Ministry Activities
5:00-5:45--> Get Acquainted with Staff
5:45-6:00--> Staff Meeting
6:00-7:00--> Keep Order
7:00-8:00--> Main Program (I participate and keep order)
8:00-8:45--> Play Games with the kids till they leave
8:45-9:00--> Help Shut Down
Personal Reflection
This was my first week feeling like an outsider. For the first hour of youth group I do not think that I really fulfilled my duty in building relationships with the kids. I settled for watching the kids interact and helping keep order. Because of this, I feel like I missed some opportunities. It is really hard for me to relate to these kids. They do not seem to like the same things I do at all. I am a soccer/frisbee/video game player that enjoys old school Christian rock and ska music. They are punks/skaters that play football and listen to hardcore rock/rap and emo music. However, I realize it is not their job to try and relate to me, but rather my job to try and relate to them. I think this one is going to need to involve me stepping out of my comfort zone and instead of trying to relate to them on something I am good at, trying to learn something they are good at. This is the opposite approach I take to most relationships. I try to do things with people I do not know that we can both relate to, but I cannot seem to find this in this group. Maybe I just need to look harder. This was the first week Pastor Mike came to Bodyshop. There seemed to be a bit more order and the main program was a lot better. He spoke about forgiveness and had an altar call at the end. That is completely foreign to me. My church rarely did that kind of thing. It seemed like it was really powerful for the kids, but as I recall from my middle school days, that kind of thing does not last long. The staff were called on to come forward and pray for the kids so I went up and did so. It was a very different experience for me to be the staff in that situation. I am glad that I was able to do it though. I hope that the kids will listen to the message and actually change because of it. I feel naive for still hoping this, but I believe anything is possible in Christ. The biggest issue I have with this group is the worship time. I have talked to some kids and they seem to enjoy it, but from what I have seen, the vast majority of them are not paying attention at all to what is really going on. It is fun, but I do not know how much God is there. The group that is actually energetic about it have that attitude because it provides them an outlet to have a pseudo mashpit. The rest mostly just stand close to the stage and talk to each other. It is hard for me to understand why they have worship at all in a session like that. I do not think the kids are actually communing with God, but I hope He is having an impact that I cannot see. I know He can work in ways that I cannot understand and work in these kids when I cannot see it, but I do not know that He is. This is so different from what I am used to.
Spiritual Life
I have had an inconsistent devotional life this week. It is still better than it was before I came to college, but it has suffered a bit recently. I get to it about every other night, and I want it to be better than that. Consequently, my prayer life suffered some because one of my most honest and deepest times of prayer is during devotionals. I know Prof Gunsalus said that ministry and our spiritual life do not necessarily affect each other, but I think they did in this circumstance. I think that a poor spiritual life can negatively affect ministry, but a positive spiritual life may not improve ministry. God will accomplish His purpose either way. I need to work on the spiritual discipline of sleep too. Part of the issue is not my fault, but part of it is. I would like to get to bed earlier, but my dorm is a very loud place to live even after quiet hours go on. For instance, recently we had a "Brawl Night" in which they decided to blast techno music. This happened at about midnight; right when I was trying to get to sleep. I hope that God will help me accomplish this discipline because I am really feeling the toll right now.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Saturday, February 3, 2007
WEEK 3 REPORT
Ministry Activities
5:00-5:30--> Talk to other staff members and learn to do sound board
5:30-5:40--> Introduce my girlfriend to the Bodyshop; she wants to help sponsor
5:40-6:00--> Sponsor meeting before opening; assigning tasks
6:00-7:00--> Meet with the kids; build relationships through games
7:00-7:45--> Main program; sit with kids in their groups; keep order during worship and message
7:45-8:30--> Play soccer with kids; meet with pastor Mike and other sponsers to arrange weekly Monday night meeting
8:30-9:00--> Help close up shop; keep order with kids that are leaving
Personal Reflection
It was interesting having Jess (my girlfriend) there tonight. I actually thought that I would be more distracted than I was. Thankfully we were able to do our own thing in order to best minister to the kids.
