Week 5

Tonight youth group was pretty much the same as every other night.  It started off with worship and Aaron's message, then we ate and played basketball. While the junior high was eating I got to talking to one of the high school girls who helps lead worship. I really enjoyed it because she is a senior in high school and I feel like we could be friends because of how close we are in age. My co-leader was back from her vacation. Tonight in the small group we talked about "the meaning of life." At first the girls did not have much to say on the topic and were really hyper, but after we introduced the topic a little more they really thought about it.  We talked about why we believe what we believe, for example why we believe that certain things are good or bad. The girls really started to think about these questions and realized that even though they believe that things are good or bad, does not mean other people will and that we need to show them how to be good and tell them why (be a living example.)  At the end we took prayer requests and the other leader asked if anyone would like to pray.  I realized that like the junior high girls, I am uncomfortable with praying in front of others.  It kind of shocked me to see that I have not grown much in that area in the past couple of years.  I realize that it is probably because I do not pray enough when I am alone to feel comfortable doing it out loud. I really want to focus on growing in that area because I feel like if I can grow in talking with God than other areas of my life will improve along with it. 

Week 4

Tonight the other leader of my small group was driving home from a mini vacation so I was in charge of the meeting. I was a little nervous and did not know what we should do. We had just finished the first section of the book we are reading and I wasn't sure whether we should move on or not considering one of the leaders couldn't be there and two of the girls were gone. So I was thinking about how we have been talking about holding our tongues and being positive (encouragers) and  I came up with writing notes of encouragement to someone that they know.  They really seemed to take to my idea and so we sat in a circle and wrote notes to people.  It was really fun because they talked a lot about their lives and school problems.  I felt like I got to know the girls a lot more and was glad that they are feeling comfortable enough around me to talk about their personal problems. 

Week 3

Tonight's youth group was like every other night...It started off with worship, a lesson, food, and then free time. One thing that I have found interesting is that for some reason I get it in my head sometimes that I do not want to go to youth group. There are usually various reasons for me to not want to go, but tonight's reasons were that I have too much to do, it is too cold, and I do not feel like driving.  They are weak excuses, but it is how I felt.  Now the funny part is as soon as I get there my attitude changes...in fact I can be having a "down" day (and being negative), but as soon as I get to youth group, for some reason none of that stuff matters to me anymore.  It is like by being with the students I realize that all the stupid little things that make my life hectic do not really matter in the scheme of things.  What really matters are God and His people, and showing those people God's love. I know I am the one who is supposed to be "teaching," but I think it is the opposite, they (and the whole experience) are teaching me. 

Week 1

I realize I am posting this a little late...but I really forgot about posting weekly and I feel like two Sundays ago was important too. 

Like always we started off with worship and Aaron's message, and then food and games (we played the card game spoons, which was fun because I am pretty good at that game and I think once the kids see that you are good at something that they are good at they have more respect for you) 

After all of that, I co-lead a small group of girls. This was my first week with them, and I was a little nervous to see how it would go. We are going through a book together and the beginning talks about holding our tongues, which I think is a really good thing to talk about because I feel like that was a huge issue in junior high. 

The girls often got sidetracked, could not sit still, and would go into random fits of giggles, which I thought was awesome and exactly how I remember middle school. They told lots of stories and were completely honest. I gave my two-cents and they rolled with it and I got them to laugh a couple times. I was worried that they would be uncomfortable with me being there, but I think I fit right in and helped them to see a different view on why people swear and how we should react. 

I cannot wait for our next meeting and to see the girls again, it is so much more fun and exciting once you get to know a couple of them. 

Week 2

This Sunday was super-bowl sunday, which meant that youth group was a little different than usual. It started off with worship (like always.) I used to feel like I should be doing more to connect during this time, but I now realize that by praising God without fear I am being an example for them.  I believe that most of the students feel uncomfortable during worship and just by being there and by being a good example, I am helping more than if I were to talk at this time. 

Worship usually last about twenty minutes and then Aaron (the youth pastor) goes up and gives a short message, usually lasting about fifteen minutes (but longer because sometimes junior high students are hard to get focused); this weeks was about time wasting. It's funny because a lot of the time I feel like I connect with his lesson more than the others I have heard throughout my week. Hopefully I will be able to give a couple messages sometime in this semester.  

After the message we ate and watched the super bowl. I really enjoyed this week because since the high schoolers were playing dodge ball on one half of the gym and the super bowl was being played on the other half, I got an opportunity to sit for a longer period of time and talk to some of the students in the youth group. I was really encouraged this week because I really seemed to connect with some of the girls from my small group. 

Overall I was there from 5pm-9pm and I really wanted to stay later, but it got icy so I thought I better get back. 

This week I am really going to try to pray about the youth group and for some of them individually...because I feel like I do not talk to God as much as I should and maybe praying for others instead of praying for myself will be a good solution.