Ten years ago, I was a pastor to students at Ridge Point along with great friend, Dave McGovern. We had a shared mentor who introduced us to a series of symbols that helped to communicate the gospel story. Dave and I wanted to use those symbols to create a simple way of helping our students, parents, and people of the church to understand and share the gospel story. We worked with a graphic designer, developed a curriculum, taught on each symbol and made it a focus for the year.
Since then, those symbols have appeared in our weekend teachings at Ridge Point, Cultivate, and Third Coast. We have created whole teachings series around the symbols and the gospel story. They are on wristbands, t-shirts, flyers and booklets. A few years ago – our children’s ministry teams put those symbols to work in the form of a small gospel booklet that they use to teach our children and families about the gospel.
On Monday morning as I drove my son to school, he picked up his gospel booklet (that was still in the car from Sunday – I’m sure I am the only parent who leaves church stuff in the car, right?) and proceeded to read aloud the story of the Bible and explain what each symbol meant. My son – a first grader – told me the story of the gospel. Moreover, he knew what it meant for him personally and what it means for the world. After reading the gospel story and talking about it on our drive he said to me, “Daddy, I think I am ready to be baptized.” I was – as they say – a man undone.
In that moment – I was living out a dream that was ten years in the making and I honestly never thought I would experience it in that way. As a father, I am so thankful for our children’s ministry teams at the Fearless Churches. As a follower of Jesus, I am so thankful for the simplicity of the gospel. I am equally thankful for a church that continues to strive to share the gospel in accessible ways.
Josh Zoerhof
