As the summer comes to a hault, the hustle of the new school semester offically begins. With only one year under my belt as a Campus Life director I am still filled with questions and ideas (some better than others), in preparation for a new school year. Learning the ropes to this Campus Life thing has proven to be harder than it seemed at first, but I find that to be a good thing. After one school year of getting a lot of things wrong and a few things right I'm praying to be lead to the right people and in the right direction.
Royal Palm Beach High school has been very welcoming to me. By the end of school last year I not only was the asst. cheerleading coach but also had begun volunteering with the Student Government. Now I still have a long way to go but I have several things I am excited about for this coming semester.
-First off this semester I will be starting small groups for our high school girls. These groups will be a mix of christian and non-christian girls as well as a mix of schools represented.
-Getting the word out about Campus Life at Royal Palm Beach High. I've had a year to develope and now I want Campus Life to grow!
-My leaders who assist me with Campus Life are really stepping up this year to help me out so I can have more time on Campus as well as have the time for these girls small groups.
-I am excited to see God at work, now that I am a little more confident in what I am doing I'm look forward turning the corner with the students that I already have a relationship with. I want these students to know who I represent and why I do what I do.
-I can't wait to connect with students who I haven't met yet! I love meeting new people and building new relationships.
-All my Campus Life students who were so committed all last school year, I'm excited to challenge them.
-I am looking forward to all the trips and events that I have coming up...(praying for their success)
Looking back is something that I too often do, heck I even look in comparison sometimes...but the most exciting place is looking to the future. I pray for all the potential that this year holds, I pray that God works through me and around me if He has to.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
YFCamp Prep
Last year was my first experience with YFCamp. I went as somewhat of a last minute addition for a co-worker who didn't have a female volunteer to go with his girls. I didn't know any of the girls before camp and still totally had a blast and got to know each of the girls really well. This year we are taking high school students to camp at an out of state location! We are heading all the way up to Michigan, and no we are not flying. All together it will be pretty close to a 24 hour road trip. I am actually looking forward to this part of the trip, anyone who knows me knows how much I enjoy a good road trip! Not to mention its a good bonding time for the students to get to know one another as well as us leaders. I am not only looking forward to the road trip, and getting out of the Florida heat though.
The YFCamp slogan is "Where everything changes," and I believe that to be true! Camp is one opportunity where we can shut up everything from the world for these students, and let them hear from God. The result of last summer when I didn't know the girls that I went with at all makes me very excited for this year where I am familar with most of the students going. It really is going to be a great trip and camp. Please pray for us we leave on Saturday, the 18th and return somtime on the 26th. Pray that God would change the lives of these teens and move in my heart as well.
The YFCamp slogan is "Where everything changes," and I believe that to be true! Camp is one opportunity where we can shut up everything from the world for these students, and let them hear from God. The result of last summer when I didn't know the girls that I went with at all makes me very excited for this year where I am familar with most of the students going. It really is going to be a great trip and camp. Please pray for us we leave on Saturday, the 18th and return somtime on the 26th. Pray that God would change the lives of these teens and move in my heart as well.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Year One
Well here I am at the beginning of my second year at Youth for Christ. I have learned so much in my first year of ministry. I have a long way go but I already know some things that I want to change for next year.
First of all in the YFC mission statement it states that "..We consistently pursue lost students." Being a person who usually has no problem attracting people and making new friends, I have learned that there is a big difference between befriending students and pursuing them. It really shouldn't have taken me soo long to catch onto this one, everyone wants to be pursued. We all want to know that people want to be our friends or reminders of love from our loved ones. I am learning how instrumental this concept is to what I do as I am meeting students...they need to constantly be seeing my interest in them and their lives.
Another thought that I have stumbled into is how in an evangelistic ministry I must market Campus Life better. After training last summer I really took hold of the idea that this was a relational ministry and so I concentrated only on relationships but without marketing it became increasingly hard to build relationships without new students attending club. I need to not be afraid to invite and tell students about what I do. Campus Life is a fantastic opportunity, and I need to be more proud of what I do there...sharing the Gospel.
There are so many other lessons that I have learned in this first year of ministry. Most of the lessons however have been me learning about myself. I have become very aware of the ways that I personally get in the way of what God is doing around me and through me. Ministry is hard, its challenging spiritually, professionally, and personally. Its hard to feel successful when the measuring stick that you are put up against is Jesus. Praise God that what He sees when He looks at me is Jesus.
First of all in the YFC mission statement it states that "..We consistently pursue lost students." Being a person who usually has no problem attracting people and making new friends, I have learned that there is a big difference between befriending students and pursuing them. It really shouldn't have taken me soo long to catch onto this one, everyone wants to be pursued. We all want to know that people want to be our friends or reminders of love from our loved ones. I am learning how instrumental this concept is to what I do as I am meeting students...they need to constantly be seeing my interest in them and their lives.
