Written by Drew Hammond, Bhutanese Ministry Apprentice/Middle School Coordinator
Our volunteers are critically important at Mission Adelante. While at times it can seem that adult mentors are the grumpy old people who tell middle school students to calm down, they are much more important than that.
Middle school is a pivotal time of growth and development for students. As young people enter adolescence, their minds and bodies begin developing at rates they haven’t experienced since infancy. This explosive growth comes with an opportunity for students to try many new things and learn quickly from what’s happening around them. At times, it can seem like students who are on the front end of this process are completely unhinged, and the best solution is to throw them into a padded room and let them burn off all their energy without adult interference. If we do that, we are not only missing out on an opportunity for spiritual growth and personal development through discipleship and mentoring, we are not fulfilling the call the Lord has set upon our hearts.
As we welcome our students into the loving arms of Jesus by leading them through Bible studies and helping them to memorize scripture; we are also teaching them an equally important part of discipleship, which is discipline. Hebrews 12: 11 states - “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it creates a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” My thoughts towards discipline rarely turn towards ‘creating a harvest of righteousness and peace.’
As a program coordinator, it is not possible for me to do all the training alone; I require partnership from other Christian adults to help in the raising up of these students. In this way, our volunteers fill an essential role. They are on the front line of the battle of disciplining these students. Sometimes there is tension in this process: How can we be loving to our students, and at the same time be training them to be responsible young people? We do this through lovingly correcting them. It is in that way that our students experience both the grace and truth of Jesus Christ.
I want to end with a thank you. Volunteers, your commitment to our students goes far beyond what we see in a night of our weekly programming, we are setting them up for a lifelong discipline of righteousness and peace.
Important Dates:
- Volunteer Orientation, May 21st: Learn more about great opportunities to serve a mission field in our own backyard! Mission Adelante will hold an orientation for new volunteers on May 21, from 9:00am to 1:00pm. For more information, email Rachel Pierce at rachelp@missionadelante.org.
- Volunteer Huddle: Monday May 23, 6:30-8:30 at Mission Adelante 22 S. 18th St. Kansas City, KS 66102. This is a chance for our current and new volunteers to have dessert, worship together, hear about what God is doing at Mission Adelante, and meet together with their ministry program leaders to learn more about our upcoming summer trimester
- Bhutanese Launch - Our Bhutanese Kids Club, Middle School Club, and Adult ESL classes begin on Tuesday May 31, 6:30-8:30 pm
- Latino Launch - Our Latino Kids Adelante and Adult ESL classes begin on Thursday June 2, 6:30-8:30 pm