Comments on: Fruitful and Fulfilling http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/06/25/fruitful-and-fulfilling/ Junior High Rocks! Mon, 14 May 2012 17:27:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: KevinL http://www.juniorhighministry.com/2009/06/25/fruitful-and-fulfilling/#comment-16968 KevinL Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:52:32 +0000 http://www.simplykurt.com/?p=874#comment-16968 HMMM..interesting post (especially for junior high workers). I definitely agree with the fulfilling part, although you have to be fulfilling over a period of time. Generally speaking, in order to last you have to see that you are where God wants you to be. The fruitful part is a bit more complicated. I agree that you should see fruit, but what are the fruit to look for? Is it conversions? Is it spiritual disciplines? Is it simply staying connected to a church through high school or college? For me, the fruit I look for in my ministry are persistence in faith, increasing love for Christ, growing in knowledge of God's word, an understanding that they are supposed to play a part in the Kingdom (just to name a few) In junior high ministry we might not see the fruit for years (which is why it's more satisfying the longer you are in it). All that to say that just because we SHOULD be seeing fruit and feeling fulfilled, does not mean that we won't, at times, be tested and shaped by God for his purposes and our benefit. Look at Moses, at the surface, his ministry did not experience fruit. The Israelites rebelled constantly for hundreds of years. Would we consider his ministry a failure? HMMM..interesting post (especially for junior high workers). I definitely agree with the fulfilling part, although you have to be fulfilling over a period of time. Generally speaking, in order to last you have to see that you are where God wants you to be.

The fruitful part is a bit more complicated. I agree that you should see fruit, but what are the fruit to look for? Is it conversions? Is it spiritual disciplines? Is it simply staying connected to a church through high school or college? For me, the fruit I look for in my ministry are persistence in faith, increasing love for Christ, growing in knowledge of God’s word, an understanding that they are supposed to play a part in the Kingdom (just to name a few) In junior high ministry we might not see the fruit for years (which is why it’s more satisfying the longer you are in it).

All that to say that just because we SHOULD be seeing fruit and feeling fulfilled, does not mean that we won’t, at times, be tested and shaped by God for his purposes and our benefit. Look at Moses, at the surface, his ministry did not experience fruit. The Israelites rebelled constantly for hundreds of years. Would we consider his ministry a failure?

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