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Writer's pictureRachel Berntsen

youth group


Let me start with a few updates. First, I'm doing much better than I was prior to writing my last post, in case you were wondering. Second, I had a breakthrough in my attempts to do more cleaning on a regular basis - I finally cleaned my oven! It actually didn't take me as long as I thought it would lol. I also cleaned my dishwasher, which, like my washing machine, is something I had assumed washed itself...heh. #adulting


Peter and I are youth leaders at our church, which basically means we attend Youth Group once a week and mingle with middle school and high school students alongside one other youth leader and the youth director. I won't lie - I wasn't excited about the prospect of becoming a youth leader at first when our youth director (and friend) approached us about it a little over a year ago. I love middle schoolers. I taught in a middle school for two years, and while many people would say something along the lines of "Wow, that must be really hard" when they asked about my job, I loved it. It had its challenges, but I quickly learned that when you gain the respect of middle schoolers, you're automatically in. High schoolers, on the other hand, were foreign to me. My experiences in high school were fairly positive, but it's NOT a time period in my life I would want to return to. What I knew about high schoolers, aside from my own experience as a high schooler, came from movies and my experience working with middle schoolers. The Christian school I worked at went from Pre-K through 12th grade. Each group of students was on a different floor of the building: the two Pre-K classes were on the first floor, elementary school was on the second, middle school was on the third, and high school was on the fourth. Sometimes I would see high schoolers roaming on the middle school floor after school, and sometimes I'd run into them while visiting coworkers on the high school floor. I wasn't very taken by them. They were rude (to each other, to the middle schoolers, and to the adults, including me) and they were arrogant. I really didn't want anything to do with them.


I became a youth leader and was pleasantly surprised though. Obviously I was wrong in thinking all high schoolers were like the ones I had encountered, but the students I work with are truly awesome, and it took me much less time than I thought it would to connect with them. Now, I'm actually quite passionate about being a youth group leader. I love interacting with the students and being there for them. I just wish the students would stop growing up and leaving us (insert crying emoji).


Anyway, I'm bringing this part of my life up because it has taught me two things about myself: 1) I didn't realize just how prejudiced I was towards high school students until the opportunity to work with them on a personal level arose (now I know better than to act that way), and 2) Even though I'm in the best shape I've been in since high school, it's still no match for youth group games.


I'm pretty competitive when I want to be, and I end up pushing my body beyond its current capabilities when I'm with the students lol. Especially when we play games involving the leaders vs. the students! Anything that involves running has me on my hands and knees, breathing rapidly by the end. One time, I had to sit out because I had a bad cramp right under my behind from all of the running I was doing. But being a youth leader has also brought out the kid in me, and I love that. We had a nerf night last night (we usually have these at least once a quarter, when students can invite their friends to come along for a night of shooting at each other with nerf guns), and it was even more fun than I had anticipated (except when I got hit in the cheek and throat...those stung). And it's reminding me of what I had been like as a teenager...and how much I've grown since then.


For the next two weeks, Peter and I are talking to the students about dating, and we'll also be sharing our story. We're really looking forward to it, and I'm hoping it will help the students see that we really aren't much different from them. We, too, were students once. We know how wonderful life is as a student, but we also know how wonderful life is on the other side, and we hope to impart just a glimpse of that to them, and how dating and marriage fit into that as well. Your prayers are much appreciated. <3

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