Receiving Back
A Lesson on God's Peace as He Laid Down His Bow
Sometimes as a staff member at TCM, it is easy for me to believe that I am here to "minister" to our kids and teens. In other words, I give so that they can benefit. But more often than not, I am amazed at how kids and teens can also give back. Someone once told me that I will never learn to give if I don't learn to receive - how true that is!
This month in particular, we have been very blessed with our teen volunteers. Some of them are teens who are part of our Teens Leading Communities program (TLC) while others have joined us to get their highschool volunteer hours. Regardless of their reasoning or circumstance, I have been very impressed with their work with us, and here's why:
When I take the time to look out on the gym floor and on the stage attached to the gym, I see teens engaged. They're not sitting there on their phones, or doing their own homework, or talking to only their friends. They are playing JENGA with our kids, taking them to the washroom, helping with spelling and math questions, and leading games.
Our afterschool program is a difficult time to find volunteers for - most people are working between 2:30 and 6:00pm. We are so blessed to have a group of responsible teens who love the kids and understand what we're about.
This month you can pray for:
- A deepening of relationships with our new families as we host a lunch for them this month
- Our planning for our Christmas dinner to come together. Pray in particular for it to be Christ centred and that it would be a blessing to our families
- For our volunteers to feel well cared for while they serve with us