Another thought that I have stumbled into is how in an evangelistic ministry I must market Campus Life better. After training last summer I really took hold of the idea that this was a relational ministry and so I concentrated only on relationships but without marketing it became increasingly hard to build relationships without new students attending club. I need to not be afraid to invite and tell students about what I do. Campus Life is a fantastic opportunity, and I need to be more proud of what I do there...sharing the Gospel.
There are so many other lessons that I have learned in this first year of ministry. Most of the lessons however have been me learning about myself. I have become very aware of the ways that I personally get in the way of what God is doing around me and through me. Ministry is hard, its challenging spiritually, professionally, and personally. Its hard to feel successful when the measuring stick that you are put up against is Jesus. Praise God that what He sees when He looks at me is Jesus.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Movies
So last night Adam (my boyfriend) and I went to see the movie 'Slumdog Millionaire,' great movie by the way. As we were waiting through the previews that they always show before a movie (fyi, one of my favorite reasons to go to the theaters) a preview that kinda scared me appeared. Nope not a literal scary movie but an idea that I can't believe somebody got paid to come up with? "G-Force" is a movie about gerbals who are secret agents? What? I know its true, someone actually got paid money to come up with the premis for this movie. Sure its just a kids movie and I think kids will like it, but as I saw this I started thinking up some dumb ideas myself of movies that could be made....
-the 'tree' characters from the "Lord of the Rings" movies (and books, yes i know they were books first)...i think they should get there own movie. It could be similar to "The Never Ending Story", slow moving and kinda creepy.
-A "Life Musical", very much like "High School Musical" but with adults in the work place. Kinda like 'American Idol' meets "the Office".
-In light of cheerleading season being over I think if gerbals can be secret agents that farm animals can do gymnastics?
-How about a Documentary of people on a plane. I think we could all agree that we've met some pretty interestin folks on plane rides, the climax could be when the plane goes down and the only thing to document these peoples lives is this video....
So here are my dumb movie ideas. Wouldnt' be surprised if a couple of them really already existed but I just want the record to state that i want to get paid for my dumb ideas too!
-the 'tree' characters from the "Lord of the Rings" movies (and books, yes i know they were books first)...i think they should get there own movie. It could be similar to "The Never Ending Story", slow moving and kinda creepy.
-A "Life Musical", very much like "High School Musical" but with adults in the work place. Kinda like 'American Idol' meets "the Office".
-In light of cheerleading season being over I think if gerbals can be secret agents that farm animals can do gymnastics?
-How about a Documentary of people on a plane. I think we could all agree that we've met some pretty interestin folks on plane rides, the climax could be when the plane goes down and the only thing to document these peoples lives is this video....
So here are my dumb movie ideas. Wouldnt' be surprised if a couple of them really already existed but I just want the record to state that i want to get paid for my dumb ideas too!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Balance
My life has always had a crazy flavor to it...however lately there seems to be a little extra, or a lot extra? Over this month I have been out of town a couple of times and plan to be out of town one more time yet. I feel as though I am juggling much more than I ever have before. I feel that my professional life is going well yet, somehow I feel like I'm losing my grip on my personal life. But then again anytime my personal life is going well my professional life lacks. So many times I feel like I have the perfect balance, and then something gets all out of whack? I don't ever see it coming and I don't understand why I can't see it coming. I mean I should, shouldn't I? You would think that I would feel pressure somewhere or catch something about to go wrong. Nope it just happens and I feel like a total victim.
How do you accomplish having a happy personal life, and a flourishing ministry? Before I got into this position I would have thought that your life had to be the ministry and in many ways I still believe that to be true, but I am not Jesus who constantly moved about His life as God. I am just a single gal...I can't imagine the balance that is required for a wife or mother? I know that the key is to rest in the strength of the Holy Spirit, but when your life is go go go its hard to see where you are resting and where you are not being a good steward. One thing that I can say is that in life there have only been a couple times where I have felt the peace that I do right now in my life. I know that I am where God wants me to be, and doing what He wants me to be doing. I am happy, I guess I just desire to control too much. I bet there really is no such thing as "balance" in life or in ministry, I imagine its different for everyone and different for every season in life.
How do you accomplish having a happy personal life, and a flourishing ministry? Before I got into this position I would have thought that your life had to be the ministry and in many ways I still believe that to be true, but I am not Jesus who constantly moved about His life as God. I am just a single gal...I can't imagine the balance that is required for a wife or mother? I know that the key is to rest in the strength of the Holy Spirit, but when your life is go go go its hard to see where you are resting and where you are not being a good steward. One thing that I can say is that in life there have only been a couple times where I have felt the peace that I do right now in my life. I know that I am where God wants me to be, and doing what He wants me to be doing. I am happy, I guess I just desire to control too much. I bet there really is no such thing as "balance" in life or in ministry, I imagine its different for everyone and different for every season in life.
