Big Enough Umbrella

Sunday, 05 September 2004

In previous posts I'd mentioned I've been recruited to teach Sr High Sunday School. Overall it's been an enjoyable experience. It forces me to get up on Sundays just that much earlier, but otherwise I like working with the kids and getting to know them. They've had a bit of a raw deal of it as a group, being passed around hither and fro without a single teacher sticking with them over 12 months in years. Part of the problem is Church politics which seem to deem them 2nd class priority, part of it has to do with bad luck with people moving away. I'm just an overall part of that bad luck since I plan on leaving early in the winter of next year.

But the more immediate concern is trying to get what's left of a youth group back in some sort of working order. On one end of that, the new Pastor's wife, Jean Miller, has taken over the Youth director position. So that should bring some stability to the position. There was also a change in the head of the Youth board with new blood coming in; someone who'll be around for a while since her daughter is still in Jr. High. So the supporting framework, although all new, looks as if it'll be there for a while to build upon.

Enter me, teaching Sunday School. I've inherited a group a bit fragmented by lack of leadership and also 6-7 graduations of core members over the last two years. So basically I'm working on trying not only to teach these kids a bible study, but also to give them time together to form friendships. So each Sunday I only spend about half my "teaching" time actually going over a lesson and give the rest to them to socialize. I'm starting to see some signs of this working. It seems like every week there's one more teen joining the group. And rarely does someone not return. This week I had 7 kids, which is up from having just one at the end of July.

The reason I write about this tonight is that I'm concerned. I made a point over the past few weeks to be completely open and honest with the kids about everything. The bible studies I'm doing are very specific on the issues facing kids today - drugs, sex, alcohol, non-believing friends (and what to do about them), violence, cheating, problems with parents, etc. I want them to feel comfortable with me as a teacher/quasi-adult and to trust me. I also tend to put on my best jokester act (surprisingly easy amougst teenagers) to make them feel at ease too. I'm just worried, without going into too many details, that I went to far with sharing about my personal life today. I'm trying to do the right thing, but I'm just afraid of doing something wrong. If that makes any type of sense...

I guess I'll just say a little prayer about it.