Remembering. It’s a discipline God calls his people to. It’s not just the recalling of information, it’s the moments we step back and contemplate the wondrous works God has done.

Multiple times in Scripture, we see God establishing some kind of memorial for his people to look back on and remember what God has done.

  • God’s commandments through Moses (Deut. 6:6-9)
  • Joshua at Mount Ebal (Joshua 8:30)
  • Passover (Exodus 12:14)
  • Jesus’ last supper with his disciples (Matthew 26:26-29)

In Canada, we also remember other sacrifices Our tradition is to pause at 11:00 am (the 11th hour) on the 11th day of the 11th month to remember the many women and men who sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom.

In our youth ministries, we often provide moments to remember. Sometimes we call it “debriefing” or “consolidating”. It is ensuring there is space both individually and as groups to recall and reflect on; sit with and share moments of what God has done in the lives of these young people. Space for remembering occurs at many levels:

  • After each youth group meeting, provide a few minutes for youth to reflect on what God has revealed to them during that time (many curricula have Consolidate/Debrief time at the end of leach lesson.)
  • A few days after a major event (like a retreat or mission trip), take an evening to celebrate and relive some memories from that event.
  • At the end of the year, celebrate what God has done for the past few months with times of prayer and other forms of media.

One caution: This isn’t about dwelling in the past. Sometimes we remember and we want to remain there (Luke 9:61-62), but the exercises that are helpful for youth encourage memories to propel usforward to where God is leading, which keeps us in step with the One who Saves.