For the past couple of years I’ve served as a volunteer in the junior high ministry (called Project 628) of my home church. I love hanging out with my boys in small group and have had a lot of fun leading worship for the group on Sundays. This fall I was challenged at YMEC (a yearly gathering of youth ministry executives) to think beyond what I was doing for my own ministry (Stuck in the Middle) and instead focus on what I could do to build up another ministry. Specifically we were challenged to use our gifts in a way that would not provide a direct immediate benefit to our own ministry organization.
I went home and talked to our junior high pastor, and the end result is that I’m serving this summer as an unofficial “intern” for the ministry. Specifically I’m working with our JH pastor to help plan weekly services, lay out a plan for a yearly calendar of teaching and events, and help strengthen and build our team of volunteer leaders. It’s a great chance for me to encourage and pour into our JH pastor and other adult leaders, and it’s an awesome opportunity for me to get my hands dirty again in the planning and execution of day to day junior high ministry.
Where we’re at:
Weekly: Right now 628 meets once a week during the weekend. Students have the option to attend a 628 service on Saturday night (during Sat. adult service) or on Sunday morning. For context, we’re a church of about 4,000 and our Sat. night 628 service has anywhere from 10-20 students and Sunday morning is typically around 70-90 (these are my estimations on the numbers, so they may be off a bit).
Events: Our yearly events include: summer camp, the Stuck in the Middle conference, “Hello/Goodbye” (a trip with incoming 6th graders through outgoing 9th graders) and an occasional “628 Late” (a “fun night” at the church held about once a quarter).
Volunteers: For the past couple of years we’ve typically gathered once a year for the purpose of planning/dreaming/relationship building/etc. We also typically get together before major events like camp or Stuck for a planning meeting. Aside from that, most of our communication is done via email.
Over the next couple of months I’ll continue to update the blog with our successes and failures. My hope is that the things that we’re doing at 628 will serve as an encouragement for others who are considering making changes in their own junior high groups. Also, I want to point out that I’m not trying to “fix” a broken or failing program. 628 is going strong and is a great and vibrant program with a strong legacy and excellent leadership. My goal is to come alongside our JH pastor and help him by giving him a sounding board and an “idea guy” to bounce things off of. If I can encourage him and the other adults, then this will be time well spent! I’m excited for the opportunity to serve, and am excited to see what God might have in store for the future of this great ministry!
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