3 Things I Learned as a Ministry Intern

Over the past two-ish months, I've been a children's/youth intern at SPC, and here are some things I've realized along the way.

1) YOU WILL NEVER FEEL COOL AROUND TEENAGERS

This is especially true if you weren't cool in high school because all of your feelings of being a nerd will come back when you're around people in high school. this will all become real to you when you come into a room with 30 kids on smartphones talking about some app you've never heard of. get used to it - you'll never be 100% cool, but they don't need you to be the coolest, hippest youth pastor in the world. they want someone who cares about them.

2) KIDS WILL ALWAYS THINK YOU'RE COOL

My #1 tip to deal with the startling realization that you're not cool enough for teenagers is to go visit the elementary school where your kids are. You'll feel like a rockstar and get (some) of your confidence back. I helped out with a recess program and walked through the halls of the elementary school and had kids who were shocked/surprised and yelling my name. it was awesome. even when you're not cool, kids think you're cool. #rockstar

3) No matter how certain you are about your abilities and your calling to ministry, you're never 100% sure.

When things get hard and uncomfortable, or you hear about the problems in the lives of your kids, you'll feel unqualified to be in your position. but, thankfully, you have the Holy Spirit to fill in the huge gaping holes where you fail. This is an especially helpful thing to know if you're like me and came out of school thinking you were going to be the answer to all the church's problem and you were going to wreck everyone in your path for Jesus. It gets easier to be uncertain. Don't quit - the bad times may discourage you, but the good time will save you every time.

Honorable mentions for things i've learned:

• working all day and then all night is exhausting
• dressing "up" every day makes wearing jeans a luxury
• living an hour away from home means I can go home on a sunday night after church, sleep in my own bed, and still make it back for the next evening
• the people who make up curriculums actually know what they're doing and the things that sound like they won't work actually will (imagine that, right?)
• sleep is for the weak
• coffee + prayer is the solution to a bad morning/day/week/month

There are officially only 5 more weeks left to my internship - woah. AND 59 days until I move to Disney World! Here's to lessons learned and probably many more to come!