My church has an incredible student ministry which I am blessed to be a part of. We are called "youth coaches" and we spend our time pouring our lives and love and wisdom into high school students. None of the youth groups I was ever a part of had college students (or beyond) that were involved or volunteered or even wanted to spend time with us. So being part of a ministry that surrounds students in community and interaction and fellowship has been one of the singularly most impacting experiences of my life.
Our goal, as youth coaches, is to encourage these students, to draw them out of adolescence (which isn't even a biblical term) and into adulthood. We meet regularly on Wednesdays, leading them in worship and an in-depth look at a word from the Lord. We meet regularly on Fridays, drawing them into intense, in-depth discussions and teaching sessions about facts in the Bible, hermeneutics, apologetics, theology, etc... it's very much like a college course on the Bible. We regularly engage with them during small group meetings, discussing application of the bible in our lives, and topics like sex, dating, physical boundaries, self-image/self-worth, how to apply our faith in school, etc... And then we have spontaneous events like hiking trips, an Ultimate Frisbee afternoon, a board game night. All with the purpose of impressing upon these students their worth, their importance, and the love of Christ for them.
We coaches have a regular meeting every other week wherein we discuss issues we personally are facing in our ministry, problems the students have been dealing with, and what plans we can make for the next few weeks as a leadership team.
In the most recent meeting, I was really convicted about what and how I've been teaching my personal small group. Not that I've been leading them astray by any means, but I felt that I haven't been reaching the full potential offered me in that time with them. Am I preparing fully for our discussions, or what the students might bring to the table? Am I giving them the time to struggle through responses before giving them answers or suggestions? Am I seeking the Lord's guidance in the topics? I'm not sure that I am. In the moment, the Lord impressed upon me a series of questions to keep me accountable with that time. Here is His Word:
In My Personal Sphere of Influence With These Students:
1. Am I making disciples, first and foremost? (Matt 28:19)
2. Am I teaching them ALL He commands? (Matt 28:20) (2 Tim 4:2)
3. Am I teaching them to OBEY His commands? (Matt 28:20)
4. Am I esteeming myself? (Phil 2:3-5)
5. Am I looking for popularity or favor with them?
6. Am I teaching them WHO Jesus is?
7. Am I teaching them to love Jesus? (Luke 10:27)
8. Am I giving God the glory and focus?
9. Am I teaching them to make disciples? (Gal 6:6)
10. Am I using every available moment as a teaching moment (Just as Jesus did throughout His entire ministry)?
My prayer is that as these thoughts from the Lord rebuke and encourage me, they might also be useful to you in your ministry and fellowship with others. Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Boom!
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