Most weeks I pick up one of my students. Let's call him TJ... and I guess you could say we share quite a unique relationship. TJ is one of those kids that you can’t help but love, even when he’s causing trouble and or has been told for the 50th time to pay attention and to stop throwing whatever it is he happened to pick up in his direct vicinity that day. TJ is kinda like a son, a little brother and even a junior protégé (when he’s not being completely hyper) all rolled up into one adolescent and A.D.D. package.
I stopped by at the usual time to pick him up. “Where’s your shoes?” I retorted, as TJ winced around the floor as though just out of bed. “Buddy, we’re going to be late,” I told him. “I’ll find em,” he assures me.
Eight minutes later we’re ready to go... Meanwhile, his baby sister waves to say goodbye, reaching up for a hug. She’s adorable!
“So buddy, how was your week?” I engage him in the usual dialogue…
Murmurs… he replies back, "same old. Same old…" "And school?" I inquired, still murmurs...
Shortly we arrive for home-group. Most of the other kids are already there and rearing to go.
“Don’t look so excited, fellas!” I encourage them, as they look at me with that “my parent’s made me come” face…
“Let’s get started” And I open us in prayer as we begin the lesson.
“So, what’s the point?" I began, "What are we doing here?” I ask, as the looks on their faces begin to gloss over in what can only be described as ‘morbid confusion’ and or apathy.
You see, our job as home-group leaders is to discuss what we learned in “big church” that week, and Matt Chandler, being some-what of a charismatic speaker, rarely leaves much to the imagination.
“So let’s put it into context… why go to church?”
At this point, I’m guessing from their clueless faces that no one had ever quite asked them that question before.
“Because we love Jesus” – one rather sagacious beyond his years – student retorted in confidence.
Sometimes I wonder how many ‘church answers’ I receive purely by virtue of some Pavlov-esk conditioning, vs. how many of my students have actually experienced the real power of the Lord's work in their lives. And then I am reminded of God’s sovereignty and am quickly humbled at the ‘farming’ I get to participate in on a daily basis.
I remember the first time I began youth ministry at Sky Ranch as an up-and coming youth counselor, wanting so desperately for my kids (some of which came from horrible homes) of only a week at a time (@summer camp) to understand and experience the very real and tangible Love of Jesus in their lives. But instead of them necessarily being desperate for the Gospel, I began to be in desperate need of God’s mercy and grace to fall on me and to transform me into the image of Christ for them, in order for the Holy Spirit to speak through me.
When I first began youth ministry it honestly seemed like 'Junior Varsity' baby-sitting. Now, after years of watching some of my kids stumble and fall and grow in their sanctification however, it’s become more like a dad watching his kids grow up. Matt has this beautiful example where he talks about his daughter stumbling about as she learned to walk, taking a few steps and crashing to the ground, and then taking a few more, until she finally learned to walk on her own. No one rebukes those first few steps as failures and the more I stumble, the more I appreciate the fact that TJ is just learning to walk and the more I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in his life!
“Well TJ…” I turned down the radio on the way home, “tell me what you learned this week.” TJ smiles, and quite like a parrot, recites a few lines from our time together. "That’s okay," I thought to myself, "contrary to popular belief, you actually have to crawl before you can walk..."
note:*(Some names have been changed in order to protect my students.)
I stopped by at the usual time to pick him up. “Where’s your shoes?” I retorted, as TJ winced around the floor as though just out of bed. “Buddy, we’re going to be late,” I told him. “I’ll find em,” he assures me.
Eight minutes later we’re ready to go... Meanwhile, his baby sister waves to say goodbye, reaching up for a hug. She’s adorable!
“So buddy, how was your week?” I engage him in the usual dialogue…
Murmurs… he replies back, "same old. Same old…" "And school?" I inquired, still murmurs...
Shortly we arrive for home-group. Most of the other kids are already there and rearing to go.
“Don’t look so excited, fellas!” I encourage them, as they look at me with that “my parent’s made me come” face…
“Let’s get started” And I open us in prayer as we begin the lesson.
“So, what’s the point?" I began, "What are we doing here?” I ask, as the looks on their faces begin to gloss over in what can only be described as ‘morbid confusion’ and or apathy.
You see, our job as home-group leaders is to discuss what we learned in “big church” that week, and Matt Chandler, being some-what of a charismatic speaker, rarely leaves much to the imagination.
“So let’s put it into context… why go to church?”
At this point, I’m guessing from their clueless faces that no one had ever quite asked them that question before.
“Because we love Jesus” – one rather sagacious beyond his years – student retorted in confidence.
Sometimes I wonder how many ‘church answers’ I receive purely by virtue of some Pavlov-esk conditioning, vs. how many of my students have actually experienced the real power of the Lord's work in their lives. And then I am reminded of God’s sovereignty and am quickly humbled at the ‘farming’ I get to participate in on a daily basis.
I remember the first time I began youth ministry at Sky Ranch as an up-and coming youth counselor, wanting so desperately for my kids (some of which came from horrible homes) of only a week at a time (@summer camp) to understand and experience the very real and tangible Love of Jesus in their lives. But instead of them necessarily being desperate for the Gospel, I began to be in desperate need of God’s mercy and grace to fall on me and to transform me into the image of Christ for them, in order for the Holy Spirit to speak through me.
When I first began youth ministry it honestly seemed like 'Junior Varsity' baby-sitting. Now, after years of watching some of my kids stumble and fall and grow in their sanctification however, it’s become more like a dad watching his kids grow up. Matt has this beautiful example where he talks about his daughter stumbling about as she learned to walk, taking a few steps and crashing to the ground, and then taking a few more, until she finally learned to walk on her own. No one rebukes those first few steps as failures and the more I stumble, the more I appreciate the fact that TJ is just learning to walk and the more I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in his life!
“Well TJ…” I turned down the radio on the way home, “tell me what you learned this week.” TJ smiles, and quite like a parrot, recites a few lines from our time together. "That’s okay," I thought to myself, "contrary to popular belief, you actually have to crawl before you can walk..."
note:*(Some names have been changed in order to protect my students.)
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