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Do you feel called to disciple the next generation for Jesus Christ? If you are a parent, youth leader, or mentor working with high school girls, you are invited to Mentoring With No Regrets , a unique discipleship training event that will help you more effectively disciple the young women in your life. You will receive practical training from gifted speakers and opportunities to network with others working with young women in your community. For your convenience, this Discipleship Training event will be held at two different times: Friday, April 13 at 6pm and Saturday, April 14 at 9am. We look forward to seeing you at the Mentoring With No Regrets Event in Lawrence, Kansas in April, 2012.
KS 2012 Mentoring With No Regrets Details.pdf
KS 2012 Mentoring With No Regrets Speakers.pdf
MWNR Promo Back_FINAL 022012.pdf
MWNR Promo Front_FINAL 022012.pdf
To advertise this event in your church, feel free to
download & print the following promo materials:
Catherine Sailer
Youth work can be an emotional roller coaster for many reasons. We live in a culture that idolizes youth and seemingly disregards God's call for the older women to mentor the younger women. Because we care about the teens we work with, we want to see results, and we can easily become disheartened by what we view as them not making "godly choices." One of the main reasons we are disheartened is because the Enemy is devoted to destroying God's inheritance in both you and the teens you work with. Praise the Lord that He is bigger than all of these things.
My encouragement to you as you struggle to stay motivated is first and foremost to fix your eyes upon Jesus, for he cares for you and loves your teens more than you do! While fixing your eyes upon Jesus, make a conscious choice not to believe the lie that the spiritual health and well-being of the teens you work with is all on your shoulders. The church family is not just supposed to be your support system but is also supposed to work alongside of you. More importantly, the parents of your teens are the ones with the true responsibility.
If the parents and the church body are not doing their part, and you feel as though you aren't seeing fruit in your teens' lives, this is not your fault. And even if the parents, the church, and you are all pouring into the lives of the teens, each teenager is still ultimately responsible for his or her actions and choices. Teenagers do not need to be babied; they have to make their own decisions in their walk with the Lord. Your job is to lead them and disciple them in their relationship with Jesus. Their response is theirs to make. Don't take on a burden that's not yours; it's a sure-fire way to get discouraged FAST!
Don't underestimate teenagers. They are masters of not looking impressed and multi-tasking (i.e. texting and playing games on their cell phones during Sunday School and youth group). I can't tell you how many times - after discouraging Sunday morning sermons when I didn't think the students had heard a word I said - weeks later, they would remind me of something I said. I thought, "Oh, wow! You really WERE listening!"
The mom of one of my female students has told me time and time again, "I couldn't have parented Marissa though those early high school years without you. She listens to you more than me." Even when it seems like your students aren't listening to you or watching you, they are. Memorize and live out 1 Timothy 4:16. The Apostle Paul says, "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." What an awesome promise!
Continue to claim God's precious promises for your teens. Pray them out loud. Meditate on them. Encourage yourself with the fact that God has promised to build His church, never leave or forsake His people, and protect and provide for all who call on His name. At one point when I was incredibly discouraged and thinking about quitting my youth ministry position, I took a group of teens to a weekend conference and spent most of the 48 hours there in tears. I felt like I was wasting my time, that I couldn't control the cell phone usage while the speakers were talking and that if even one of my teens joined in the worship, I would feel better.
I cried and prayed and prayed some more, and during the last main session, I was blown away by hearing testimony from the "new girl" in our group. She said that she had felt so loved and accepted by the other girls the whole weekend. I was encouraged as I watched a couple of the girls raise their hands and truly enter into worship, and then the whole group laid hands on me and the other leaders to pray for us as they were led by the conference speaker.
When you have a moment like this, hold onto it. Thank God for it, and hold onto this promise: "He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God, who has called you into fellowship with his son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful" (1 Cor. 1:8-9).
Looking for an old article? Find it Here!
Catherine Sailer and her husband Brock live on Chicagos South Side with their two cats, Mocha and Espresso. She is passionate about worship, Jesus, and prayer. Catherine has been involved in urban youth ministry for several years and loves being a Starbucks barista, spending time with friends, and scrapbooking.
Cheree Hayes
As I look back over my experiences being mentored and mentoring youth, I can recall times when I got caught up in merely doing spiritual things and neglected becoming spirit-filled ...times when I succeeded to survive, yet mocked the effort needed to thrive...times when I involved myself in the motions of life but fell short of the motivation to live well. In these times, like a buoy bouncing on the surface of joy, I longed to be moved, compelled, and propelled to the depths. As I look back, I wonder, why did I linger and wait?
Well, I suppose I waited for fear of losing the comfort required to pursue life abundantly. I suppose I stood waiting until the cries of the urgencies of life tempered so I could attend to the whispers of that which is truly most important. (They never tempered.) When I neglected precious time with God, I rationalized that I couldn't always be on a "spiritual high" and that I should accept that sometimes life is just busy and blasé. Excuses. Excuses.
While it is true that life is not always a parade of happiness, this should never be a reason for me to put off seeking Gods motivating truth, strength, and encouragement. His strength and joy is waiting for me. As I linger in vain, bobbing on the surface, I realize now that I lose so much of what God wants to do in and through me.
