Hi there. If you’re reading this you either care about what I have to say, accidentally stumbled upon this site, or genuinely care about girls ministry. Or maybe all three. Hopefully this site can be a place of sharing girls ministry, student ministry, and life. Not that I know it all, but I’d like to share my journey of being a girls minister. It’s late and for the second evening in a row, I’ve been with students until way past closing time. It’s also VBS week, so on top of stretching waaaay beyond my comfort zone into the world of children’s ministry, I’ve also had opportunities of unexpected relationship building, fast food lunches, some Spanish homework help, late night home invasions, and ultimately – ministry. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I just don’t know if this meets the world’s expectation of ministers. While most offices close at 5, aren’t after-hours as a perfect time to be with students? The busy work (getting ready for camp, small group strategic planning, event phone calls, etc.) happens during the day, but the ministry seems to stretch beyond that. Most of my peers that I graduated college with think I’m insane. I’ve seen some unfortunate ministers close shop, being stingy with sharing their time. There is value to guarding your time, but when ministry is missed, hasn’t the point of life been missed? This is how I strongly believe that ministry should happen. I’ve had the privilege to learn from a few very godly men (and a few women) on how ministry should play out. Some of the most impacting times of my time as a student were moments when my student pastor took time out of his day to include me in what he was doing. He would share the ministry with me. And sure, I probably annoyed him to no end when he needed to be working. But he gave of his time and invested in my life. He allowed me to participate in the ministry. We made memories as a group, and because of those moments, I was more receptive to trust the message that he preached on Sundays or Wednesdays. Relationships were formed. And now, I’m fortunate enough to walk alongside him in the ministry at FBC Frisco. I was shown what ministry looks like. Unexpected movie nights will happen, students will invade your home after pranking for hours on end, dance parties might happen in your living room, and sleep will be lost. But in the end, relationships will be built. And isn’t that what it’s all about, anyway? 1 Thessalonians 2.8 “We loved you so much that we shared with you not only God’s Good News but our own lives, too.” Boom. Paul tells us that we must share our lives with the people as well as the Gospel. This goes against everything the world tells us and requires that we live in an unselfish manner. It’s one thing to preach at students, but to share your life with them is where the true calling lies. In the after-hours. In the times that you don’t want to drive across town to counsel a 7th grade girl. In the moments that matter most to the student, even though you could be catching up with Doctor Who or Psych. These after-hours are what count. And in the end, I believe that if I don’t give my students my all because I was needing “me-time” or I was off the clock, I’ve missed opportunities. I’ve missed opportunities to be Jesus to someone who needs Him; I’ve missed the chance to love, to share the Gospel, and to find joy. So don’t sign up for girls ministry, or student ministry in general, thinking that it’s a 9 to 5 day job. It will permeate your life in a way that will greatly wreck and bless you.
Jun18
bluegirlsministry 