I’ve found I really enjoy teaching the kids on Wednesday nights. I really feel like I am getting through to them. Tonight they were great. They seemed to be listening, or at least being quiet. Hopefully I taught them something they’ll be able to use later in life. Matthew 9 was the text tonight. I tried to emphasize the part about Jesus picking Matthew, a tax collector to follow him. The Gospel is for everyone, not just those with glamorous jobs or rich lifestyles. And the kids seemed to be interested in how wineskins were made.
We have a tradition in class of asking for prayer requests; writing them on the board; and then getting one of the boys to lead us in a prayer. Since we have so few boys in the class, we tend to ask the same boys to pray over and over again. I’m trying to get the ones who haven’t ever prayed, to do it. I think I’m getting through. I never really twist their arms, but I’m pretty obvious with them that they are going to have to lead us in prayer before the end of the year, or I’ll be disappointed.
Sometimes I get discouraged with the teaching aspect. Somehow I’ve got to shrug off others opinions and keep going. Teaching class is possibly the most important thing I do all week – the thing with the most long lasting results, if done correctly.