Christianity
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What’s Required for a Flower to Thrive
I heard a song the other day that inspired me to think about the trials we go through in life in a new way. Sometimes we may think all we want in life is sunshine, but we really need to rain to be complete people. Allow me to explain. Flowers look beautiful in the sunshine, you can stop and smell the roses for as long as you like when it’s sunny. But it’s almost obvious to remember that while that flower was growing it needed to be stuck out in the rain to thrive. It had to be around for the gloomy days. If a flower only knows sunshine it will…
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A Christian’s First Calling
Last weekend I went on a retreat with the youth group I volunteer with. Not only did the students get the chance to learn, so did I. Although the theme was Dominion and there was tons of medieval moments the speaker actually focused on sheep, and how as Christians, Christ is our shepherd. She talked about how Jesus protects and provides us, and how he provides life to the fullest. He also tears down lies to protect us. Trust in God instead of what you think you know. When our group got to discuss the speakers lesson as just our church youth group we got to have some great conversations.…
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Youth Group By Design
Back in high school, I had been part of brainstorming a couple t-shirt designs for my youth group. Now that I’m a leader I’ve decided to try my hand at it again, and hopefully learn a little myself even if my designs aren’t used. It’s interesting where design, specifically graphic design, can find a home in the world. It’s not just about logos or slapping a phrase on a sticker. Design can be about bringing a group together with a visual that was thuroughly considered and planned. I like design. I’m trying to get better at it overall. I still tend to fall back on templates, but they get my brain…
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Senior High Ministry
I know I just wrote about my time in junior high ministry last month but I am so excited to move on with many of the same kids and be there for them as high schoolers…at least for a little while. What’s unique about my situation is that I’ll be the only leader who hung out with all these graduating classes of kids that are current high schoolers, in middle school. From the moment I was done in senior high youth group I missed it, and then I loved junior high ministry, but coming back to senior high as a leader will be a new experience. I’ll be working with a…
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Music in Church
In the church, there tends to be two kinds of music, traditional and contemporary. Both have their merits but each type tends to have its own audience within the church, but there are many exceptions. Including me, as I like both. It’s an ongoing balance because of how important music is to worship services in the church as a whole. Traditional tends to refer more to hymns and organ/piano-based music. It can be a slower paced, more stoic style of worship. It’s often simpler I guess you could say. The vast majority were written long ago. Contemporary refers to the songs written far more recently. Usually, these songs utilize full…
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Junior High Ministry
I struggled in junior high, academically, socially, etc., but I’ve learned a lot since then and I’ve been able to be a junior high youth group leader at my church, GracePoint, since I finished high school. It’s taught me a lot about leadership, helped me learn how to better express empathy, and given me great friends that I otherwise would not have. Church youth group is a place where any kid can come, whether they’ve grown up in the church or not and be loved on, and encouraged by older individuals and peers in the church to follow Jesus, and find their own path in their relationship with their Savior. Junior High…
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More than Camping
For the last week of July, I decided to volunteer at camp. It’s a Bible camp called Camp Lebanon. I had interned there in college for marketing and loved every minute of it. I’ve also been to young adult retreats there. I was so happy to volunteer for the ministry that I got to work for. I also believe every kid should go to camp at least once growing up. I grew up going to camp, but technically a different one. I started going to Koronis Bible Camp from literally the beginning of my life because my entire family also grew up going to camp, and it’s a family camp so we…
