Navigating a Wild World with Jesus
By Paul Hargreaves
Senior Director of Family Ministries
In the late ‘90s, Christian artist Twila Paris sang a song called “True North.” Some of the lyrics go:
“We lost our bearings,
Following our own mind
We left conviction behind…
How did we ever wander so far?
And where do we go from here?
How will we know where it is?”
“True North
There’s a strong steady light
That is guiding us home…”
“We need an absolute
Compass now more than ever before.”
Next month, from July 14–18, we’re hosting our annual Summer Blast VBS—and this year’s theme is “True North…Trusting Jesus in a Wild World.” Kids will learn that Jesus is our true north—our constant in an ever-changing world. And they’ll discover why trusting him to guide us through life’s moral and cultural shifts is more important than ever.
Why “True North”?
Think about a compass. It points to magnetic north, not true north. And magnetic north shifts every year. Depending on where you are, that shift (called declination) can range from 20 to 60 degrees—enough to seriously mislead ships, planes, and hikers unless the compass is carefully calibrated.
In the same way, our lives are full of influences that can throw us off course—media, trends, peer pressure, even well-meaning voices. But Jesus never changes. To navigate wisely, we need to fix our hearts on him.
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)
“The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever.” (1 Peter 1:25
Teaching kids that Jesus is our true north means helping them see him as the unchanging source of truth and life. We don’t want them tossed around by every new idea or message they hear. As the Apostle Paul put it:
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves… blown here and there by every wind of teaching…” (Ephesians 4:14)
We want kids (and all of us!) to keep our eyes on Jesus:
“Let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus…” (Hebrews 12:1b–2a)
You Can Help Kids Find True North
We’re still looking for about eight more adult or high school-aged crew leaders to help guide groups of five 1st–5th graders through VBS. It’s just five mornings—July 14 to 18, from 9:00 am to noon. You don’t need special skills—just a willingness to care for kids and point them toward Jesus. Click here to sign up! And please join us as we pray for Summer Blast VBS 2025.
Family Sundays in July
Also in July, we’re holding Family Sundays—our K–5th graders will join their families in the sanctuary for worship. It’s so good for our young believers to worship alongside their church family! Early Childhood will still be available for babies through PreK, and Kids’ Worship for K–5th will return starting August 3.
Let’s help the next generation navigate this wild world by pointing them to Jesus, our True North.
Paul