Start the Party - High SchoolSample

I consider myself very blessed. I come from a background of many different expressions of what it means to follow Jesus. I go to and serve at a nondenominational church, I attend a Catholic school, and I’m involved in a Pentecostal-type youth ministry. From each of these experiences, I’ve learned so many things about the different perspectives of the Christian faith, how people express their faith, how they interpret certain things in the Bible, how they personally relate to God, etc. One of the most important things I’ve learned is that just because you believe one thing doesn’t mean you should criticize others for believing something different. One time, I was in class, and some of my friends talked about different ways to worship God. I realized that the way they expressed worship to God differed from some of the ways other friends I have worshiped God. It might be easy to think one type of person is closer to God than another, depending on what we’re comfortable with or our background. But the truth is we all have unique ways of relating to God. Our job isn’t to judge people for how they connect with God; it’s to realize that God loves and is for everyone. God is cool with different expressions of what it means to worship, follow, and explore who God is. So, I challenge you; the next time you’re feeling upset about the way someone else relates to God, take a second to remember that God is for you and for other people, no matter how unique or different from you they might be.