北米のブラザレンの問題点を指摘した手紙のオリジナル（4）

前回の英文の続きです。

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2. IMBALANCE IN MINISTRY
You see Mr. ---, in the assemblies, and in (____) especially, we receive a steady diet of good sound doctrine. And I am so thankful that we do indeed hear good sound doctrine, because sadly this is lacking in many other places. But what the brethren fail to see is that our young people are so starved in the area of encouragement and ministry to help them in their walk with the Lord, their personal devotion, character building, learning how to study the Word for themselves, being challenged in living for God, given teaching to guide them in the real world they face, etc, that they are simply tuning out the heavier stuff. I must admit that there I times I just mentally “check out” when someone gets up to harp on the same stuff over and over and over again. (I should take the time here to thank you for the refreshing ministry you have given over the past years. I have really benefited from it, and especially thank you for upholding Christ to our view.) Now, I am not saying that doctrine should go by the board, we still need it, and those who are mature in the faith need their food too, but we have young people and even older ones too, for that matter, who are withering in their spirits because of trials, conflicts, and discouragement, and the result is that the “heavy stuff” is just going right over their heads. Our ministry is geared for the mind, but not for the heart and soul, and so our young people are really discouraged and lost in their relationship with the Lord. We forget that the young are just lambs, and are in desperate need of shepherding. Not just teaching, but SHEPHERDING. And I can’t just blame the elders, because I too am not enough among the flock, helping and encouraging. One should never underestimate the power of even just going for coffee with a young person to truly shepherd them one on one.