Coming up with a name for our youth ministry was work. The name had to have meaning beyond the words themselves. It had to do two things: describe the intentions of youth ministry at Lincoln Memorial; and describe ministry as a whole. So, the two words chosen were wheel and scape.

Usually, when we think wheel, we think tires on a bike, skateboard, car, and so on. But, our wheel is referring to a potter’s wheel that is used by artists to shape clay. You know, make cups, vases, and dishes. The Bible makes mention of the potter’s wheel and/or clay (Isaiah 29:16; 64:8; Jer. 18:1-6; Jb 33: 6; etc.). As Christians, we are being molded into the image of Christ, transformed (2 Co. 4:2 and Rom. 8:29).

Now, the second part of the word, scape, is taken from landscape. Landscape is land or scenery – a place. So, the scape in WHEELscape is a place where something is formed. That something is someone(s), our youth. To make it plain,  WHEELscape is a place where youth are formed on the potter’s wheel. The potter is God, and the wheel is the teaching, hearing, and doing of the Word with all that our youth have to give.

Inspiration: “Let no one despise your youth [Timothy], but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (NRSV 1 Timothy 4:12). Our youth are not only important to our Lincoln Memorial Family, but to the Christian community.