Week Two

Its completely hard to believe that I am already two weeks into my semester and internship. This week was probably more stretching then the weeks before. I imagine it to be like this though as I continue to dive more into helping and leading.

Tuesday morning I did the normal office work. I finished getting together a postcard that is to be sent to the kids when they miss a function. It was a really cool idea, just letting the kids know that they were missed without any pressure. That's one of the hardest things to balance though I think; being able to keep the attendance coming without worrying to much about the numbers. The postcard was a good way of working on attendance without worrying too much about it.

We also did the beginnings of some planning for the upcoming months. I never understood the amount of planning that went into getting things ready for youth group.

Wednesday was my first time to lead the youth group message. Because a lot of the kids don't know me we decided that sharing my journey of faith or what some would call a testimony. I shared how I had grown up in a Christian home just like many of them. I had gone to Church, gone to youth group, did everything that a good Christian was supposed to do but it hadn't been enough for me. I talked about complacency and its threat and temptation to each of them. I shared about how I had stood on the fence and how that had affected my life. It had been a series of events that had made me climb off the fence and that was something I had told them about. I am not sure what the kids thought exactly. It was hard to read their expressions. But I know that my story had to be shared. I think that it was important for them to hear it and to understand that God can work in ordinary lives. Its not just people who have had horrible influences or people that had run completely away from God.

I was in at the Church on Friday to do a fundraising event. It was a good experience that reiterated what it means to be a servant leader. Its the leading by being a servant and doing the things with the kids that no one else wants to that makes the leader. It not only shapes the leader into a better person but also allows the kids to be able to respect the leader more. Tammie is such a good example of this. She is always serving the kids and never thinking of herself.

Contemplative Youth Ministry

I started reading this book by Mark Yaconolli at the beginning of last week. Its a good book that provides some really cool ideas for a youth group and strengthening their walks with God. One of the main points that he discusses is authenticity. This is important because he thinks that this is the one of the only ways to truly be effective. He says that there are a couple of ways that this can be achieved. Through surrender and receiving of God's love. This is important because it shows that part of ministry is about growing as a person. It also made it clear to me that as leaders in ministry its important to be able to be walking with God and doing the things that you are preaching at others to do. In order to walk with God we must do as he says and "surrender and receive".

These are all my thoughts for now.