by Chris Elrod
Belong to Christ, grow in Christlikeness, lead others to Christ. This is what our youth ministry at Walter Hill is all about. This is what we challenge our youth to focus on. As we enter a new year, it’s a helpful place for us to begin to reflect and evaluate how we need to move forward into a new year!
Belonging to Christ is all about giving your life to Him. Galatians 3:26-37 explains that through faith we become children of God when we are baptized into Christ. This is when Christ takes ownership of us. Do you belong to Christ? Have you given your life to Him? This is the first and most important step. Belonging to Christ means we have been added to His church (Acts 2:41) and that our soul is saved! If you have not given your life to Christ and been added to His church, I hope you will! If you do belong to Christ, I hope you will work to connect to with your church family. Seek belonging among your brothers and sisters by introducing yourself to new members or saying hello to someone you might not know well.
Growing in Christlikeness is really our personal purpose as those who belong to Christ. Romans 8:29 explains that God planned for His people to be conformed to Christ. We are to be conformed to our Savior rather than the world (Romans 12:2). In 2025 could people tell you were a Christian by observing your actions and hearing your words? In Galatians 2:20 Paul says he’s been crucified with Christ it is no longer him who lives but Christ who lives in Him. In other words, his life was controlled by Christ! How do you need to grow more like Christ in 2026?
Leading others to Christ is the mission we have been given by Christ Himself. In Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus told us to go and make disciples of all nations, while promising to be with us. Jesus is with us and has given us His Word to use in revealing Him to the lost. We all have people in our lives who need to know Jesus. Let’s step up to the mission Jesus has given us. Let’s invite people to our assemblies so they can experience the love of God’s children and learn the value of belonging to Him. Let’s open our Bibles and show people scripture so they can learn what they must do to be saved. Let’s be unsatisfied with the lost being lost. Remembering that we are Christ’s ambassadors (2 Corinthains 5:20).
May we all belong to Christ, so we can grow in Christ, and then lead others to Christ, who will likewise find their belonging in Christ, experience growth in Christ, and lead others to Christ. May the Lord continue to bless us in 2026.