What books are on your ‘must read’ list? A great friend of mine who is a Pastor in
Kansas City shared with me the name of a book that I should have on my ‘must-read’
list, “The Cost of Discipleship,” which was written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I
am currently reading, “Bonhoeffer as Youth Worker ” which was based upon
Bonhoeffer’s accomplishments within the confines of working with youth and the
way he did ministry during Nazi Germany regime. When I dug deeper in this book,
it shared how Bonhoeffer states many times throughout that we are used by God
as His stellvertretung, or “place
sharers” with our teens in ministry. Specifically, Bonhoeffer makes the case
that when we work alongside people as one of Christ’s ambassadors, we join them
in living together and sharing what they are experiencing in life. Whether or
not it’s recognized, Bonhoeffer began relational ministry with those around him
using this method of sharing places and stories in his lifetime as a pastor,
mentor and friend.
In the start of our spring 2015 semester, I have been
compelled to peel back the onion more on my own personal life and share deeper with
the students what I have experienced pertaining to God’s love showing up in our
lives when it feels undeserved. Specifically, I took moments in back-to-back
weeks to share my intimate thoughts and feelings in the area of my dad’s
passing in 2014 and in my divorce back in 2007. Not only did I relive these
moments, but I truly gave our teens insight into where my personal faith was
throughout these times along with my flaws showing up in my faith background
too. God allowed me to lay a foundation for us to get real, together.
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| Some of our all-star middle school students warming up during our Groundhog Breakfast fundraiser which raised an astonishing $1100 for summer camp!! |
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| A rowdy group of middle school teens playing together, but have been gripped and evaluating how God is using the talks to work in their lives. |
To say and share that God opened a floodgate of opportunity
would take away the magnitude of what God did in those two weeks. Our students
at both Stewart and Hunter were gripped with their own lives coming into play
when my life was shared and how God’s love was interwoven somehow. Our middle
school crew got the first talks of each week. We had one girl, CR whom I knew
would be impacted by the sharing of my father’s death since she had recently
lost her mother. For some reason, God gives me the ability to see when our kids
are ‘faking it’ when I ask how they’re doing personally. CR is definitely one I
noticed in the past weeks. Sharing with our middle school students about asking
why God would love me enough to take the man I love as my daddy from this world
was enough to peel CR’s onion. God’s Truth shook the ground which she was planted.
I felt it was necessary to check in with her after ending the talk with how we
are comforters to those who need comfort and how God uses this ‘junk’ to
identify with others’ junk too – 2 Corinthians 1:3-11.
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| Isaiah on the left side of this photo during game time at Hunter Club. |
If that wasn’t enough, this same message at Hunter broke
through some kids I never thought would listen or be reached. Soon after I
finished the talk, one of our boys named Isaiah stepped up to me and opened up,
sharing his story about his dad’s recent failing health and being hospitalized.
As he was sharing with me this intimate and personal feeling about his dad’s
well-being, Isaiah’s eyes were welling up with tears, although he was fighting
them off. God created a space where emotion and life could be shared with one
another. A ‘place shared’ with our teens. Stellvertretung.
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| A few of our high school ladies goofing off while I took a 'selfie' together, but many have been gripped by the talks and what God is doing in their hearts and lives. |
God doesn’t make these moments up. They are precious. Join
the ride.
Humbly thankful,
~Phil and Amy
Humbly thankful,
~Phil and Amy