I noticed, to my dismay, that this week I spent more time doing what I wanted to than catering to the kids. I was playing soccer and then I noticed that there were eight sponsors and two kids playing. We all did not realize that the kids did not really want to play soccer. I talked with one girl in particular who pointed out to me that they usually had dodgeball in the place we had played soccer in and that it was something that she usually enjoyed doing. I intend to make it a point next week that we get as many kids involved doing dodgeball instead of us selfishly taking up the court to do what we as sponsors want to do.
Pastor Mike showed up tonight. Finally. We had a meeting with him and all the sponsors that let us know that the kids are not usually as crazy as they have been the past few weeks and that hopefully Pastor Mike's presence will calm them down over the coming weeks. That is encouraging because they have been pretty crazy so far.
I do not know if youth ministry is for me. If the kids keep up the way they have been then I am going to get drained. Maybe I am supposed to go into an older group. I do not know. I will try not to let the difficulty get to me, but it is not easy.
Spiritual Life
This week has been filled with temptation. The devil wants to make me fall and has been attacking every time my guard falls. Whenever my mind can wander or I am not fully awake he barrages my mind. I pray for the strength to fight him off and the wisdom to avoid tempting situations. Hopefully this will build into perseverence and I will be stronger for it in the future. Devotions are going well. I was challenged recently during devotion time about my prayer life. I am afraid that I have been treating God like an ATM instead of a personal, omnipotent, caring, loving God that wants to talk to me. My typical prayers have been "dear God, would you do this, thanks, by". I need to speak my frustrations and my cares to Him as well as my wonder at who He is. As well, I intend to build time in to listen. It is really more important for me to hear what He has to say than for Him to hear what I have to say. He already knows it anyway.
5:00-5:30--> Talk to other staff members and learn to do sound board
5:30-5:40--> Introduce my girlfriend to the Bodyshop; she wants to help sponsor
5:40-6:00--> Sponsor meeting before opening; assigning tasks
6:00-7:00--> Meet with the kids; build relationships through games
7:00-7:45--> Main program; sit with kids in their groups; keep order during worship and message
7:45-8:30--> Play soccer with kids; meet with pastor Mike and other sponsers to arrange weekly Monday night meeting
8:30-9:00--> Help close up shop; keep order with kids that are leaving
Personal Reflection
It was interesting having Jess (my girlfriend) there tonight. I actually thought that I would be more distracted than I was. Thankfully we were able to do our own thing in order to best minister to the kids.
I noticed, to my dismay, that this week I spent more time doing what I wanted to than catering to the kids. I was playing soccer and then I noticed that there were eight sponsors and two kids playing. We all did not realize that the kids did not really want to play soccer. I talked with one girl in particular who pointed out to me that they usually had dodgeball in the place we had played soccer in and that it was something that she usually enjoyed doing. I intend to make it a point next week that we get as many kids involved doing dodgeball instead of us selfishly taking up the court to do what we as sponsors want to do.
Pastor Mike showed up tonight. Finally. We had a meeting with him and all the sponsors that let us know that the kids are not usually as crazy as they have been the past few weeks and that hopefully Pastor Mike's presence will calm them down over the coming weeks. That is encouraging because they have been pretty crazy so far.
I do not know if youth ministry is for me. If the kids keep up the way they have been then I am going to get drained. Maybe I am supposed to go into an older group. I do not know. I will try not to let the difficulty get to me, but it is not easy.
Spiritual Life
This week has been filled with temptation. The devil wants to make me fall and has been attacking every time my guard falls. Whenever my mind can wander or I am not fully awake he barrages my mind. I pray for the strength to fight him off and the wisdom to avoid tempting situations. Hopefully this will build into perseverence and I will be stronger for it in the future. Devotions are going well. I was challenged recently during devotion time about my prayer life. I am afraid that I have been treating God like an ATM instead of a personal, omnipotent, caring, loving God that wants to talk to me. My typical prayers have been "dear God, would you do this, thanks, by". I need to speak my frustrations and my cares to Him as well as my wonder at who He is. As well, I intend to build time in to listen. It is really more important for me to hear what He has to say than for Him to hear what I have to say. He already knows it anyway.
