Throughout the year in the
kaleo program I served at Bethel Tabernacle and also in camp ministry as a
senior counsellor. Each camp experience was different as it challenged
different aspects of my character and encouraged me to apply what I had been
learning through academics and general life to small groups and counselling. In
ministry at Bethel I found it at times challenging and frustrating. I found
myself feeling discouraged and uninterested with attending because I felt as
though there was a lack of opportunities for me to serve. As and each week I went with a negative attitude
my experience resulted in a negative experience. However near the end I realized
that the way I was and what I was doing was not glorifying God and therefore
that meant that the way that I acted had to be adjusted. It meant that I had to
figure out how I could be joyful and positive about the experience even when I struggled
to be there and enjoy my time spent there. As I changed my perspective about my
ministry I found that my experience also changed. I felt as though I began
enjoying the ministry and I was able to see God work in a significant way
through us as leaders and through and in the youth attending Bethel Tabernacle.
In church ministry I’d say I
was stretched the most in being joyful, even though at times I didn`t want to
be there and there were other things I wanted to do I realized the importance
of bringing God glory noticed that, that was something I needed to change. I
needed to be joyful amongst it all. Within this struggle to be joyful in
serving there, this meant I also had to be positive about the experience
throughout the week when I wasn`t there. Rather than complaining this meant
that I would need to be positive and not talk down my church or my serving opportunities.
For me this was something I struggled a significant amount but as I began
changing these ways of habit I found that not just in ministry but many other
areas I was able to become joyful in everything I did and find how I could
glorify God in all things and everything I’m doing. In camp ministry I found
that I was stretched extensively in the last counselling experience as I knew the
importance of discipline and knowing I didn’t have anyone who would discipline
for me. This stretched me a significant amount because it encouraged me to set
boundaries and rules so that I would be respected from my campers and so that
they could truly have the best experience that they could at the retreat. I was
also stretched through camp ministry as when I was doing cabin devotionals the
questions that the campers were asking were challenging and I had to use
knowledge gained from classes and scripture to prove and give them answers to
the questions that were being asked. Through these experiences I grew as I was
able to realize the importance of being joyful, I learned the importance of
boundaries and learned more about God through teaching campers about God.
The things that I will miss
the most from my church ministry is the youth that I found I was able to have
one on one conversations with on a deeper level. I am going to miss watching
them on the journey to discovering Gods truths, which he is and what he has the
power to do in their life. I’m going to miss being able to sit down and pray
with them for their walks with God. I’m also going to miss the journey and
struggle of finding joy there because through that journey I was able to see
transformations occurring in myself as I had to discover the way God wants me
to see the opportunity and experience and as a result I had to discover
spiritual truths. In that I learned more about God and who he is. Overall this
experience I am thankful for as it challenged my thinking, encouraged my prayer
journey, and helped to change my character and who I am discovering how being
joyful in everything is a much more beneficial thing as you see God in a new
way and are able to bring him glory in what you’re doing.
