Sunday School prep: 2 hours
Sunday School: 1 1/2 hours
Worship: 1 hour
Youth Group: 2 1/2 hours
Total Time: 7 hours
Personal Reflection:
This week has once again gone pretty well. I didn't have any specific task I had to do for this Sunday, but Friday afternoon Kyle text me and asked if I would teach Sunday school on Sunday. He said he would be there, but that he thought it would be good for the students to hear from me again, just so they aren't always hearing from him. I thought this was a good point because I remember being in youth group and hearing our senior pastor preach Sunday mornings and then lead youth group Sunday nights and it was very frustrating. Through texts, Kyle asked me to maybe continue our discussion from last week and so I decided on a topic then, but didn't have time until Saturday night to plan it all out. I was given 2 illustration/story books for youth ministry just last week and put them to use for Sunday school! We defined "relationship", and talked about not missing first base (establishing a relationship with Christ). The discussion went well and I felt like the students really liked what we talked about. Towards the end of the lesson I read Psalm 40 and if you haven't read it, i suggest you do it now, or if you have, you should refresh your mind and heart on it. In the lesson we talked about establishing a relationship with Christ, and finished by looking at the end...eternal life with Jesus Christ. Overall, it went very well!
Sunday night the leaders met a half hour before the students showed up and we talked about decorating for Christmas and prayed for the students and the discussion that was just about to happen. Kyle talked about our image and our uniqueness. Each of the leaders got with 2 students and we asked the questions: "What is unique/special about you?" and "What are some things you don't like about yourself?" This was a great way to get the students to talk because they had to talk! I was with 2 girls I have never really talked with and it was so exciting to open up with them and they open up with me! Kyle's main point was that if we are looking at others and judging them/talking about them behind their back about their personality/looks then we may need to examine ourselves and see if we have a problem/issue with God and how he created us. This was a really good point i felt like, but a hard one to take on. We also talked about how we are created just a little bit under the "heavenly beings" (that being angels or God himself, not very clear) but how that is much better than being created just a little bit higher than tadpoles. I think the students really enjoyed this topic.
Spiritual Reflection:
This week has been a struggle for me as far as time alone with God goes. I have realized that when I get busy spending time alone with God is the last thing I'm doing. The lesson in Sunday school was just as much a lesson for me as it was for the students. I'm really challenging myself to be intentful in my relationship with God. I have been challenged to think about the things I am thankful for and I'm really opening my eyes to those things. I am thankful for amazing friends here at IWU who are dedicated to getting through hard times together. I am thankful for an amazing group of leaders I get to work with at Hanfield. I am thankful for my family. I'm looking forward to thinking more and more about what I am thankful for as this week continues!
Happy Thanksgiving! :D
Kristi:
ReplyDeleteI agree that is so hard to find time alone with God when we get busy! It is more of a task then a want which puts our hearts in the wrong frame of mind going into the time alone. It is important to clear heart and mind before and during time with God.
It sounds as though the lessons went really well! It is nice when things we are given come in handy and when it is hard for us to swallow a message right along with our teenagers. It puts it into perspective for them, showing that no one is perfect and that we all have struggles. It also shows that we can relate to each other when we break down walls and really try.
I hope you are having an amazing week! Keep up the hard work!
It can be so hard to have that time alone with God. I understand that completely not only does life get in the way, but our own selfisheness and lazyness. I was watching a video on Utube and saw a video that said busyness stands for being under satans yoke. Now that can be a little exaggerated, but on the same time it does make some since
ReplyDeleteNow that you are finished with this practicum I am curious if those concerns you had at the beginning of the semester every worked themselves out fully. DId you ever get the issues worked out? I did not follow your blog that closely but I hope your semester turned out well.
ReplyDeleteIan
Ian, to respond I feel like things did work themselves out. I still am frustrated with only getting little things to do, but my ideas are being heard, Kyle is using me more for insight and ideas as well as for teaching which is encouraging! I actually had a call from him a few weeks ago and we talked about some situations going on in the ministry. A few of the things Kyle said really lifted me up, because it turned out he was calling me to get my view on the situation. Really cool. things are going well...i hope this answers your question.
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