians remain divided in today’s world.
With the end of the school season and the beginning of Summer Break, the schedule of the FCPC Youth program kicked into high gear! At our weekly meetings, we’ve had volleyball matches, golf lessons, hide-and-seek contests, and pet nights—all while “breaking the bread” of the meals that you’ve provided and discussing devotional topics like the Parable of the Sower/Seed, the Wise and Foolish Builders, and how to understand our faith and share it with others using the Romans Road tool as a Bible guide.
With the momentum of these meetings, we’ve seen the “Lord add to [our] number daily.” We currently have an active roster of 13 regular attendees plus 3-5 others who are frequent friends/visitors. Of course, not everyone’s schedule allows them to attend at once, but it is certainly a larger group than when we began again last year!
Our recent outing to Dollywood was a great example of this growth in attendance. It was a tremendous success, as we had 10 young people attend (youth members and invited guests) to support one of our newest members, Maggie Lamb, in her last performance as Little Dolly. That made a total of 11 youth and 4 adults in attendance! There were wet rides, wild roller coasters, good food, and lots of memories made on this day. Thank you to the church for providing the funding to make this day possible.
Even after a long and tiring day, the youth of FCPC did not forget to make time to serve others. A short 2 days after our Dollywood trip, 8 of our young people gathered to serve the monthly meal at Volunteer Ministry Center—our largest number of attendees since 2022. This ministry continues to bless the residents of VMC while also being a fine example of how Christ’s followers “give to [those] who have need.” It is always a humbling reminder of the special fellowship that happens over table as we “break bread together,” and how these simple acts of service allow Christians to earn the “favor of all the people” when they encounter and greet them with love.
So that’s what we’ve been up to since our last report!!! It has been a blessing to Shelley and I to see this program begin to grow again. It is an energizing reminder to us that God is not done with His church, Fountain City Presbyterian, or this generation of young people. Humanity has not changed much in 2000 years. We still need God and each other. The Gospel—both proclaimed and lived out—is still Good News that attracts people to fellowship. The same formula that grew the early church in the first century is the same one that can grow a youth program in 2025. Praising God, gathering together in devoted fellowship, teaching the ways of Christ, breaking bread with each other, and sharing of church resources to fill needs and fund programs is still a powerful way for God’s people to live in this world. God has proven faithful in His promise to bless these efforts. I’m “filled with awe at the many wonders and signs” of how God is working with and through our youth. I see it when they invite their friends. I hear it in their comments during our discussions and Bible study. I feel it when we’re together.
We thank you for your support and prayers. We encourage you to get involved with some of our upcoming events. Reach out to Shelley or myself if you’d like to participate. We currently have openings for weekly meal sponsors and also need volunteers for our upcoming youth retreat at Norris Lake in early July (chaperones, meal prep, boat operators, etc). There’s certainly room to have you join us. After all, the Lord is adding to our number daily! Come join us and see what’s happening!!!