A. Time Spent this week: 6 hours total (S.S.=1 Worship= 1.5 Youth small group Bible Study= 1.5 Youth Group 2)
B. My Class this week:
1. Doughnuts.
It was Mike’s birthday, and he had brought doughnuts in for the class to enjoy. Everyone talked and tried a feeble attempt at “happy birthday” until around 9:15, at which point Mike fired from the side and asked one of his “questions”.
2. “What do you plan on doing after high school?”
This was an explosive question for a room full of high school students who have already been asked this question many times. As they murmured Mike asked a continuation question, “As you think about that question, how do you answer that question to yourself? So he got them riled up, and then set them loose upon their own minds. It was a very relevant and stirring question. He got some opinions, and even asked Jena and I how we came about to answer that question since we had just recently gone through it being college students. After he heard some opinions, like that God gives you talents that you should try to use in a career, or spiritual gifts that you are gifted with, he took everyone to James 4:11-17.
3. Dissection of James 4:11-17
This passage was James’ warning against boasting about tomorrow, about letting God’s will guide your life. We tried to reconcil 15 & 16, even though they seemed very different at first they were actually connected. We came to the conclusion that we do not have a right to try to decide for ourselves and then take credit for the direction that we take in life. Instead, we must try to be good stewards in choosing our life path, and then give the glory to God who opened the doors for us to move in that direction. The teens still wanted to talk about how God wants us to use talents, and Mike replied with the discussion of what drives our decisions, mainly security first. Not many stirred after that.
4. Dismissal
Then it was already 10:00, and Mike asked the teens if they would continue thinking about the opening question, and about what the passage in James has to do with the process. He asked them to go home and pray and contemplate what we had talked about, not just in the following week, but in the months or even years ahead where life-decisions must be made.
C. My Questions for the week
1. Rowdiness was a factor, with the weather storming and producing loud peals of thunder, so how do you plow through that, just speak louder?
2. What sort of time does it take for a teacher to put together a Sunday school lesson, for I am teaching next week and have no real idea how long Mike prepares, or how long I should prepare? My Dad teachers SS at home, and it takes him about an hour each week of concentrated prep-time to get ready, is that about right?
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1. Weather can make or break any ministry. I have seen this multiple times in Africa. One of our first church plants consisted of hundreds of people gathering around the largest tree in the area. It was a very unique experience, but the wind was often very distracting and it made it difficult to hear. I think God can communicate regardless of the weather, but it would definitely help to have some sweet vocal chords like Jonathan Edwards to speak to 20,000 people without any amplification.
ReplyDelete2. I would imagine an hour would be sufficient time to prepare for a lesson. Many Sunday schools are run with curriculum, so however long it takes to get through a lesson should be about the amount of time I would imagine it taking to prepare. One hour would probably be a realistic guesstimation. I would probably look at the lesson at the beginning of the week so I could be thinking about it throughout the week to gain personal insight, examples, and illustrations.
1.Weather is a hard thing to work with. Where I live in uostate NY, church is cancelled a couple of times each winter because of snow. When you are faced with thunder and stuff, I would just keep plowing through and ignore it. In every instance though, I would pray for clear weather.
ReplyDelete2. How ever long you think it takes is how long it is going to take. Are you preparing to the best of your ability?