It’s September, that means it’s time to launch our student ministry. This week I’m focusing my blog on volunteers. Here’s what I shared with our brand new volunteer small group leaders last Wednesday night…
Sometimes you guys make me mad. I’ll be honest, sometimes I get a little jealous. Why? Baptisms. Yeah, that’s right. Baptisms. You see, when we do baptisms in high school, our students share their faith stories and talk about the influential moments along the way. You know what they never say? They never say, “I really remember this one time when Aaron was teaching and he said ….” They never say that, because they basically never remember ANYTHING we say from the stage. They really don’t. It’s kind of depressing actually.
You know what they do say at baptism night? Standing there in the hot tub they unfold their papers and read aloud about how influential their leader has been in their life. They talk about…
- how their leader put up with them when all they did was scream or wrestle in 6th grade
- that trip they went on with their small group or that week in a cabin at Camp LifeLine
- a tearful conversation in 9th grade after that really bad decision when their leader was there for them and comforted them
- countless trips to Starbucks in which their leader poured into them
- solemn small group moments at 2am on our senior sneak trip, long after all the tissues in the hotel room have run out.
When it comes to the baptism faith stories, you guys get all the credit and honestly, that’s how it should be. You guys are the pastors in this ministry. You are the spiritual shepherds. You are the backbone of this ministry and we appreciate and need you deeply.
PASTORS AND SHEPHERDS
Please understand how important you are to the spiritual growth of our students. It will be your role to know our students–their families, situations, struggles and strengths. You will be there for them in the difficult moments. You will laugh with them in the hilarious moments. You will speak truth into their lives when they need to hear it. You will walk with them and watch them grow into the people God is calling them to be.
Without you and what you do our ministry is ineffective. Honestly. We’re so grateful for you and want to encourage you to embrace your role as pastors and shepherds in the lives of our students.
HOW DO YOU GET THERE?
Here you are, a brand new leader in LifeLine. I know you all want to do an amazing job this year. So, how do you get from uncertain noobie to sharing stories in the baptism tub? How do you have that kind of impact? It’s actually really simple. If you break it all down it’s this simple:
Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Follow Jesus in front of them. Invite them into your life. Share the crucial stories from your life in which God made His presence and purposes known. Talk to them about your mistakes and how God grew you through them. Show them and lead them. It’s not easy but it’s simple. You are the pastor. You are the shepherd.
photo credited to j.minor
