To my precious (crazy, loud, dramatic, sweet, energetic) sixth graders…
Did I say loud? (I thought toddlers were loud, but that was before I was locked in a room with a bunch of middle-schoolers. A bunch of middle-school girls really.)
First of all, it is a privilege to be in your lives. I expect to learn just as much, if not more, from you than you will from me. This is all new to you, and guess what? It is new to me, too.
I have worked in every children’s ministry avenue that Southside has to offer. Every environment except for middle-school. I always said that it was not for me, that I would never step foot in there because that age is so strange to me. Trust me, I lived through it! (Ha!) However, God has a way of making us eat our words. Here I am fully immersed in the throws of this group! Want to know a secret? I’m loving it!
While we are being honest, know this: I will always be honest with you: It is going to be difficult. It is going to be exhausting. It is going to be life-changing. (And I am talking about for me here.) For you, it is going to be awesome, overwhelming, uncomfortable at times, and hopefully life altering as well. There will be many questions that arise in this chapter for you and I will do my best, working with your parents and the staff, to answer them and guide you through whatever lies ahead.
My goal, the one thing I want you all to take away from your time with me and our church group, is to know that we are a safe place, that we are here to love you where you are, and in doing so, we will never leave you where you are.
All of you girls are in the same chapter of your lives, starting a new school, a new group at church, a whole new world of opportunities and lessons to be learned. Though you are in the same chapter, and many of you in the same school and classes, you come from diverse backgrounds and experiences. You are going to encounter different things and people throughout our middle-school years, and maybe the church will be your only stability.
In short, I am excited and I hope you are, too! We can make this entertaining as well as challenging, just like school and life will always be. I cannot wait to watch you all grow and change as the Word of God overwhelms you. (It is going to be great!)
Love, Jaimie