Summer is drawing to an end. For some of our students school starts on August 15th and then for most they will begin on August 19th. This summer has be a time of hecticness and growth. The hectic nature of summer is one in which you want to accomplish so much yet only have so much time to do it in. This summer was no different. The great thing is that it has been a time of growth in many of our youth.
When I arrived at Covenant I soon noticed a lack of trust in my ministry when it came to our youth. This was something that I knew would take time to gain. This lack of trust was not necessarily a reflection upon my ministry (although I guess it could have been) as they did not know me but in many ways was a compliment to the wonderful couple who served them for 2+ years, I'm truly thankful for them and their ministry. At times this has been very hard work yet it has been rewarding in so many ways. The transition from pulpit ministry had its snags at times yet I have found that I have truly fallen in love with our Church, Youth, and area and this has made the transtion much smoother than I expected. This transtion has also been made easer by being able to serve along side our Senior Pastor, who loves us and this Church.
With that said I had immediately began to pray for our church, youth, and families upon our arrival. As I did this I found that God was bonding my heart to our Church and Youth in many ways. I began to see what a great place to serve this is and what great youth and families we had to serve with. This along with further deepening my love for this area served to fan into flame an even deeper passion to see our Church and area impacted by means of the Gospel.
So for the first nine months of ministry here there have been times of thinking I'm swimming upstream against the current mixed with times where I can see trust being built with our youth. This was tempered with a passion to love them well and see them develop as disciples of our Awesome Saivior and King. This was also fueled with a desire to establish roots here that will lead to great Gospel penetration being made in our lives and the lives of those around us. During these nine months I've had a plan.
This plan was not some mind-blowing, huge thing but one in which I wanted to establish realtionships with our Church and Youth whereby God would be glorified and trust would be built. This plan began upon arrival, continued through the winter, and would extend through the summer. It began by explaining that eventhough Jill's family is from here and we live on her family's land that we were here to serve them (our Church and Youth) not just to be back near family. It continued through the winter by letting them get to know us and our children and letting them know that they are part of our family and lives. All along we would try and take advantage of opportunities to have time with them and invest in them. As summer approached there would be the opportunity for our older youth to serve at a Camp that is dear to my heart (I have blogged about that Camp previously). I prayed for a sizeable group of our leaders to go as this Camp is more of a mission trip than a Camp. All but one of those came.
While at the Camp we made up 1 in 4 of the Counselors there which was great. This was great because it allowed for us to have a great influence on the Camp and allowed for me to have a great influence on our group in particular. As our youth served they were awesome! As the camp progressed I was able to have many needed conversations with them and to put them into uncomfortable situations where they would have to trust God. HE used these as only HE could and the Camp served to challenge and mold those who went in mighty ways. My hope is that the trust established will grow into their realtionship with me as we head into the Fall.
So now the as the summer draws to a close my prayer is that we will continue to gain momentum and press deeper into HIM as we continue seek to serve HIM well and love these Youth and their families well. May HE continue to build trust and continue to shape and mold us for HIS Glory!
