Ransom becomes Elevation

By now you should have heard that we have changed the name of First Assemblies youth ministry from Ransom to Elevation. I know some of you are wondering why or might have missed the night we gave explanation so I write my first blog to give you the Why of the name change.


1. Pastor's Heart

It was and is my desire to change the name of the youth ministry to something that resonated with the heart and vision of the Lead Pastor (Pastor Patrick). Somewhere down the road the church will transition and I am trying to positions us now ( a little early) for that transition. The name was discussed and approved by Pastor and many other adults and students.

2. Change of name brings Change of direction


Biblically we see that when God changed someones name it came with a change of direction in life. Janette and I are thankful for all those who labored in this field before us each adding their DNA to the youth ministry at first assembly but we cannot function and take the ministry were God is calling us in a vein or DNA that is not our own. In light of this we are changing the name as a natural way of speaking a spiritual truth, change of name, change of direction or DNA.

3. Why Elevation?

There were a couple different logo ideas, the two above are just two of many that were considered but in the end it was elevation.

We believe that as the Lord opened a door in the heavens and ask John to "come up here" that the Lord is calling this generation to higher heights in His love, grace...His Presence where everything changes. Elevation  speaks of a gradual accent upward, and we are growing in grace and moving upward. It represents are calling to grow and experience more.

One of the Synonyms for elevation is rise and surely there is a generation rising. We are not look at where they have been or even where they are but lifting (elevating) our vision to see what He see's because we become what we behold. To often we focus only on were we have been or even our present condition and it keeps us stuck in old cycles. One example is the paradigm that we are just "sinners saved by Grace," this mentality is one of the primary reasons for cycles of sin. In reality that's who we were but now we are sons, daughters, the bible calls us saints and this is God's view on your worst day! When we allow our vision to drop to a natural level, we become what we behold this is why our vision must be elevated!

The message of Jesus was and is the message of the Kingdom and in order to have a kingdom mindset and vision we must learn to live from a different reality, the same way Jesus was here and there (heaven at the same time (John 3) so we must learn to live elevated above circumstances, situations, life, failures and live from the reality of the kingdom!


I am excited for this new year and for elevation!!

Blessings,

Pastor Chris