Today’s post is the first of a two-part series on helping your students find their spiritual gifts and begin serving in a ministry.
One of the easiest ways to get a student more connected to God, to your student ministry program, and to your church is to get them involved serving in a ministry. Speaking on a personal note, that’s when everything changed for me. I was a regular church attendee; I was there every week (and because of my OCD, sitting in the same seat each week). I would enjoy the message, enjoy the worship, and feel good for most of the day. Then slowly during the week, I’d slip back into old habits, and not be very connected to God at all during the week. Then the weekend would come around, I’d be back in church, feeling good and connected, and then within a couple of days after that, I’d be right back where I was. I was caught in a cycle. I knew something had to change, I wanted to be more connected and closer to God and make him more of a presence in my life, I just didn’t know how.
About this time I got involved in a small group for the first time. That was my first step at a closer connection to God. Soon after I joined the group we began a service project in the local community. From that point on I was hooked, I loved volunteering, I love doing something where I was serving others. I loved the fact that I was doing something for someone else and not for myself. That later led to me becoming a volunteer with Saddleback Church’s High School Ministry program. I quickly realized that God had given me gifts and talents to work with and talk to high school students. I was doing this for the students, but I also realized that God was further blessing my life as well. (Just another sign that you cannot out give God!) The more connected I became the more I got involved in things like a daily quiet time with God. I moved from my nice secluded quiet seat in the bleachers of our worship center to a closer seat down on the main floor. No longer did I attend worship service and have that “recharged” feeling last for just a day, it began lasting all week.
TOMORROW: We’ll look at ways to to get your students connected to serving in a ministry, and finding their gifts and abilities.
