Thursday, January 19, 2006

My Passion in Ministry

I love communicating with students! There I said it. I always have. My mom actually has a cassette tape that I made when I was 9 years old and I was preaching to my neighborhood friends and my little brother. I was in our basement and we set it up like church and I was going to town, leading them to the Lord. Ever since then, I have loved being in front of people, I just do.

One of my other early teaching moments I can remember was my 8th grade year. I had to give my testimony in front of our church in order to graduate from confirmation. I was so nervous and to make matters worse I had to stand on 2 yellow pages to see over the pulpit. It was great and I loved it.

I can also remember in high school many moments where I spoke in chapel, I was on the spiritual life committee and nobody else wanted to be up front. I loved being in front of my school, how awesome.

I actually still have the notes from first youth group "talk" almost 10 years ago. I had just started at a church at the ripe old age of 20 and 6 days after I started at the church...my Grandma, Aunt and cousin were killed in a car accident. It was a really tough time, but I remember going to my first youth group meeting feeling numb and everybody just staring at me because they saw the accident on the news. My talk was on the Power of Prayer.

I remember the first night I realized that I was a good story teller. I was teaching at Ward Presbyterian (I was there interim sr. high director for a short time) and I remember watching students move closer to listen. I love stories and I love to tell stories to middle school students.

So, all this to say, for years I have prayed about and dreamed about speaking/teaching at SpringHill Camp in Evart, MI. And next month I am for the first time. Should be about 900 middle school students and I get the awesome chance to encourage them to Love God passionately and to Love others selflessly.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I will be there heckling you.

Anonymous said...

Jason thats awesome your getting to speak at Spring Hill...I dreamt of just getting to go there and still have yet to have my dream fulfilled!

I spoke at my first chapel this week and thought of you as I went to speak...definately a different crowd those Christian School kids.