Winter Camp is over.
A picture of our staff on the last day:
We had a fantastic weekend…took 390 students + 66 leaders + staff and band and a few other extra adults. I got somewhere in the mid-50s for middle school students from my campus. And that is an EPIC VICTORY for team Woodmen Heights.
I’ve been learning a lot about ministry lately…about my vision for it, my hope in it, my belief that this is exactly where I am called to in this season of my life. Over and over again, the Lord has been reminding me that there is nowhere else He wants me right now more than here. I was made for this job and this season.
Today was the first work day in our office without my boss, the middle school pastor. It was weird to even think that he is gone for good. I’m sure the reality of the transition will hit the first time I have a meltdown over some graphic design issue or the first time we’re stumped for a creative idea. He was a genius at that stuff.
But for now, I’m excited about the possibility of dreaming again. Being part of a ministry team is such a privilege. But one of the things I’ve felt most intensely in my job here is this distinct lack of ability to dream big. I’ve been told that I can have all the control and ownership that I’m willing to take…. but it must fit within a very specific, very pre-programmed student ministry. And that makes my own vision seem somewhat pointless. There hasn’t been room for it anywhere. It’s easy to agree with someone else’s vision for ministry, but it’s not easy to take it on as my own. It was his vision. And it was fantastic. But it wasn’t mine.
When I first came out here, I really just wanted to work with the girls’ ministry. I love-love-love discipling girls in middle and high school, and my original job description made it sound like that was all I was going to be doing…just living my dream. But that wasn’t really true. The middle school program needed running. Routines were established. Family ministry and event planning and ministry partners became much more of my day-to-day job than anything having to do with my girls. I’ve stayed busy doing just about anything and everything but dreaming big for these girls.
As we’ve started making this transition in our student team, I’m beginning to feel the vision creeping back into my veins. I have missed the hope and the motivation that it brings. But I’m beginning to dream again. And I’m so excited for the way the next few months look as I really dig into my own vision for my role here.
It’s exciting to ask the Lord for big dreams again… and there is nothing that makes me feel more alive than the idea of living in the vision that He has given me for this season of life. ILOVEMYJOB. And I love even more that He has given me both the desires of my heart and the vision to carry them out.
And I love that you love your job!! I have also loved discipling young women, too (just not the middle school part – haha). I will be praying that this change will enable you to have more time doing the thing that you love and less administrative duties. It’s so great we can know that God has the future all worked out for us!