I have been really digging deep the last few days with this communication thing as I step back out in front of the students and rock group kicking back up again in a few weeks. I know I wont be the main person speaking in our student ministry and that is ok but I am grateful for the chance to be in front of them in some capacity - even if its just walking with the students in their faith building those relationships. After such a heart blow with our student leader stepping away - its hard for many, including myself at times, to think past him not being there and being a little worried of who might stay and who might leave. So effective communication is something that I am going to work on and pressing in on my words and actions because teenagers are like no other group of people. They have their own way about themselves and without a good connection to them and speaking in terms that means something, they understand and coming from someone they trust and who they know cares about them - we are only talking AT them.

So like I said the other day, those first few minutes are so important to make that connection. You gain their attention the rest of the time you are speaking or you completely lose them for the rest of the evening - RIGHT THEN AND THERE.

So building those bridges - I love bridges because it connects 2 separate places and it usually is taking those 2 places over something. When I think about being that speaker, its me on one side of the bridge and them on the other. Gods word is in that middle but so is so many other things like: relationships, mom and dad, school work, the cute boy or smokin girl, and even sometimes that exam in the morning and for some it may even be them wondering if anyone notices that they came to this place on drugs or is battling some other form of addiction. There are so many things!
For me today - my focus is making sure that my heart is in the right place. When our hearts are in the right place and full of what God wants to pour into us - there is no other way but to let those things out. Often times those things reflect on our face. Its easy to see someone who is struggling, the hard life that has been lived by that worry look that they always seem to have, the wrinkles that appear as we age, the red eyes from not sleeping and the frowns that life seems to drag down our smiles. Life has a way of reflecting our hearts on our faces!
Imagine the drama in teen years and how they can go in an instant from happy to sad to happy - angry to laughing and then back again. Life is a pressure bubble for them and life can burst at any second and often time does.
So making that connection for me today - is making sure my face reflects my heart. A warm kind heart will bring a warm gentle smile and people notice that. Especially students pick up on that. There is nothing worse for me to experience a student who I have good relationship with come in and completely diss me and walk right past me. Not knowing what is wrong or if there was something I did (I often times do that) but its not about me at all - its about a fight that just took place with a brother or sister or even a parent. Its hard not to carry that to others and our faces and THAT TEENAGE LOOK shows it big time like a giant neon sign.

Time has shown me who is listening and who cares nothing about being there. The looks down and the lack of eye contact is profound. The head down and in the palm of hands often times reflects the position of hurry up and get me out of here. There is nothing more engaging though when the eyes in the room are staring and you can feel the light bulbs going off. That bridge is being connected and the material is not just being said but being understood. Effective communication is taking place. Its during these times that a heart is challenged and the mind opens up to new possibilities and new thinking. That is the contagious part!!

Bridging the gaps of the 2 sides of the bridge and making it possible for a student to understand the message of Christ and how Christ fits into their lives and all those distractions that keep their bridge to Christ from bridging their gap and connecting their 2 sides. Our bridge between us and God has been build through what Christ Jesus has done. He has made a way for us to connect both sides.

So what else do I need to learn about communication, making that important connection to the students and bringing home a message? - It starts for me with reflecting my heart on my face and making people feel welcome in my life and not just being glad they are there but also being needed. Our walk with Christ is not meant to be a lonely walk along a windy and dark path but one of fellowship and accountability. A path that has others along the way to pick us up and share in life those hurtful seasons as well as the wonderful seasons. Ministry is relationships - relationships with Christ but also with each other.

Next time you open your Bible - let God words come to life and know as His child, loved ones, that you have the full rights to intimately interact with Jesus on every single page.

Lonnie~