Style Your Soul

By Luke Christy

Today I was lucky enough to be a part of the “Style Your Sole” party the youth of the church put on for the local Boys & Girls Club.  This is just another creative way that FUMC Gastonia serves this community.  The idea really emerged last year with the youth director, Becky Greene. She purchased TOMS shoes for each member of the youth group, and on the group’s mission trip to Philadelphia the youth decorated their shoes.  This year the idea evolved even further.  The youth group decided to put on their own “Style Your Sole” party for the local Boys & Girls Club.  The church bought a pair of TOMS shoes forthe girls at the Boys & Girls Club and had the girls over this afternoon to let them decorate their shoes with paint.  The youth explained to the girls that they were doing this to allow them to be creative and express themselves as individuals.  This was an awesome opportunity for the youth to spend time with these kids and for the kids to do something that they otherwise would not get the chance to do.  The coolest part of the whole experience for me was at the end when a couple of the youth and I went from room to room and washed the girls’ feet.  I talked to the children about why we were washing feet and told them the story about Jesus washing his disciples feet.  I explained to them that Jesus loves everything about us, even the most nasty, stinky parts, like our feet.  Then, I told them that we werealso going to wash their feet to show them that we love them just like Jesus loves us.  

​What these youth did for these girls showed me what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.  It does not mean onlyreading about how cool a person Jesus was, or how he washed his disciples feet once.  It is about DOING what Jesus did and trying to live like he lived.  I have spent a lot of time at school in class, and Bible studies trying to learn more about how to follow Jesus. Those things are great, but it does not mean anything if I am not LIVING it.  This party is a way the youth group is “DOING” their faith in Jesus. The “Style Your Sole” party not only showed Godly love to those girls, but also reminded me of what being a follower of Jesus looks like, and means.

I was also reminded again today how this church helps reach this community in big ways more often than I might realize.  For weeks the youth had been collecting money from the congregation for the cost of the shoes for these girls to design and have.  It was interesting to see how the church supported an idea that the youth group had to serve others.  This youth group is blessed with such a willing congregation that they are able to serve the community in new and exciting ways like this.  The youth had a great idea and were willing to work, but they could not do it alone.  The church is all about using the gifts of one another in order to show the love of God to the world, and that is what I saw this church do today in the “Style Your Sole” party.