So I haven't blogged in a while. I figured that I better come up with something quick, as I believe that I must practice what I preach. (I've been bugging one Angelo Gonzalez to make a new entry for upwards of two months now).
There are discouraging times in youth ministry. There are times as a minister where you feel completely unappreciated and grossly underpaid. There are times when you know you're investing yourself into your kids, and it just plain hurts because you feel like they have no desire to invest back into you. It's not only frustrating, it's painful. It's utter rejection. It feels like you're loving people who want no love. It's sad because it goes unrealized. It's a feeling of rejection. Youth Pastors, can I get an "amen"?
When you've felt hurt, pain, sorrow...it makes it so worth while when you see God start to bless your ministry. This past Sunday night I had 11 students in attendance. Yes, 11! I don't know that I've ever had 11 people total, adults included. 11 students --wow! I'll one up the 11 students...6 of them were guys!!!!!! 6 guys, 5 girls!!!!! For as long as I've been at Fair Haven (closing in on 8 months) we've NEVER had more guys than girls. It was nice to get out of the estrogen ocean for one night at least.
It was about halfway through the night that we saw some people walking around outside. One of our students noticed them first, and another opened the door to see who it was. It was three jr. high boys. We invited them in for pizza and games. They came in, and had a blast! It was awesome!!
Also, bravo to whomever covered my car with sticky notes. Spot on, genius.
God, you are the healer of pain. You are the restorer of faith. You are the the all-powerful creator who has complete sovereignty. Restore things that you've willed to be restored, and restore faith you've willed to be restored. Constantly remind me of your sovereignty. Constantly remind me of your grace. Thank you so much for the people you've blessed me with. Continue to use them to minister to me as you use me to minister to them. Thank you for my students. Use them to minister to me as I am used by you to minister to them. All things by your grace that I am so constantly in need of. Amen.
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2 comments:
AMEN!!!!!! tis so true simpson. youth ministry is constantly hit or miss. it is a hit or miss with attendance. it is a hit or miss with each devotion/sermon/worship service we do. it is a hit or miss with kids. and there are usually far more misses than hits. and thats the rough part of youth ministry. but then there are the times when the nail is hit on the head. when you have the student that completely blows you away with their growth. or a student that asks you a question that you have to go study to answer. this shows that they are thinking. those are the moments we work for. but then again God calls us to seasons. you only have 11 max now. this may be your dry season, where other churches may be going through a great harvest. youth ministry is fun...most of the time. granted there are the times when we feel under-appreciated, walked over, when we feel like "not a real minister", and when we are vastly underpaid. im there with ya bro, but it is all worth it...the kingdom is worth it.
awesome!!
oh yeah, i finally succumbed to a real blog. you called that one.
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