By Bishop David Parsons
First, the bad news: All over the world young people are being pressured to kill themselves. This evil pressure is not just happening in Canada, it is happening in highly industrial countries like Korea. The pressures of life are being aggravated by the Prince of Darkness who as Jesus said, has come to steal, kill and destroy. We’re facing a suicide pandemic.
Bad News creates a dreadful cloud of despair and hopelessness. However, Good News cleans the atmosphere, birthing hope. The power of Jesus’ gospel connects people to the reality that God has not forsaken us nor has He forgotten His promise to turn deserts into gardens.
Think of a battery: it’s only when the negative is connected to the positive that the energy flows.
In John’s Gospel; Jesus is called the Word of God (John 1). Jesus calls himself the Living Water (John 4). Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life (John 6). And then Jesus tells us where all the negativity comes from: “…the thief (Satan) comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come to give abundant life” (John 10:10). This is Good News that people need to know.
Jesus wants us to know we live in the midst of a spiritual battle, a spiritual war! Satan wants us to be ignorant to his schemes, he wants us to remain in darkness without the knowledge of what he does so that he may continue to destroy people. Do we realize that Satan is actively trying to kill our children?
Jesus came to do two works: to destroy the works of the devil through His sacrificial substitutionary death and resurrection. Secondly Jesus came to train disciples to proclaim this Good News to a world filled with bad news.
The cure to this suicide pandemic isn’t religion, it’s discipleship and a lively faith. At Baptism we are asked if we will renounce Satan by publically rejecting him and choosing to follow Jesus as Lord, entering His School of Discipleship, which is the Church.
We may baptize our children, but that is just the start. It does no good to remain idle as nominal, uneducated Christians. Satan is happy if we go to church as long as we never really become the church as Jesus intended us to be.
Jesus feeds us, nurtures us and he even prepares a table for us in the valley of the Shadow of Death in the midst of our enemies (Psalm 23).Christians are to be people who speak life not death, blessings not curses. Christians are to be aware of Satan’s schemes.
Ten years ago our diocese was facing something like a perfect storm of debt, lack of clergy, and the closing down of our Bible college. When I was elected as Diocesan Bishop I was asked, “what are you going to do about all the suicides in The Diocese?” It all seemed like a hurricane swirling around us. But then the Holy Spirit reminded me that in the centre of every hurricane is a place of peace: the eye of the storm. Rather than being overwhelmed and oppressed with the circumstances, the Holy Spirit was saying to look for God’s peace; to be still and seek God.
Wherever the Church is being faithful, Satan and his cohorts are actively at work to create a state of confusion, fear, anxiety, and self centeredness. Parts of the church preach the Gospel of Love. They say ‘love, love, love, all we need is love.’ Their message seems wise but it lacks power. The Gospel is only good news when it stands opposed to bad news and friends, there is much bad news, in this world. The reason so many young people are dying is because the bad news is so pervasive that we do not hear God’s Good News of Jesus. They do not hear that, in the deepest act of love, He carved us on the palms of His hands.
Satan wants to distract us so we take our eyes off Jesus. Satan wants to create doubt so that we lean to our own understanding, look to others to lead and direct us, and bow to the political and spiritual pressures. It’s not Good News to speak sweetly of tolerance, of embracing yourself and selfishness, or to embrace a vision of church that bears no resemblance to the Church begun with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. There is no Good News in boldly opposing biblical authority or offering distorted messages.
Friends in the midst of life’s storm we cannot afford to listen Satan’s accusation or be led astray by rejecting the Bible.We need to hear and adhere to the Word of God.
When the clouds of darkness and despair swirl around us, the Holy Spirit calls us to enter the eye of the storm. That’s where we get alone with God to hear and receive His direction.
From my own “perfect storm” of 10 years ago, the Holy Spirit gave direction and, glory to God, the cathedral debt was paid off thanks to people like you across the diocese and the world. ATTS was reopened, 4 communities have newly trained clergy, 9 new deacons were ordained from within the diocese, lay leaders are being trained and 11 new clergy new clergy joined us to serve 7 communities and another as our Executive Archdeacon. The Son is dispersing dark clouds.
Just as God led the way to pay off our debts, hire, recuit, and train new clergy, and reopen our theological college, God has given a vision to reach youth. We know that, to really make disciples among young people, we need to raise up and prepare young people to come alongside their peers.
This work was begun under our previous fulltime youth coordinator, Deanna Fillion (nee Monks). We sent her to train with those who have effective, Spirit-filled youth ministry, and then she set to work organizing an encouragment network to empower youth for ministry across the diocese.
There is a cost to hire somebody and send them for the training they need. It’s a real investment.
The Holy Spirit told us not to fear but to step out in faith. That is what we did. Even when we didn’t have money to hire anyone, we did it on the advice of what we believe was God’s almighty guidance.
In a few short years our youth coordinator was able to travel throughout the Arctic, meeting Youth Leaders like Laura and Lenny (above) with their youth group. Then with the help of Laura and Lenny and the Gjoa Haven youth, Deanna organized youth conferences.
Above are the people who attended the first youth conference that was held in 2017 in Yellowknife. In partnership with several Yellowknife churches and leaders from New Brunswick, Deanna organized three TEC – Teens Encounter Christ – weekends in 2017, 18 & 19. (shown at right). We also have had a few youth gatherings across the Arctic. The photo at bottom right is one of the Youth Gathering in Taloyoak.
We believe teenagers, young adults, are worth the investment of time and money. We are now about to enter the next phase of the vision which is for a new Youth Coordinator to build on the foundations that were laid.
We continue to seek God and wish to be tuned to His plan rather than our own. We know we will face opposition and struggles, and that our faith will be stretched. That’s not something to be afraid of, we know the skin on a drum needs to be stretched if it’s going to make a joyful sound!
As we invest in people, we want to do it God’s way. First, to have a discipleship program for mothers and fathers to help families and children get to know God. Secondly, to have children’s programs where young adults can learn to consider the faith. We are investing in our teenagers so that they can meet together for conferences and Teens Encounter Christ weekends to not only explore the faith but to then share the faith with others.
We believe that the Holy Spirit provided this plan, so trusting in God, we have invested in it.
The Diocese of The Arctic is divided into 8 regions. They stretch from the border with British Columbia to the border with Newfoundland and Labrador. And things are expensive up North. It can costs $8000 to fly one person from Baker Lake to Gjoa Haven (only 940kms)! As expensive as it is we need our young people to be able to meet together.
There is a suicide pandemic that is killing our youth. Are you willing to invest in the cure?
Thank you.
