Thoughts on June 2026!

    Well, friends, another very busy June has just passed us by, and I thought I would jot down just a few of my thoughts being involved with my friends that I work with, the youth. This is the last period of time that I'm writing about this, as I'm transitioning into a new position, though I fortunately won't be moving anywhere anytime soon, just working in a different area in the church. A lesson that I've learned many times during this period of my life is that two things can be true at the same time. For instance, what I'm feeling right now is grateful for the time that I've been working in ministry, while also being nervous for whatever lies in wait just ahead as I transition into pastoral care. If you know me, you probably know that I have a tendency to overthink things, even something that doesn't seem like a big deal at the time, so for something like this, the overthinking goes into maximum overdrive. Let's get into a few of these thoughts today, and this will probably be a good deal shorter than many of my posts.

    The youth that I work with are pretty exceptional, all consumed by so many different activities, sports, and arts. We had a weekend trip down to Savannah and the choir performed at First Baptist Church of Savannah on Sunday morning. Here I was reminded just how much fun these kids all have when they're able to be together, spending time with one another and walking in the way of Jesus. We went to Tybee Island where we spent five hours in the sun on the beach. It sounds like a nightmare if you're someone like me who doesn't exactly like the beach, but we did have a good time all hanging out together, and the choir sounded great during the service that we sang in on that Sunday morning. It was a good start to June, where everyone seemed to have a great time.

    After this short but packed experience, we had about a week off, which consisted of working and planning things out for Vacation Bible School coming the week after that. This year, the theme was based on the Chronicles of Narnia, and was a really special week for the kids and most of the volunteers. It was an honor to be in charge of the recreation group, as I have for the past 3 years or so, and it was much better this year since there were actually pretty in depth ideas for the activities that actually had to do with either the Bible story of the day, what was happening in Narnia, or both. It's clear that our children's minister and her husband have pretty creative minds since they made this curriculum some time ago. For the record, I have known that for a while after knowing them, but it's still really impressive what all we were able to do that week for all of the students. Even though I would be lying if I said that recreation of any type is necessarily a gift of mine, I am glad that I was able to help serve in that capacity.

    After the VBS week, we had a few days before leaving for church camp on that next Sunday. This was my third year of going to this camp (or a camp like it), and the students all seemed to have a really great time. It was a week full of what I would call intense fellowship. Lots of physical moments, lots of dancing and singing, plenty of game time, and overall learning what it means to run the race that God set us on. As these students take brave new steps into discovering their purpose and place in life, it makes me so very proud of my time working with them. Even as I begin to move into a new area of ministry, I've been reflecting on all of the amazing things I've been able to help with as I have been learning a bit more about how I can fit into the lives of those who have inspired me so much.

    If I haven't told you yet, I'm transitioning into a new role at the same church. I'll be going from working with some of our youngest members in the Youth into an internship with Pastoral Care, helping to care for those in need of encouragement and prayers through their last phases of life's journey, as well as with their families. Physically speaking, I think it's going to be slightly less demanding, but the heavy weight here is all emotional. I'm excited for the challenges that this new chapter will present, but I am also always nervous when presented with a new task in front of me. It has been a great summer, and one that makes me excited for all I'm going to learn in the year ahead, both in school and in whatever responsibilities I'm taking on in my new role.

    Thanks so much for reading this post, friends. It's been a wild summer, and I hope you don't mind me being a little self-reflective on some of my recent adventures through ministry. I'm learning more and more basically by the day, and I'm looking forward to a continued sense of growth as I continue down my path of self realization. It's a blessing to be able to work with a group as close as the one that I've been working with all this time, and I am so honored to know them, and proud of them as they continue to make big steps in their own journeys. I hope you're all doing well, and until next time, this is Jonathan, a Self-Proclaimed Dreamer, and thanks again for all the kindness and support over the years. I'll talk to you again soon!