junior praxis pt.2

I’m calling this semester “junior praxis pt. 2” because it is a new beginning for me and my volunteer hours.

Speaking of my volunteer hours… I finally made a decision as to where I am going to be volunteering!!

My main volunteer position is going to be working with youth. I volunteer there every Tuesday from 6:30-8:30 and once a month I am there on a Sunday night for a middle school girls small group.

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Ever since I started going to youth group in grade 6 my favourite thing was Winter Retreat. I looked forward to it every year. Both the middle school and high school groups would get together on a weekend in February to spend a weekend at a camp. It was a weekend full of learning about Jesus, staying up late, eating good food, and having lots of fun. 

Even after I was done high school and in university I went back as a leader! Last year was my first year in nine years that I didn’t go 

(there was a huge snowstorm so I couldn’t make it).

This year when I saw event pop up on my Facebook I started think how cool would it be to one day be the speaker at Winter Retreat? It has been something I was thinking about, but I would never actually ask to do it so I never thought it would happen. 

Okay so get this, last week I got a text from Matt, my home church’s Next Gen pastor (he basically works with anyone from birth to age 18) asking if I wanted to come to Winter Retreat and lead one of their sessions!!! How cool is that?? The way God works is so amazing.

Next weekend I am packing up and heading to Winter Retreat with my home church. I have a basic outline of what to talk about but I am also working hard, praying, and listening to God for direction throughout this writing & speaking process.

So my main volunteer hours will be with youth group but I’m hoping to focus more on speaking, leading devotions, and even writing bible study-like blogs.

I am looking at this semester with fresh eyes. It’s a new beginning for me and I’m super excited to see what God has in store!!

Thanks for reading,

Em

trying to figure it all out

Let’s be real last semester was hard with volunteering. I went into it with high expectations for myself and for my placement but none of them were really met.  I really struggled with it. My junior praxis is an opportunity for me to grow and learn from volunteering in a ministry.

This course is designed to give students the opportunity of intentional, consistent volunteering in one ministry setting.  Students will develop the skill of becoming ‘reflective practitioners’ through structured debriefing sessions with the instructor, focused readings, and individualized ministry projects.

To gain a deeper understanding of how she or he can fit into a community or church ministry as a regular volunteer.

To be exposed to, and to learn from, a focused ministry experience.

 To become more aware of the relationship between spiritual belief and praxis.

I think I struggled the most while volunteering because I had expected to walk into my placement and instantly begin to grow both in my faith and as a volunteer. When that didn’t happen immediately it stressed me out quite a bit, but I pushed through it hoping that God would present an opportunity for me. After one semester I still feel like I haven’t grown any in my ministry and the Lord hasn’t presented any opportunities to really step out of my comfort zone and lead.

However I do feel like I have been learning a valuable life lesson. I feel like God has been reminding me that not everything is going to work out the way I want it to. I have learned this lesson before but the past semester was another reminder of it.

I wanted to work with an inner-city organization where I could build relationships, grow as a ministry worker, and lead in a ministry. I really feel like I haven’t been able to do any of that over the past semester. Things did not g the way I wanted them to.

So I think it is time for a change.

I don’t know where I should go or what I should do.

Like I’ve said in previous blogs, I am a leader at a youth group, so that is always an option. The youth pastor knows me well enough that he could give me some responsibility so I know I could grow as a leader, but I have been a youth leader before and as much as I love leading youth, I don’t know if that is where God wants me to be.

So for anyone who is reading this post please be praying for me. I am praying and asking that the Lord will guide me and give me direction in regards to what ministry he wants me to be leading in this semester.

Thanks for reading,

Em