club

Last week I was asked to co-lead an InterVarsity small group at Wayne State.  It sounded like a really cool oportunity for me to be involved in multi-ethnic ministery and invest in leadership development of IV students.  Wayne State has had a difficult time with the idea of missional small groups, and Mike and Luke are really pushing to see every aspect of their ministry be missional this year.  HAving been a part of seeing missional small groups develop at RIT, I felt well equipped for the challenge.  It was something I new I could do, and probably do well.  I wanted to do it.

I talked to my mom about it, and she thought it was a bad idea to commit to something when so much else was up in the air.  I considered her advice but rejected it.

I decided to actually pray about it.  And as I was praying, God suggested that I really needed to talk to Belinda and listen to whatever she said becuase he was giving her a word.  So I sought her advice.
And she said, "Don't do it," with very compelling reasons.

So, I listened, somewhat reluctantly, but with resolve.  I trusted that God had something better.

Then Friday I was doing some work at the CDC office, and Mark asked me if anyone had talked to me about how I wanted to volunteer.  No one had, and I was willing to serve in whatever capacity I could be most useful.  Mark asked me to come to a meeting at his house four hours later.  Fortunately I didn't have plans for Friday night.

I don't have time to tell the story fully right now, but here's the short version:

I'm going to be leading a small group of teens from my neighborhood with the CDC, co-leading with a student leader selected by CDC staff.  It's part of a "Club" program that they run with middle and high school students every friday night.  And this year it's going to be more small-group and leadership-developement focused than ever.  Praise God!  This is exactly the kind of thing that I want to be doing, getting involved in the lives of the young people around me who will lead our neighborhood into the future.