TEC at 14

TEC assembled for the first time on the second Sunday of January 2011. We now mark 14 years of life and worship together.

It doesn’t correspond in every way, but what sort of strengths and sins are found in 14 year-old freshmen/sophomores?

As an institution, we finally got our own room a couple years ago. Look at us grow. What should we be watching out for?

One, we should keep watch against know-it-all-ness. The Lord opposes the unteachable. He gives grace to those who still are eager to learn, to be corrected, to grow in more areas. We never want to lose the childlikeness of faith, but we must make progress in maturity. That won’t happen without humility. “Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him” (Proverbs 26:12).

Two, we should be seeking responsibilities, even as we look toward fruitful reproduction. Puberty moves a person from being a kid to being able to have a kid. We don’t have a plan to plant a church in five years, though that has always been on the radar.

Even if we never reproduce externally, we’ll need to reproduce generationally. Our kids will have kids who need to learn to love God with all their hearts. We’ll need to add more younger elders as in time we lose older elders. The point is, a 14 year-old has more work in front of him, even if learning to cross the street without having his hand-held was a big step.

Thank the Lord for our singing, annual budgets, the families, the worldview, that have all increased. And, may the Lord continue to strengthen each part to work properly so that the whole body builds itself up in love (Ephesians 4:16).