Back in 2014, at the Allume blogging conference, I attended a breakout session called Being a Trailblazer given by Anne F. Downs. In it, she spoke about investing in the next generation. I laughed, I cried, and it seemed everything she said resonated with me. That’s because I have always had a heart for youth ministry.
The funny thing is that although I felt called at a young age to work with teens, I have never actually done it. On and off throughout the years, I tried to get involved in various youth ministries, but it never worked out. I couldn’t understand why. I thought for sure this was where I was meant to serve.
The busyness of life made it easy to let go of what I thought I was called to do.
As I sat listening to Annie, my eyes welled up with tears as she talked about her experiences mentoring young people. With the tears rose disappointment that I wasn’t doing what I thought I was meant to do.
“Maybe God didn’t speak to me.”
“Maybe I didn’t try hard enough to get involved in ministry.”
I desperately wanted to have an impact on the next generation, but I didn’t know how.
The disappointment was coupled with the hurt of being unseen as a teen at youth group, which resulted in feeling disconnected from people and faith in high school and even college. I felt silly as I wiped my eyes, hoping no one would notice. I wanted to get up and walk out. Thankfully I didn’t.
She went on to talk about we can sow into the lives of teens in the everyday mundane, outside of a structured program. As she did, God showed me that I was already doing what my heart longed to do.
Each month, I host a cooking club for my tween daughter and her friends. On the last Monday of every month, six girls come over to my house and make an entire meal which includes an appetizer, main dish, and dessert. I buzz around the kitchen cleaning up behind them and lending a hand. When the food is ready, we all sit down and eat together. We talk about school, favorite subjects, and sports.
I thought that investing in the next generation meant I needed to be in ministry or have an official title.
Instead it looks like teaching a group of girls how to crack an egg, sift flour, and emulsify ingredients. It also includes driving them in a carpool and cheering them on on a sports field. Each time I interact with these girls, I have the opportunity to encourage them and influence them in a positive way.
I walked out of that session with a renewed sense of purpose and a desire to be intentional about the opportunity I was given.
I am so thankful for books like Impact Together: Biblical Mentoring Simplified, which gave me the confidence I needed to embrace the influence I have in my everyday. Plus, it provided simple steps to cultivate the relationships I had already started with these girls in our cooking club. I now view every interaction with them as a chance to get to know them, but with a greater purpose and calling.
If you have felt the same desire to mentor and influence the next generation, take a moment to ask God, “Who are the people in my life you have entrusted me to mentor?” If He has given you the desire and the people, He will also provide you with the wisdom you need to take the next step.
Thank you for this Kimberly. I have been having the desire to have a hangout of some sort with teens and the idea that came popping was to have us all cook together and eat. Didn’t know how that would be but reading your post about a cooking club just encouraged me. Thank you for sharing.