United Church of Pittsford

For those of you who don't know me, I'm Jane Thomas and I'm going to talk about what this church has done for me and how having God in my life has impacted me.

I am so blessed to have been raised in this church. UCP has been a part of my life for a long as I can remember. My earliest memories of church involve waking up on Sunday morning and trying every possible way to talk my parents out of taking us to church. My sisters and I would eventually give up and go, getting through the service by coloring the children's bulletin and then heading off to creative time and Sunday school. I didn't enjoy this routine- I used to be jealous of the kids who didn't have to go to church. Now I'm so grateful my parents forced me into it.

It scares me to think of the person I'd be without God in my life. Somewhere along the way of that Sunday morning routine I developed a true understanding of God. It's amazing how easy it is for children to comprehend such a huge, abstract idea. It was probably easier for me then than it is now.

I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't believe in God. When I was little, I didn't know much about the Bible, but I knew that there was a God up there who loved me no matter what and was always watching over me. The Bible story that stuck with me the most as a kid was the story of Jonah and the whale that we learned in Sunday School. As you probably remember, God had spoken to Jonah and assigned him a task he did not want to do. He disobeyed God and hoped on a boat to try to escape and hide from God. God sends a storm upon the boat and Jonah tells the sailors to throw him overboard to save themselves. They do, and Jonah gets swallowed by a whale. He sits in the belly of the whale for three days and repents until God forgives him and sets him free.

When I was little, I didn't remember all the details of this story, but I remembered the fact that no matter where he was or how much he hid, Jonah could not hide from God. Knowing that the same rules applied to me I think is what kept me from doing some things I shouldn't have, even when my parents weren't watching. It was also a comfort at times, knowing that He's always there looking after me.

As for the kids who didn't go to church or know God, the kids that I used to be jealous of, it's not like they're necessarily bad people. But I feel bad for them because they don't have Jesus in their life. They don't know that God is watching over them and willing to help and guide them. How do they not feel lost, confused, and alone, especially at this time in their lives when we're making huge decisions and what we do now can determine the rest of our lives. When these things overwhelm me, it's often my faith in God that gets me through because I know that he will guide me and stay with me through everything no matter what. T

his reminds me of our theme in Agape last year, Psalm 119: 105 "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." If we let God into our lives, he will show us our path - the path he has mapped out for us that will give us the best, most fulfilled lives. This is comforting when I feel lost or confused about what direction to go in my future. Another comfort of having God in my life is knowing that he is on my side and will never stop loving me, even through difficult times or when I make mistakes. Romans 8: 31-38 sums this up well. It says, "If God is on our side, can anyone be against us?...Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death?... In everything we have won more than a victory because of Christ who loves us. I am sure that nothing can separate us from God's love-not life or death not angels or spirits, not the present or the future, and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God's love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord!" That is something I think that has really been reinforced in our church and has given me comfort throughout the years.

I'll move on now to how Agape has played a role in my life and helped my faith grow.

Going to church and Sunday school was what built the foundation of my faith and understanding of God, and Agape really made it a reality in my high school life and helped me develop a personal relationship with God. When I started Agape in eighth grade, it was not my choice. My parents forced me to go, and I can't be more grateful for that because Agape has been such a huge part of my life. If they had let me skip out on that experience, I would have missed out on so much: becoming closer to God, all of the great friendships I've formed, the fun retreats and lock-ins, and countless other things. The bond we formed during the first couple of years of Agape is truly incredible.

It is amazing because we are all so different and would probably not have been friends in high school had it not been for Agape, but none of these differences matter when we're at Agape. I haven't heard of any other youth group that is so close, trusting, and crazy. We have built up so much trust that we can share anything with each other and not worry about it being spread or being criticized or judged. We aren't just friends at meetings or events, I have formed true friendships with these Agape members, especially those I'm graduating with, so much that we hang out in school and plan our own events that weren't originally scheduled. Agape has helped my faith grow because I am learning about and discussing God and the Bible with other high-schoolers. We can relate to each other because we are experiencing the same things, and the lessons and discussions are really relevant to where we are in our lives. They have given me so much to think about, from Dennis' and Kylie's unanswerable questions to Mary's fascinating Bible knowledge. Agape has kept my faith real through high school, along with being a ton of fun and creating so many memorable experiences.

UCP has played such a large role in my life. Over the years, UCP has become a family to me, filled with familiar people who love and care about me through the love of Jesus Christ. There have been so many individuals who have played a role in my growth here. I'd like to thank everyone in this church family who contributes so much to it and my parents for bringing me here in the first place and teaching me everything I need to know. I will be attending University of Delaware next year and I'm planning to major in Exercise Science. Because of what this church has instilled in me, I will keep my faith close to me in college and throughout my life.