Friday, February 20, 2009
High School Drama
As I have been spending more time on the high school campus I am increasingly aware of the drama that consumes their lives. I have been asked by students at different times this week how? or why? I put up with them. For the most part I laugh it off and make a joke about how what seems like the end of the world to them is so amusing to me. And its true, I think that in many ways it is funny how they break down with the simplest things, well at least what seems simple to me. In Youth for Christ something often stated is "to live life with the students", at first hearing this I was like "Duh, in youth ministry how else are you going to get to know them?" But now having spent more time IN their world (school) and not just at church or Campus Life I am convicted. In high school as the smallest things shatter their world some of the most serious, and heartbreaking things are laughed about in the event of being "cool."
I have a girl that is on the cheerleading squad who was bragging to a friend about having sex with her boyfriend in the back of his mom's van. And they both laughed and joked about it as if it was the greatest acomplishment she could of had this semester. It broke my heart to hear this....Is this what living life with students really looks like? Another girl who I have spent sometime with has been concerned for a friend of hers who regularly comes to school drunk and leaves at lunch to get "high." Being in their world breaks my heart. I have always known that this job is much bigger than me, and now knowing the faces and names that go with these stories I am humbled and broken that the God of the universe would even think that I could "live life" with these students. I am consistently overwhelmed by the favor that God has given me with these students, that they would share any part of their story with me. I am convinced that not only do I need prayer and strength from God to approach these stories, but the entire youth population needs prayer to get through their stories and their drama.
I have a girl that is on the cheerleading squad who was bragging to a friend about having sex with her boyfriend in the back of his mom's van. And they both laughed and joked about it as if it was the greatest acomplishment she could of had this semester. It broke my heart to hear this....Is this what living life with students really looks like? Another girl who I have spent sometime with has been concerned for a friend of hers who regularly comes to school drunk and leaves at lunch to get "high." Being in their world breaks my heart. I have always known that this job is much bigger than me, and now knowing the faces and names that go with these stories I am humbled and broken that the God of the universe would even think that I could "live life" with these students. I am consistently overwhelmed by the favor that God has given me with these students, that they would share any part of their story with me. I am convinced that not only do I need prayer and strength from God to approach these stories, but the entire youth population needs prayer to get through their stories and their drama.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Next step
So plenty of new news to update everyone on. First and most exciting is the new man in my life. Adam is a friend of mine that i have known since moving to West Palm Beach. We'd been spending more time together and we have finally made it offical:) I'm so happy and excited. He left for Costa Rica this morning to take some students on a mission trip, and I think i'm going to miss him. Kinda funny how in a matter of days your perspective and concern for someone can change so much.
Campus Life is going in a slightly new direction this semester in an effort to reach more of the student population at Royal Palm Beach High. It is reaching to be bigger and better. However if you know me logistics are not my gift, so I am having to release control of many things and put them into the hands of my very capable volunteers. I am soo excited for how they have stepped up and the plans we have. We will also be changing location which will be soo awesome. My church, First Baptist Church of Royal Palm has opened up their activity center for Campus Life to use! Our kick-off will be Feb. 2, so i'm trying to pull everything together that we will need before then.
As cool as a big kick-off is it doesn't really mean anything without students, so my next big problem is promotion for the kick-off. I am praying for a way to advertise on campus. I need to take action though. I don't know why this is so difficult for me? Its like one step is ok, but when i look at the many steps that need to take place i get so easily overwhelmed and no action is taken at all. Life is hard when I put it into steps, I think I need something else to call steps....maybe I can change the name to gummy bears or something that seems easier and happier???
Campus Life is going in a slightly new direction this semester in an effort to reach more of the student population at Royal Palm Beach High. It is reaching to be bigger and better. However if you know me logistics are not my gift, so I am having to release control of many things and put them into the hands of my very capable volunteers. I am soo excited for how they have stepped up and the plans we have. We will also be changing location which will be soo awesome. My church, First Baptist Church of Royal Palm has opened up their activity center for Campus Life to use! Our kick-off will be Feb. 2, so i'm trying to pull everything together that we will need before then.
As cool as a big kick-off is it doesn't really mean anything without students, so my next big problem is promotion for the kick-off. I am praying for a way to advertise on campus. I need to take action though. I don't know why this is so difficult for me? Its like one step is ok, but when i look at the many steps that need to take place i get so easily overwhelmed and no action is taken at all. Life is hard when I put it into steps, I think I need something else to call steps....maybe I can change the name to gummy bears or something that seems easier and happier???
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