August 19th - Acts 13:5

Acts 13:5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper. This is the start of the first missionary journey. It was an incredibly important moment for the Christian gospel. Saul (who from this point on was known by his Roman name, Paul) was happy to preach about Jesus anywhere, but it was his usual practice to start in the synagogue and work outwards from there. I find it fascinating that, on this most sensitive of missions, he and Barnabas took young John Mark with them. We have already met John Mark in the previous chapter. He was clearly well known to Paul and Barnabas, but it was a major initiative to take him on this strategically important missionary journey. You can think of many reasons why it might not be wise to take a young and inexperienced person on such a crucial mission, but they were convinced his presence was important. I am grateful for those leadership teams I have served on where there has been a commitment to have younger people in the group. I can think of some who looked out of their depth when they started, but because they were trusted and encouraged they quickly grew into effective leaders. From a human point of view, Paul and Barnabas were taking a risk, but they gladly took it for the good of the Church. The confidence they placed in Mark might well have been the reason why he later became the author of one of the gospels. Question Does your church encourage younger people to take on leadership roles? Prayer Lord God, help me to encourage young people to grow in the use of their gifts. Amen