I am currently faced with a bit of a dilemma and could use all of the help I can get. A group of Coptic born and raised youth that now consider themselves athiest have agreed to sit down with me for a short period of time sometime next week. I have no idea what to say to them that could possibly get them back on track. I am the only guy they have kept in touch with since leaving the church (including their parents) and feel as if the pressure is all on me to get them back to the faith and away from the life they are leading. What should I do/ talk to them about?
Comments
firt of all I would advice you to pass the burden you bear to our Lord who said:
"Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28-30)
You alone cannot do anything
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 5:15)
So before you meet them, I would say PRAY a lot: God these are your children, whom you died for. It is impossible that I would love them more than you do... Please help your children get back on track, use me, use my mouth to send them your message. Let your Holy Spirit guide me and them. Have mercy on me and on them...
Have complete faith in God, that He will bring them back if you pray for them diligently, whether it be through you, or through anyone or anything else...
Remember it wasn't the strong rhetoric that brought St Augustine back, it was the faith-filled tears that his mother St Monica prayed with... How could God turn away His eyes from the faithful who ask Him diligently for something?
On what you should say, God will give you wisdom and strength if you ask in faith:
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." (James 1:2-12)
Also seek the advice of a priest and/or people who might have experience in these things..
If God chooses to work through you, remember to join St Paul and say "though not I, but the grace of God which was with me." (1 Corinthians 15:10) because "For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you glory as if you had not received it?" (1 Corinthians 4:7) and "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
If God doesn't choose to work through you, do not despair, but keep praying:
" Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men.And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"" (Luke 18)
May God bless you abundantly and work through you..
Please pray for my weakness
I am currently faced with a bit of a dilemma and could use all of the help I can get. A group of Coptic born and raised youth that now consider themselves athiest have agreed to sit down with me for a short period of time sometime next week. I have no idea what to say to them that could possibly get them back on track. I am the only guy they have kept in touch with since leaving the church (including their parents) and feel as if the pressure is all on me to get them back to the faith and away from the life they are leading. What should I do/ talk to them about?
I think you should pray 1st.
2ndly, speak to your FoC. see what he has to say.
probably they need you to listen and probably it will take more that 1 meeting to answer their questions/problems.
it's all too easy to get v stressed when u seem to be the 'only hope', one of my friends lately stopped going to church and it's excruciatingly painful. give it up to God, He will give you the wisdom you need and honour your love and concern for these troubled people.
Pray. It took abouna in my church three years to convince one person to come back.
Two observations:
1. As you suggested they are a group which means you will be meeting with more than one person.
2. You are the only person they talk to.
Three suggestions:
1. Don’t push it too much because you may be the only link they have to the church. In other words leave room for more meeting in the future and don’t suggest meeting abouna the first time you see them but ask if they have talked to abouna in the past
2. Casually you may suggest your second meeting at your house and arrange for abouna to be present.
3. Be careful and keep abouna involve in every idea they plant in your head so you don’t end-up with more questions in your mind instead of bringing them to the church.
Last word: if you see the conversation going no where... STOP and change the subject.
Pray For me,
*Regretful+Sinner*
another thing... 90% chance they did not leave the church due to dogma or the teaching... but the people... and teaching of the people of the church... so find the root of the reason of why they left the church... their "atheistic" thoughts are just a screen they will use, but really look in their hearts of why they did get to such thoughts!
please don't take anything I said to offense,
akhadna el baraka... neshkor Allah!