I have one child of my own. Her name is Phyllis. I love her more than anything (next to God).
I say often “I have 500 children”.
I love those children. They are my babies. Your kids are always your babies even if they are 35.
I spend my time serving the God, serving the church, and serving them. I often wonder “what can I do to make sure they know they are loved”. I don’t approach what we do as what can we do to make our Youth Ministry better, I think approach it as “how will they know they are loved?”
We do a lot of stuff in our Youth Ministry. Our Youth Pastor is relentless, and I mean that in a good way. One of the sayings I’ve seen is “Pioneers don’t need pavement”. That’s Adam. He is blazing ground, in the name and the love of Jesus like no one else around us, and it’s evident in our kids. I can give you one small example, last night, Fuel was nuts! And I had a lot to do… I was blessed, I had 5 students that just came up to me after each task “what needs to be done, Margie” and I’ll tell you, I was interrupted 500 times, I heard my name 500 times yesterday “Margie, so and so sprained their ankle” “Margie, do you have anything for a headache” “Margie, can you look at his shoulder” “Margie Margie Margie” and that’s just how it went, I tried counting the Columbia money for an hour before I actually did it! Yikes, it was busy, but those 5 students that helped me, HOLY MOLY! They were awesome, they didn’t do it for me, they sent out postcards, cleaned, straightened, made copies, they did it for God because God has changed their lives, and they love Him by serving Him.
There are some who say that our youth ministry could be categorized as a “cult” because their lives are changed, for the better, because they are loved. They matter to God and they matter to us, and they matter to ME!
I downsized something in my life, I used to serve and I quit. I gave my notice and I quit because I need to focus. I need to be a FULL TIME youth staff. I need to not have to worry about balancing something else at the church.
Everything happens for a reason they say. And Saturday night 5 of our kids were in a car accident. Could have been killed, literally. And all day I cried. Praising God for His protection, praying that He watches and protects all my kids. Thinking about ways that we can teach our kids about things they need to know so that should an accident happen, they don’t panic. Whether they stub their toe or they are in an accident, no panic.
I probably won’t change what I do in our Youth Ministry, I just want to do it better. I want more kids to be reached, more kids to be loved, and more kids to not just be loved but to KNOW THEY ARE LOVED.
Romans 8:28- 38 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I say often “I have 500 children”.
I love those children. They are my babies. Your kids are always your babies even if they are 35.
I spend my time serving the God, serving the church, and serving them. I often wonder “what can I do to make sure they know they are loved”. I don’t approach what we do as what can we do to make our Youth Ministry better, I think approach it as “how will they know they are loved?”
We do a lot of stuff in our Youth Ministry. Our Youth Pastor is relentless, and I mean that in a good way. One of the sayings I’ve seen is “Pioneers don’t need pavement”. That’s Adam. He is blazing ground, in the name and the love of Jesus like no one else around us, and it’s evident in our kids. I can give you one small example, last night, Fuel was nuts! And I had a lot to do… I was blessed, I had 5 students that just came up to me after each task “what needs to be done, Margie” and I’ll tell you, I was interrupted 500 times, I heard my name 500 times yesterday “Margie, so and so sprained their ankle” “Margie, do you have anything for a headache” “Margie, can you look at his shoulder” “Margie Margie Margie” and that’s just how it went, I tried counting the Columbia money for an hour before I actually did it! Yikes, it was busy, but those 5 students that helped me, HOLY MOLY! They were awesome, they didn’t do it for me, they sent out postcards, cleaned, straightened, made copies, they did it for God because God has changed their lives, and they love Him by serving Him.
There are some who say that our youth ministry could be categorized as a “cult” because their lives are changed, for the better, because they are loved. They matter to God and they matter to us, and they matter to ME!
I downsized something in my life, I used to serve and I quit. I gave my notice and I quit because I need to focus. I need to be a FULL TIME youth staff. I need to not have to worry about balancing something else at the church.
Everything happens for a reason they say. And Saturday night 5 of our kids were in a car accident. Could have been killed, literally. And all day I cried. Praising God for His protection, praying that He watches and protects all my kids. Thinking about ways that we can teach our kids about things they need to know so that should an accident happen, they don’t panic. Whether they stub their toe or they are in an accident, no panic.
I probably won’t change what I do in our Youth Ministry, I just want to do it better. I want more kids to be reached, more kids to be loved, and more kids to not just be loved but to KNOW THEY ARE LOVED.
Romans 8:28- 38 28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
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Kristen
Chris (aka Eugene)
Sarah M