The Future...

God and His blessings.

Wow.

I've had a few interesting experiences lately. As I've said before, I just recently started a Jr./Sr. High School Sunday School class for girls. Let me just say...we have our good weeks, as well as our bad weeks. I'll admit that today was not one of our better days, but we live, and we learn...

Anyway...

For the last few weeks, I have also been helping some of these teens with their Teen Club Teen's Involved material. For people who aren't familiar with that, Word of Life is the program that our church uses on Sunday evenings from Preschool age all the way up through High School (basically, the same concept of AWANA, if you know what that is). The Preschool Group goes through Kindergarten, and they're the Gophers...SO CUTE! Then, there's the Olympian Club (1st-6th), and finally, Teen Club, which is Jr./Sr. High (7th-12th). The Teen Club has something called Teens Involved every year, which is a competition in which these teens can compete in things like drama, puppets, music, preaching, storytelling, creative writing, etc. There are three different rounds...Areas, Regionals, and Nationals. Basically, the top teens then qualify to go to the next round. However, we've really been trying to get them to understand the reasons BEHIND these competitions...it's not a performance thing...and not something that they do to build their own egos...but it's something that is helping them to prepare to serve God.

I remember competing in Teens Involved (T.I.) when I was in Jr High (as I moved to WA before competition my Freshman Year), as well as my brother before me....and it was a lot higher of a level of competition. As I told these kids, our Area competition was about 3-4 times the size of their Regionals...crazy.... But at any cost, especially toward competition time, we would get SO SICK of practicing. We actually started practicing a lot earlier in the year than these guys, but still...towards the end, you're practicing, practicing, practicing....and that includes ALL-DAY practices to make sure you get it JUST RIGHT. So attitude adjustments can be necessary. These guys are no exception. lol Good kids, but still...typical teenagers. Yet...you try to remind them that it's not for them...it's not for their leaders...it's for God. They're using their talents and abilities FOR HIM. It's not about going on to the next round of competition...that means nothing. It's learning to serve Him and reach others for His name.

Sometimes, you never know if you're getting through...

But then again, sometimes, things happen to reassure you that maybe...just maybe...you really are reaching them.

Last Sunday night, they were to perform their material in front of the church, as that is a requirement for competition (which took place yesterday). It was another ALL-DAY practice, and you could tell that these guys were just ready for the competition to finally get here. I shared my testimony with them, as I had felt led to do, and it was a blessing that they were actually listening...not just hearing, but listening. Later that night, they did their "thang" in front of the church, and they did a glorious job. However, the best part of the evening was these teenagers' responses at the end of the night. The invitational had to have lasted about 15 minutes. Some of these kids come from really tough homes...some of them have been jaded from growing up in the church...but they truly ministered to themselves and opened up to the Holy Spirit. It was utterly amazing to witness these kids...hearts broken for the Lord. I hope people can truly understand that these teens and younger kiddos ARE the future of the church. I realize my own shortcomings and have every desire that these kids will do a better job that I did...and I pray for the wisdom and guidance to *hopefully* help them along the way...

As I told those of them that were in my class this morning, though...I cautioned them to be leery of emotional responses. It's awesome that a connection was made, but I urged them to make sure that's not just something that happens on a Sunday night, and then their lives fail to change the next day....it's a constant process, but my prayer is that they continue to grow in His will.

As one of my favorite songs from college goes..."You are good all the time! All the time, You are good!" So, so true!