So how do I push past all of the motions to a life filled with passion and motivation to effectively love and serve God and His people? First, Im learning that a life filled with motivational pursuits, yet void of God empowering each and every move, leads only to vain motions. Much more than pursuing motivation, I must...
1. Pursue God. Period.
Reflection often marks the first step of the journey towards pursuing God, so please; take a break with me now. That urgent thing you "have" to do can wait for 30 minutes. Your encouragement, strength, passion, and joy have been waiting too long.
2. Pause and Reflect.
Stop. Put away your schedule. Shut your door. Turn off your phone. Log off your computer. Breathe. Now begin to approach the throne of God. Ask Him to steal away every distraction or affection that exists outside of His heart and then rest in silence, just thinking about His character until all other thoughts hush into submission. During this time, I encourage you to list out all your concerns, distractions, and/or competing affections as they come to mind. Stay there at His knees in silence until the list runs dry.
3. Turn Concerns into Prayers and Thanksgiving.
Now pour out your heart to God. Turn your written list of thoughts, confessions, worries, and concerns over to Him. Transform each headline on your list into a prayer of thanksgiving and a specific request for Him to move on your behalf (Phil. 4:6). Pray until the list that once felt so heavy in your hands no longer remains in yours...but in His.
4. Read and Receive Jesus Word.
"Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart" (Heb. 12:1-3).
Meditate on the verses above and on other passages of Scripture. I especially find encouragement in the following passages in times when I need fresh perspective, hope, and rekindled endurance:
•John 15:1-27
•Romans 4:2-8
•Romans 8:1-38
•1 Corinthians 15:51-58
•Philippians 3:7-15
•2 Corinthians 4:7-18
•Philippians 4:4-8
•Hebrews 12:1-12
I encourage you to recite the truths of Scripture out loud. Be in tune with how you regard each truth in your heart. Write down the truths you struggle to believe, and mediate on them throughout the week. Faith comes through hearing the Word of God (Rom. 10:17), so let yourself hear the truth until faith arises. Ask the Father to help you to experience the power of His truth in a profound way this week...and wait on Him to do just that.
5. Repeat Soon.
Staying motivated is staying at the Savior's feet, close enough to hear Him above the noise of our daily concerns, close enough to hear what motivates Him, and close enough to hear His heartbeat of love over us and the world we encounter each day. Staying near His powerful words keeps us attached to the experience of His powerful truth. Staying intimately connected to the Source of life and love is where we discover joy to the fullest (John 15:11).
Of course, the above example is just one way we can draw near to Him. However you choose to pursue the Savior, I encourage you to take your opportunity. Make it a habit to consistently RSVP to His invitation to have fellowship with you. Let His presence deflate all your buoys of busyness, and allow Him to anchor your soul deep in His grace-abounding, love-surpassing, life-giving waters. Your motivation awaits.
Cheree Hayes and her wonderful husband, DArcy are proud parents of their first child, Miracle DeCelie. Cheree is the Ministry's Hospitality Director and is overjoyed to be back in a ministry committed to training the next generation to love the Lord!
"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
Romans 10:17
"Summarizing what he had said in verses 1-16, Paul declared, 'So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.' Salvation does not come by intuition, mystical experience, meditation, speculation, philosophizing, or consensus but by hearing and having faith in the word of Christ. To proclaim the saving word of Christ is therefore the central and essential purpose of evangelism 'to go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I command you' (Matt. 28:19-20). Paul reminded the elders of the church at Ephesus that, in obedience to that commission, he solemnly testified 'to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ' (Acts 20:21)."
MacArthur, John. "The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Romans 9-16". Chicago: Moody Publishing,
Chicago; Moody Publishing, 1992. Pgs. 86-87.
Links:
1. "Every Step Forward" by Pastor James MacDonald
A passionate, persevering relationship with Christ is characterized by an attitude of humility to come before Him to declare our dependence on His grace. Every step we take in the Christian walk must be one of humble dependence.
https://www.walkintheword.com/WeeklyWalk_View.aspx?weeklywalk=199
2. "What to Do When You Feel Like Giving Up" by Peggy Reeves
The next time you feel like giving up, consider these other practical and spiritual choices first
http://embracinglifewithpeggy.blogspot.com/2009/04/what-to-do-when-you-feel-like-giving-up.html
Books:
1. "When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy" by John Piper
"Jesus endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. He tasted it. It sustained him through the deepest suffering. His Father was glorified. His people were saved. That is what joy in God does. The absolutely urgent question becomes: What can I do if I don't have it? With a pastor's heart and with radical passion for the glory of Christ, John Piper helps you answer that question." (Editorial Review)
2. "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard J. Foster
Sustaining our motivation to serve our God is a continual discipline. To experience the liberation of the soul that Jesus assures, we must discipline our bodies, minds, and hearts inwardly, outwardly, and corporately to seek God and His Kingdom first.
3. "Depression: A Stubborn Darkness" by Edward T. Welch
When motivation is far away and depression is near, we need a compassionate voice to speak hope into our struggle. Dr. Edward Welch gently addresses the complex nature of depression and outlines a path towards lasting healing.
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