Fusion

Our Church's Junior High youth group stuff started up today. We've got a bunch of new sixth graders coming in, which is a blast. I think sixth grade is one of my favorite ages because they're so ackward at that age and so diverse int heir maturity and so honest about things. There such an easy group hang out with because a lot of what they want is simply to know that they're valued. (By the way, I think Noel designed the logo on the left about 12 years ago... Or maybe it was a friend of his)

On Sundays we have a pretty informal time. During Joe's message we break out and meet in a medium size group. We spend time checking in on what's going on, what movies we've seen and often have a question of the day (today's was an easy one: "What's your favorite cereal") and give the kids a chance to introduce themselves. We do a lot of laughing, connecting and occasionally learn some stuff - not all bible related. Today we got on the subject of how soy products give you really bad gas and talked about the time where John F. Kennedy told Germany that they are all Jelly Donuts. We also touched on the story where the prophet Elisha had God maul a bunch of kids for making fun of his bald head. (Seriously, it's in the bible in 2 Kings 2). The composition of this group is so cool. Two of the kids in the group I've known since the day they were born and a couple others since they were a few years old. Some of the kids who sat in this same circle with me in sixth grade come back and hang as well. The high schoolers come with us periodically and are so cool to the junior high kids, which seems to be such a rarity in the real world and such a cool thing to witness first hand.

You may sense my excitement as you're reading this. I just noticed it. Frankly, it took me by surprise. I've been so busy in life with work stuff and family stuff that Fusion starting up took me by surprise. I've been doing junior high youth ministry for about 12 years. I started doing it with a group of parents: Brad, Sue and Nicki - all who became very close friends of mine. Our leaders now consist of our old youth group kids, which I love. They still come to church and sit in the circle. Today we spent a few minutes laughing about what they were like in sixth grade, which was funny for the new sixth graders to hear about these college students being equally weird way back when.

My big worry when I turned 30 was that I wouldn't be relevant to kids any more because I'd be old. I'm 36 and finding that it's much more about liking them then it is about being cool and having the right facial hair. I don't have the same time for it that I used to, but I still love doing junior high youth ministry as much or more than I ever have. It's a very cool thing to be in that zone where you know that God has created you for, and you just sense it and get excited about it.