Junior High Ministry 101: SHOWING UP

I'm typing this from the backseat as we head to Mexico...the wording of this post may be as bumpy as my ride!

Beginning today, I'm starting a feature I'll call 'Junior High Ministry 101'. Once a week or so, Junior High Ministry 101 will feature a short, simple junior high ministry tip, trick, training or tid-bit. If you're a seasoned vet, you probably won't learn anything new, but you may glean something now and then that you can pass on to others.

SHOWING UP:

This usually surprises people when they hear it, but I really like officiating memorials and funerals. It's not because I like crisis, it's not because I feel gifted in grief counseling and it's not because I like wearing dark suits. The reason I like officiating funerals is because it is a reminder to me that a key to ministry is simply being willing to show up in people's lives. The truth of the matter is that I don't like crisis at all, I don't enjoy grief counseling and I hate suits. BUT, I do like showing up, and I've discovered that the best ministry happens when your willing to simply show up.

I don't know how well equipped you feel for your role as a junior high youth woker. I don't know how much training you get from your church or how many Y.S. conventions you've attended. I do know, however, that none of that stuff makes as big a difference in the life of a junior higher as simply showing up!

Show Up at a baseball game
Show Up at a school play
Show Up when they get their tonsils removed
Show Up when they need a little extra attention

There's nothing easy about junior high ministry...there's lots to it. But it is pretty simple to make a big impact in your students lives just by showing up.