Volunteering — or volun-FEAR-ing?

Time flies, doesn’t it?

We’re in volunteer-recruiting season in our middle-school student ministry. Soon, a host of brand-spankin-new 6th-grade students will arrive – some trembling, some celebrating, all clueless about what’s about to hit them – in our programming or life.

But, as they spill into the room, I won’t see them through the lens of staff. I’ll eye them as a small group leader entering my ninth year of volunteering to lead students. I started out with a group of kindergartners – and now they’re heading into the 8th grade.

So, okay, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. Read more