By Jonathan Bowers
May 22, 2024
Listen to this post.
We were talking about highs and lows that we experienced during the previous week during Sunday school at Smoke Rise Baptist Church towards the end of the summer. I shared that I had been working on getting my life back on track following a few years of little growth.
Hannah, the youth minister, a friend of mine, and a fellow young adult, heard this. She called me the next day to ask if I would be willing to work with the youth for the semester.
I am a big Disney fan, and in the classic Walt Disney film Pinocchio, Jiminy Cricket says that we should always follow that small voice inside and let our conscience be our guide. It’s hard to do that, to listen to something so small. Something that could be coming from the back of our heads or even impossible to hear. But sometimes, you just get a feeling.
Something about Hannah’s ask just felt very right, so I said yes on the spot.
That was a big moment for me. I am someone who takes my time to make decisions, even small ones. And this was related to a potential job and career. Something was working in me then, almost certainly, and it is constantly working in all of us, even if we don’t fully realize it then.
Something was working in me then, almost certainly, and it is constantly working in all of us, even if we don’t fully realize it then.
I realized that there is something I can contribute to the young people of this church. I was excited to make a change, especially in the time that I wasn’t doing anything but working on my resume and meeting new friends. I could be a good friend to the kids. I could listen to their issues.
I trusted myself enough to try.
The youth gratefully accepted me even though I was new to the church, and I’ve been working with them since last August. (Many of them still don’t believe that I didn’t grow up in this church, nor do they accept that I’ve only been working with them since August.) I’m still loving my time. It is truly a gift to be able to work with such talented and exceptional young people who care about each other as much as they do.
In a very short time, I’ve met a whole new community and been able to help in ways that I never expected.
In the time that I have been working for the church, I have learned to have more faith in myself and my abilities than I have in a long time. I thank God for this time of peace and comfort after such a long period of uncertainty.
I have learned to have more faith in myself and my abilities than I have in a long time
There have been many times where I have felt defeated or not cut out for whatever it is that I’m doing at that time. I am so honored and grateful to be here for this stage of my life when I’m still able to learn more about what I would like to do and where I would like to go.
I owe a lot to Hannah for seeing something that I was unable to see. She believed in me enough to trust me with helping her sit with the students as they go through difficult times at school or at home and helping support them at plays, concerts, and football games.
I owe a lot to Hannah for seeing something that I was unable to see
It’s more than just her, though. The children’s minister, Becky, trusted me to help with a special initiative regarding involvement with young adults. Chris, the senior pastor, has discussed a potential for gaming ministry or outreach in need of my expertise with video games. Several others have asked for help or advice from my very niche set of knowledge because so many have not been reached by other types of messaging. Back in February, I was invited up to Princeton Theological Seminary to speak to an exceptional group of new friends and peers in the Collaboratory about gaming and what the church can learn from it.
I won’t give all of my secrets away here—maybe I’ll save some for another post—but one thing that I think is important is this: there is a place for all of us. To all who are struggling to find that spot, please hear me when I say that I believe it is out there for you. I know it’s hard, but if you keep going, if you keep following that small voice, you just may find something that you never expected.
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Jonathan Bowers
Jonathan is a man of many interests. He is currently working as the Youth Ministry Assistant at Smoke Rise Baptist Church; and he enjoys working with the students and encouraging them as they go through their busy weeks and all of their extracurricular activities. In his free time, he works on his blog, “A Self-Proclaimed Dreamer,” where he mainly writes about video games, movies, TV shows, and theme parks. He also enjoys playing video games and spending time with his friends, especially after a few years when he couldn’t.