In order to renew my Oregon teacher’s license every few years, I was required to submit paperwork to prove I’d done enough professional development credits. I usually scrambled over Christmas break to make sure I had enough by the early February deadline each round. I’ve let that hard earned license lapse as I no longer need the credential to be a youth pastor.
Instead, my professional development is going to camp for the day and hearing Jesus loving people talk about ethics and boundaries and relationships and discipleship to help the youth of New Zealand be transformed by Jesus. How cool.
I’ve got a steep learning curve on how some of the church side functions of this ministry happen, and I think I’m doing alright. I had a chat with one of the elders on Friday about how there are a lot of exciting things on the horizon for our church in the future, and how I get to be a part of the work that God is doing. I shared with him my excitement about our programme that I’d divided up into four locations and made intentional space for our young people to pray together. That night, twenty girls year 11-13 showed up at my house to hang out and pray. We split into even smaller groups of four to five and prayed together at the end of the night, and one of the girls praying with me admitted afterwards that the night went much better than she’d expected. Her friend said it was the first time she’d ever prayed out loud.
Wherever you are on your faith journey, I should note how significant I believe this is for young people. So often older Christians take for granted the praying out loud – or even praying at all – part of our relationship with God. I was talking with one of my leaders the next day who shared with me his own experience of learning how to pray as a young person who came from a home with no faith background. He was paired up by chance with a parent in the youth group who graciously walked him through what prayer was as they prayed together at a big youth event.
What an absolute privilege to serve with this young man and watch the youth we disciple grow into passionate Jesus followers engaging the marginalised in our city and sharing the transforming hope of Jesus. I cannot stress how much I love being where I am and what I get to do. Hold onto that for the next few paragraphs.
When one of the mums picked up her daughter from my house on Friday night, we were chatting with the German exchange student about how much I miss brötchen. I miss a few other things, and there was a tug on my heart when I saw pictures posted by the group of kids I was closest to a year ago celebrating their BFA graduation without me nearby. I had an extra ache when one of them had two older siblings visit Kandern who happen to be two very special humans in my life. And one brought a significant other to see Kandern for the first time. I texted Maggie and asked her to show her boyfriend my picnic table and tell him about our adventures there.
Maggie’s seen some stuff from that place, and I know it’ll be really special for her to share that with Jacob. I wish I could be there too. To meet him, to see Maggie and Scot, to celebrate Georgia and her peers graduating. I gave up a lot when I left Germany. It reminds me of when I said goodbye to Maddie and had to watch Megan crying when she found out I’d never be her small group leader, when I realised that by teaching kids like Maggie at BFA, it meant I’d missed out on teaching kids who I’d babysat like Olivia at FBHS.
But you know what, I got to pray with my youth group girls here, I got to hand a Bible to a new believer in Jesus who came to Easter camp, I got to talk to our youth band about their spiritual gifts, and I get to do so much more with these incredible Kiwi kids. Right now I’m on my way to the prayer meeting for our evening service where I’m hoping to get my year 12 and 13 students involved serving at the start of next term and then I’ll stay for the worship night where many of my youth and leaders and friends and southern hemisphere family will spend time singing together because I’m right where I belong.
I have a few pieces of paper that prove I’m an educator despite my Oregon teacher’s license being expired, but as I keep developing in this new role, I’ve realised it’s less about the paper that proves I’m good at my job. It’s actually hanging out with people like Mike and Hannah and Ruby who are passionate about youth ministry and put on massive events to engage kids and mid winter camps to encourage and pray over leaders. I feel pretty privileged to know these amazing Kiwis and to get to be developed alongside them as I commit to praying for and serving the youth of this country.
It is great to see you grow as you are growing Jesus into the lives of the youth of New Zealand!
Your comment that it’s less about the paper that proves you’re good at your job than actually hanging out with people is very true. Thanks for your recent posting.