Worship Service
Meeting with some Youth and Kyle (planning to re-vamp youth room)
Youth Group
Total Hours this week: 6
Personal Reflection: This week I was pumped to get back into the swing of things with Hanfield and the youth group. I was ready to go with the ministry and had been given a lot of dates to set aside for specific events with the youth. I heard from Kristen, a girl from Taylor who helps me do a small group with High School Girls throughout the week, and she was wanting to get the small group going again. Well, everything I thought would take place when Sunday roled around didn't quite happen. When I walked into the room it was just like when I left it (nothing took place over the summer as far as revamping the room like we planned) and then as I began to ask Kyle some questions and briefly talk about getting the small group back up and running it seemed like I got shot down. This is a struggle I identified quickly this weekend as I was a youth pastor this summer at a church where the only "yes" i had to get was from the senior pastor who was 100% behind me all the time. Now i'm back to just helping out with the youth group and any ideas i have need to go pass Kyle (the youth pastor) before I can even really begin to think about the direction I want to take it. I also learned a little more about some stuff Kyle has been going through this summer and am beginning to realize that it may not be what i was imagining it to be this semester...but i'm going to do all that i can to make this semester a good one with the youth! Don't get me wrong - it was nice to be back and I'm glad i'm at Hanfield, i just had some expectations going into it that needed to probably be totally eliminated so i could refocus on what can/could get done these next few months.
Spiritual Reflection: To be honest, I'm feeling like I'm on cloud 9 right now if I can say that. I really am excited for what God is doing in my life and ministry as well as what he has done and will do! I feel as if I'm learning more about who I am as a child of God, as well as who I am as an individual. I'm putting an effort towards spending time with God (which i got away from for awhile) and am just really having a different attitude towards life (coming from the understanding that God is the one in control!). I know these "highs" don't stick around for long so I want to make the most of it. This time while I'm on this spiritual "High" I want to not just hear what God is trying to say to me, but also say "yes, Lord!" and do it!
Hey Kristi,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. Sorry to hear about how things went for your first week. I got to say that Kyle is fortunate to have a volunteer that is willing to come up with ideas on there own. Speaking as a youth pastor I know how incredibly difficult it is to find volunteers that will think for themselves and really step up to the plate as a leader.
I would love it if one of my leaders would come to me with an idea that they would like to lead not just have me do more. It is also exciting to see that a youth ministry has been able to institute a successful small group ministry. This is something we have just not been able to do.
What size of ministry does Hanfield have?
Also, how is the small group ministry structured?
Have a great day.
In Christ,
Ian Fancher
Thanks for the comment Ian, good to have some feedback like that! We run about 20-25 kids. Right now on Sunday nights we have a the higher end of that because they have life groups (cell groups/small groups) for the Adults that run teh same time as the Youth and Children Ministries. The Small groups are structured like this:
ReplyDeleteJr. High Girls
Jr. High Boys
Sr. High Girls
Sr. High Boys
These are smaller groups because you have your core kids whose parents are willing to bring them to anything (or in high school can drive). Last year i had 3 girls who we met with regularly and a student from Taylor who helped me out leading. Basically it is time to hang out, hopefully let them open up about things, and have some sort of lesson. Once a month we try to have a day where we just do games or we go get dinner. I talked to Kyle today and we are going to be using a book by Andy Stanley this year. Its called "The 7 Checkpoints" and he is buying some curriculum they already have for this book. Basically we will split the curriculum up in small group, sunday school and youth group that way there is consistency in what we are talking about. I hope to keep the same structure for my girls though, but teach on this topic though. HOpe that helps!
Kristi
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you are ready to be back at school. That makes one of us! But you are right, the highs never stick around for long. It is difficult to turn back time to go back to the highs in life in order to recapture just one moment with God. I am so glad you are spending the time with God that is needed on a day to day basis. We so often get wrapped up in what we are doing it is hard to focus on anything else.
Good luck this semester!!