There are certain things about our youth group that many of us have come to except as things we must live with. These are things we cannot explain nor seem to make go away. Still, on occasion I overhear one of our members asking questions about these things. For this reason, I have compiled the following list of questions. These questions lack any definitive answer and are thus hereby deemed no longer permissible to ask. We don't know, people! So, please, don't ask!
Who broke this or that in the youth building?
If you're referring to something that was broken about 10 years ago, it was probably me. Otherwise, we can only assume that it was one of you...or that it happened during one of our break-ins.
What is that smell on the van?
If you absolutely have to ask this question, I'm gonna have to ask you to please be more specific. Are you referring to that smell of burning rubber, the smell of the exhaust, that smell of wet upholstery, or that general musty smell? If it's none of the above, it could be one of Ben's cheeseburgers left over from who knows when, or maybe somebody farted. Mostly likely it's a combination of all of the above.
What is Stephen doing?
I love Stephen to death, but when the dude gets bored and begins to entertain himself, I can't help wondering if the boy's crazy. He's entertaining himself, okay?! That's all we can say. Whether he's trying to see how many times he can blink his right eye before his left eye blinks or whether he's trying to scrunch up his fingers so that they're all the same length without being noticeably bent, what's going on in that Stephen's mind is known only to Stephen.
Doesn't JD know that his Regis Philban impression stinks?
Believe me, we've tried to tell him, but he still insists on doing it. I don't know if he doesn't believe us or if he thinks it's gonna get better with practice. All I know is that there's no stopping him.
Hey Gary, can you turn the heat on?
Don't bother. He can't hear you.
So there you are. I have officially declared these questions not worth asking. However, to contrast these, I have also compiled a short list of questions that are not only well worth asking, but also highly recommended. They are...
What is God's will for this youth group?
What is my part to play?
How can I step up and be a leader?
Who do we need to reach out to?
Who in our youth group should we be praying for?
How does my behavior on Wednesday nights effect what God is trying to do?
What's Happening on the Blog...
Take a look for yourself...
Friday, February 09, 2007
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4 comments:
I have a question..
What are the leaders wanting from us in our youth group? What do they want to see change? :)
I know our group needs change, but sometimes I feel like we're being asked "How can we change?" and given no answer, rather than "This is how we change, I want to see you guys work towards this goal".
A little direction please? ^_^
I have two answers to that (actually, I have SEVERAL answers to it, but only two that I'm willing to go into detail about).
Answer 1 is this: It's up to you guys. Before we can offer you a vision, we have to know that you're willing to receive and handle and agree on the idea of a vision in general. Maybe you believe you're ready for this, but really, do you think the majority of our youth group is?
Going along with that, why do you think it's OUR responsibility? Because we're the leaders? And what are you guys? Robots ready to be programmed? No, you're leaders too...in your own right. The questions I listed at the bottom of this post are the questions you should be asking God. It's not our responsibility to answer those questions. It's YOUR responsibility to listen to GOD'S answer to them. And He WILL answer them. So if you're not getting the answer, maybe you're not asking the question...or maybe you're not accepting the answer.
Case in point: Is God asking you to take the reigns in a leadership position? Want to go on a mission trip? Have you tried talking to Aaron about it? Have you encouraged? Pushed? Asked repeatedly? Investigated the matter on your own? Or have not accepted this role for one reason or another - fear, self-doubt...laziness?
Want to see change in the behavior on Wednesday nights? Have you tried befriending the ones who cause some of the trouble? Are YOU part of the problem? Do you realize that YOU have the power to do more than just set an example - you can actually encourage others to shutup (in a nice way of course - "Hey guys, let's pay attention, okay?"). Or have you not accepted God's answer when He says, "I want you to be friends with that one kid. Sit next to them this Wednesday."
Another point: Stephen Reimer has no problem figuring out what he should be doing. Reaching out to members like Ben and Dalton, arranging prayer meetings with Gary and inviting fellow members, putting together his own Bible study...nobody "told" him to do these things. Want some direction? Follow Stephen.
My second answer to this question is that we HAVE tried to give some direction. Asking God what part you have to play IS the direction. Prayer is the single most important part of a strong youth group. We're asking you to pray about your part to play and figure out God's response on your own, because that's what makes a strong youth group - members who, on an individual basis, know what God is using them for.
Also, a few months ago, I led a lesson on a Wednesday night from the book of Acts, which described the early church and suggested how it applied to us. For example, I mentioned how you should devote yourself to the Bible and to learning it. I even went as far as to suggest that God should be such an interest for the members of our youth group that they discuss Him outside "church time". I also talked about how we should be looking for and responding to miracles. What do I mean? Well, last Sunday morning, I suggested that every boy pray for a specific member that comes on Wednesday nights. Ryan, I know, said he'd pray for Blake - Ben was to pray for Dalton. Wednesday night we saw something happen with BOTH of these guys!!! How do you feel about that?
In this lesson, I mentioned several other factors - how we should all be the best friends we have, meet regularly, etc. The response to that was less than what I'd hoped for. The most notable result was a failed attempt to show Aaron that you guys were interested in a mission trip.
I really don't know what else to do. And understand that, for MY part, there's not much more I CAN do. I'm only a volunteer, after all. You want some direction? Ask it from Aaron. And if you don't feel like you're getting it, tell him that! That's right! Maybe your part is to challenge the youth director! Yeah, you can do that!
But anyway, since you bring this up, and since I doubt very many will see this comment, I will make a post about it. In this post, I will do my absolute best to explain in specific detail what I personally would like to see. It will be a long post, and probably cover many things that we've discussed before. I don't like making these post because, for some reason, I get a sense that people are tired of reading them. But if you really want some specific direction, I will give it...IF, IF, IF, IF...you guys please promise to give me some SPECIFIC feedback.
Oh okay, I understand what you're saying. I don't know why I had missed that before.. I never knew what to do with the question "What does God want from out youth group"?, all I could do was guess and suggest things, I don't know what God wants from our youth group. I don't know what God wants from me, I don't even know what I want from me and my life.
But I have been asking God about it...
And I never said that it was the leaders responsibility to make us change, no not at all. I was merely asking what you're looking for, a little help in the right direction. Real change is made in your own heart, other people can't make that for you, and this is true for everyone in our youth group.
Anyway, I don't know what else to say... But thank you for taking the time to reply, I think I understand better now. And I will continue trying harder at making effort in these areas :)
Cool. btw, this post was meant to be funny.
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