I have been in full time ministry for 7 years now and I was taught a valuable lesson in student ministry by someone who just became a believer 2 days before. I will never forget this statement that was shouted at me in frustration as I finished playing basketball with students from a varsity basketball team, "THERE ARE STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT IN THIS GYM OR ON THE FOOTBALL FIELD THAT NEED TO HEAR ABOUT THE LORD" !!! Honestly, my first reaction was to fire back at her and say, " YOU gonna tell ME how to minister to students? I have been doing this for 7 years now, I don't need YOU, of all people telling me how to do my job". I felt my mind go there and then God completely smacked me in the head and my eyes we opened. Wow...her statement was 100% correct and I had to swallow that huge "Humility Pill" that never goes down easy. I love sports with all my heart, so when I step foot on a school campus, I bee line to the basketball gym and football field. I truly believe that we miss a tremendous opportunity when we focus 100% on the "High Profile" sports (basketball, football, soccer, baseball etc). Students that are involved in choir, performing arts, band, bowling, tennis and even track feel like they are over looked cause they are low attended events....LESSON LEARNED!!!
2 comments:
So did that new believer begin to minister to those not on that court or field?
Obviously, we should not ignore or exclude someone because we prefer a particular venue. However, I believe we are each gifted and sent to be incarnational to a particular tibe/subculture/ethnic/social etc. group. Because we are, we are able to integrate ourselves into that culture, being accepted by the ones we are attempting to reach. Over time and RELATIONSHIP, these individuals begin to open up and ask questions: then we have the right to direct the conversation to Jesus.
It seems to me, this individual may not have grasped yet that the Lord may be giving them a burden/gifting/calling to that particular group. My humble 2cents: train them to be incarnational in that group, you stick to your area of influence. Just my humble opinion.
Great to meet you through Twitter and to see your ministry to high school students, Shannon. I visited this site after you sent me a message inviting me to check it out. :)
@susanrohrer
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