MY LITTLE ANGELS. whew.
Whew. I don't know why I am so tired...or am I. I'm at a place right now where I am clearly exhausted but to awake to sleep. So I am turning to an old friend...the blog. I guess I could mention that I haven't blogged in awhile but that isn't really a good use of time.
I am a youth pastor. There i said it. I spend countless hours listening to, talking to, talking at, high fiving, teaching, loving, programming for, worrying about, and stressing about people who are between the ages of pure innocence and pure adulthood. Yes, that’s my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Tonight was the “big night” of the week. It was Wednesday night where the main teaching occurs, all of us are together (middle school and high school), and we do a lot of outreach type stuff on this night to make it fun and kind of make it lighter for the students. Oh well, I will stop describing it because anything I write about usually is made to sound cheesier than it is and I like what we do on Wednesdays.
It’s a big night for me, for countless student leaders, and my adult leadership team. My night begins at 4 Pm when I unlock the doors, turn on the music, open up the game room, and get out the ball cage. Not a huge chore before I run home to welcome my wife home from work and take time to enjoy an hour to have dinner…as I mentally try to focus on anything other than my responsibilities at church. It usually ends up being a very quality conversation followed by a quick meal (which makes me feel terrible when she makes something amazing that I can’t be still and enjoy). I’m out the door at 6 PM to greet students, meet visitors, prep adult leaders, talk to parents, clean up messes, give side-hugs, and make sure the youth band has everything they need to get the sound check taken care of before we turn on the stage lights on go at 7 PM. Whew.
Tonight we were graced by God to have about 8-9 new middle school kids come that have never been to any type of church before. That is one of those things that I say is a blessing but feels more like a flu shot. It is always tough to welcome students into the group, make them feel welcome, love them, and be patient with them when they have never been taught mutual respect of any kind. I bonded with most of them before the rally began but it was all downhill after that…during the message a couple of them got up, picked up a basketball (out from where it was put away) and started dribbling it, and shooting it. That sounds pretty harmless (I probably sound like Hitler) but you should know that we meet in a gym and I teach from right below the basket…this kid was in another world completely. Whew.
Despite the wild night of my LITTLE ANGELS texting, making cell phone calls, and talking out loud to each other during the teaching and prayer…we had a great night. Great responses to the scripture, group time, and I had a parent meeting afterward that was well attended and I was prepared for it too! Whew.
I guess I just had a really long night and needed to write it out before I could really process it. Most of the detail has been omitted because I am just too lazy to try and remember it all…but the story ends great.
God gets the Glory for this. Our human-mess that we stress so much about.
God trusted this ministry with the souls of 60+ students tonight and, more appropriately, trusted us with 8-9 new unchurched students who need to know that there is hope and that they are worth someone’s time. Even if they are pretty annoying.
I had some adult leaders looking like they had already written their letters of resignation in their heads before they left tonight (including my wife).
God has trusted us with people. He brought them to us and I hope they come back. Even if it is just to play basketball during the message again. : )
I am a youth pastor. There i said it. I spend countless hours listening to, talking to, talking at, high fiving, teaching, loving, programming for, worrying about, and stressing about people who are between the ages of pure innocence and pure adulthood. Yes, that’s my life and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
Tonight was the “big night” of the week. It was Wednesday night where the main teaching occurs, all of us are together (middle school and high school), and we do a lot of outreach type stuff on this night to make it fun and kind of make it lighter for the students. Oh well, I will stop describing it because anything I write about usually is made to sound cheesier than it is and I like what we do on Wednesdays.
It’s a big night for me, for countless student leaders, and my adult leadership team. My night begins at 4 Pm when I unlock the doors, turn on the music, open up the game room, and get out the ball cage. Not a huge chore before I run home to welcome my wife home from work and take time to enjoy an hour to have dinner…as I mentally try to focus on anything other than my responsibilities at church. It usually ends up being a very quality conversation followed by a quick meal (which makes me feel terrible when she makes something amazing that I can’t be still and enjoy). I’m out the door at 6 PM to greet students, meet visitors, prep adult leaders, talk to parents, clean up messes, give side-hugs, and make sure the youth band has everything they need to get the sound check taken care of before we turn on the stage lights on go at 7 PM. Whew.
Tonight we were graced by God to have about 8-9 new middle school kids come that have never been to any type of church before. That is one of those things that I say is a blessing but feels more like a flu shot. It is always tough to welcome students into the group, make them feel welcome, love them, and be patient with them when they have never been taught mutual respect of any kind. I bonded with most of them before the rally began but it was all downhill after that…during the message a couple of them got up, picked up a basketball (out from where it was put away) and started dribbling it, and shooting it. That sounds pretty harmless (I probably sound like Hitler) but you should know that we meet in a gym and I teach from right below the basket…this kid was in another world completely. Whew.
Despite the wild night of my LITTLE ANGELS texting, making cell phone calls, and talking out loud to each other during the teaching and prayer…we had a great night. Great responses to the scripture, group time, and I had a parent meeting afterward that was well attended and I was prepared for it too! Whew.
I guess I just had a really long night and needed to write it out before I could really process it. Most of the detail has been omitted because I am just too lazy to try and remember it all…but the story ends great.
God gets the Glory for this. Our human-mess that we stress so much about.
God trusted this ministry with the souls of 60+ students tonight and, more appropriately, trusted us with 8-9 new unchurched students who need to know that there is hope and that they are worth someone’s time. Even if they are pretty annoying.
I had some adult leaders looking like they had already written their letters of resignation in their heads before they left tonight (including my wife).
God has trusted us with people. He brought them to us and I hope they come back. Even if it is just to play basketball during the message again. : )
posted by Jared at 7:17 PM
1 Comments:
i miss you guys.
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