Written by Drew Hammond, Bhutanese Middle School Ministry Coordinator
Middle School. No other words in the English language draw up more memories for me of uncomfortable feelings and a general state of confusion. That was when I first realized that I could choose who my friends were, and that other people could choose to be my friend. They were also the years when I was first challenged in my faith, and began to convert the stories about Jesus that I had heard my whole life into a relationship with him. The things that people challenged me with in those days still ring through my head; for example, “Being a Christian isn’t practicing a religion, it’s building a relationship with Jesus.”
Middle School is an integral time in a person's life. In fact, it is the latter portion of the time frame during which 71% of Christians commit their lives to Jesus (ages of 4-14.) That's why we're so excited about launching Bhutanese Middle School Club for the first time in September! Our goal is to create a space where students can gather amidst the opportunities and challenges they are facing, and practice making healthy choices based on their identity as children of God; a space where students can grow into healthy young adults who freely and openly worship Jesus as their Lord. The majority of the students that will take part have participated in our kids program for the last 6 years, hearing stories about Jesus every week. We're praying that our students will take the stories they’ve heard and build relationships with Jesus as the Lord of their lives, nurturing the seeds that have been sown during the past years and allowing them to sprout into saplings rooted firmly in the gospel.
You can help us nurture these seeds! We are currently in need of 3 male and 3 female mentors to lead small-group Bible study and build relationships with our students! Middle School Club will meet for 12 Tuesdays starting September 13th, from 6:30 to 9:00 PM. If you are interested in volunteering or would like more information, please contact Drew Hammond at drewh@missionadelante.org.
Important dates:
- Volunteer Training: Saturday, September 12, 9:00-1:00 All volunteers should attend this training once at the beginning of serving with Mission Adelante. It's also a great way for someone who is curious about what we do to become familiar with Mission Adelante's ministry. If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more about what we do, and about our volunteer opportunities, please plan to attend/encourage him or her to plan on attending this informative training, and to contact Morgan at morganh@missionadelante.org for all the details.
All Volunteer Huddle & Dessert: Monday, September 14, 6:30 p.m. We encourage everyone that will be volunteering with us during our Fall trimester to attend so we can prepare for a great launch!
- Fall trimester programs launch: Week of September 14