WEEK 2 REPORT
Ministry Activities
5:00-5:50--> Hang out with the other staff
5:50-6:00--> Staff meeting and task assignment for the night
6:00-7:00--> Hang out with the kids. Play basketball and keep order
7:00-7:45--> Main show with worship and group game. I keep order
7:45-8:30--> Kids start leaving and I build relationships with them through games
8:30-9:00--> Keep kids from killing each other
Personal Reflection
It does not seem like I have much authority or responsiblity in this group. Sponsers are not told what we really need to do or how to do it. It has been a free-for-all and I have to play it by ear. I feel sort of frustrated that I have not been given any direction as to what I am supposed to do. I feel like a lunch monitor at a school. "Enjoy the kids company and don't let them kill each other" seems to be my task. That is not enough for me. I want to be an active part of this ministry, not a sideline referee.
The kids are insane. They are fun and friendly enough when they are inside playing basketball or dodgeball, but once they got outside to wait for the vans they turned plain vicious. They were tossing snowballs with rocks in them and completely ignoring our instruction. I felt like I had the responsibility to maintain order and no ability to do so. There was no kind of penalty I could deal out and no priveledge that I could give them to change what they were doing. They wouldn't even listen to anything I had to say. I do not know how to get these kids' attention and respect. I am trying to be respectful to them and treat them like I want to be treated, but it does not seem to mean anything to them. All it meant was that they could walk all over me.
Spiritual Reflection
My spiritual life is doing pretty well. Devotions are pretty consistent and my prayer life is pretty good. My relationships are going well and God is a pretty constant part of my life. I ask God for wisdom on how to deal with these kids and how to keep a good attitude. I wish that I could get more out of devotions. Sometimes it is very difficult for me to see something new in a passage I have read many times. I hope that through this discipline I am actually growing closer to God. Pray for patience and wisdom for me please.
5:00-5:50--> Hang out with the other staff
5:50-6:00--> Staff meeting and task assignment for the night
6:00-7:00--> Hang out with the kids. Play basketball and keep order
7:00-7:45--> Main show with worship and group game. I keep order
7:45-8:30--> Kids start leaving and I build relationships with them through games
8:30-9:00--> Keep kids from killing each other
Personal Reflection
It does not seem like I have much authority or responsiblity in this group. Sponsers are not told what we really need to do or how to do it. It has been a free-for-all and I have to play it by ear. I feel sort of frustrated that I have not been given any direction as to what I am supposed to do. I feel like a lunch monitor at a school. "Enjoy the kids company and don't let them kill each other" seems to be my task. That is not enough for me. I want to be an active part of this ministry, not a sideline referee.
The kids are insane. They are fun and friendly enough when they are inside playing basketball or dodgeball, but once they got outside to wait for the vans they turned plain vicious. They were tossing snowballs with rocks in them and completely ignoring our instruction. I felt like I had the responsibility to maintain order and no ability to do so. There was no kind of penalty I could deal out and no priveledge that I could give them to change what they were doing. They wouldn't even listen to anything I had to say. I do not know how to get these kids' attention and respect. I am trying to be respectful to them and treat them like I want to be treated, but it does not seem to mean anything to them. All it meant was that they could walk all over me.
Spiritual Reflection
My spiritual life is doing pretty well. Devotions are pretty consistent and my prayer life is pretty good. My relationships are going well and God is a pretty constant part of my life. I ask God for wisdom on how to deal with these kids and how to keep a good attitude. I wish that I could get more out of devotions. Sometimes it is very difficult for me to see something new in a passage I have read many times. I hope that through this discipline I am actually growing closer to God. Pray for patience and wisdom for me please.
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