another life lesson

During my college years, I thought I wanted to be a teacher.  When I told my Mom my freshman year that I wanted to teach, she told me I could change schools if I wanted to be a teacher.  I quickly changed my mind and told her I was not leaving Wake Forest.

In the final months of my senior year, I was still at a loss as to what I was going to do when I left Wake Forest.  I called my Mom in April and said I had finally figured it out.  I told her I wanted to go into ministry.  Her response was short, "well I cannot argue with that".  

I spent my first two years in ministry at Dilworth United Methodist Church, serving as the Director of Youth and Adult Ministries.  In the fall of 2009, I moved back to Winston-Salem and served as the Director of Christian Education at New Hope UMC.  I followed a call to Maple Springs in the late fall of 2012.

I have learned so many lessons over the past 7 years.  The way I did ministry in 2007 is definitely not the way that I do ministry in 2014.  

Young me (2008) on left, this past October on right....
the lessons that girl has learned.

When I first started ministry, I was 22 years old!  I had so much energy- I had energy and I didn't ever drink coffee in the morning.  Crazy talk!  Those first years in ministry, I thought my job was 'to do it all'.  I felt bad when I called on others to help with ministry.  I thought my worth was defined by how many hours I spent at the church and by how 'busy' I was.

Over the past year at Maple Springs, my mindset has completely changed.  It has been a humbling experience but a lesson that I've needed to learn.  I've realized (through many discussions with mentors) that my position as Coordinator of Children & Family Ministries is not necessarily to do it all. Rather, my role is equip others to do the work of ministry.  This role is far more rewarding than doing it on my own.  I love to see children's volunteers succeed.  I love the smiles on their faces and the excitement that they feel.  

You see, I've learned (and been reminded in the past 24 hours), that if I try do it all on my own that I am robbing the folks at Maple Springs of doing Kingdom work.   My role is to help equip them to do Kingdom work.  What a blessing it is to serve with volunteers who are in to grow the Kingdom.  To God be the glory!