It was bittersweet, that last Sabbath in June, knowing that 15 years of Junior leadership were finally coming to an end. But it was a great run, both with Linda Oberzan and Dawn Burke, and I know we learned just as much from the kids as they learned from us! So - just what DID I learn from those hundred-plus kids over the years? Read on!
Kids are People, Too – As a Junior leader, I quickly found out that having your DD birthday (double-digit birthday) is when little kids start turning into real people. And they appreciate you noticing. We quickly added an opening section for Sabbath School where each Junior had a chance to describe their past week to their classmates. It may have been Good, Bad, or Crazy, but it was THEIR turn to shine as a person (not just a student) and they got to tell us why.
So the next time you pass by a kid at church, ask them “Mr. Dave wants to know, how was your week?” And don’t let them get away with just a word or two – make sure they tell you WHY! Because making our young people feel noticed is one of the best ways to keep them connected to the church.
Prayers Can Be For Anything – Another part of our Sabbath School gave the kids a chance to make up the prayer list for the day. Sometimes it was Grandma’s broken wrist, other times it might be an upcoming concert at school that they were worried about or perhaps they were simply hoping for snow at Christmas.
As adults, we get so wound up in praying for evangelistic meetings, recent baptisms, or combined budget that we forget that God wants to listen to OUR small stuff, too. He knows us so well that nothing we could ask Him or thank Him for would come as a surprise. So yeah, pray for that sunburn you got at the pool last week, He won’t mind!
We All Have Strengths and Weaknesses – When you have a roomful of Juniors, it’s easy to see that they come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Some may have been raised on the Good Book, and can tell you exactly where the stories of Abraham and Paul can be found, or even the names of Job’s Three Daughters (go look it up). On the other hand, others may come from families where they don’t have that Bible benefit and can struggle to keep up.
So we learned to adjust – we tried not to put kids on the spot where they might be embarrassed. For example, our Bible games were team-based instead of flying solo – this allowed the kids to contribute when they could, learn from their teammates, and still feel part of the “winning group” at the end. And sometimes, the games allowed the kids to use their “resources” - maps and charts scattered around the room that anyone could look at. We chose to study our Bible lessons directly from the pages of Scripture – introducing all of the kids to Bible stories new and old. Come to think of it, when’s the last time YOU read through the book of Ezra or Joshua? Go check ‘em out; there are lots of fun stories out there to discover!
Kindness Works Better – As leaders, we could have criticized our Juniors when they fell short or couldn’t find a Bible text. We could have made fun when they didn’t know the answer or came in late. But we figured that kindness and consideration of their young hearts was a better option, and would make them want to come back again next week.
I have been reading a book on Proverbs this year, and the July 3 entry includes these words:
“A mark of good speech is kindness. The word translated as kind means “personal and kind, pleasant and sweet, timely and thoughtful.” Because our words must be life-giving (Proverbs 15:4) we must never use truth as a weapon. Paul says in Ephesians that every word we speak must pass this test – “that it may benefit those who listen…according to their needs.” And when you tell the truth, you should always have a “ministry motive,” and speak the truth in love.”
I like to think this is why they keep coming back to visit, even years after leaving Juniors. And that when you see them outside of church they'll occasionally come over to say hello and let you know what’s going on in their world. Because they know you care.
We Get Old Faster Than We Want To – I have asked the Juniors several times over the years how old they thought “old” was. It’s been said that if you don’t want to know the answer to a question, don’t ask it! Well, I asked anyway, and the general age most of them gave was somewhere in the early 40s. Which kinda puts me in the same class as the Ancient Mariner!
From this we can all learn to take each day and year as they come, and put as much into them as you can. Enjoy your family. Take pride in your work. Put your all into your school and church and those summer vacations. And make the most of all of them. Because that’s why God gave them to us. - Dave Fairchild
