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Fall 2010 - Spring 2011 Summary
by Jerri Catagnus
I have experienced the most growth in my spiritual walk this year in Glowing
Heart than any other time thus far in my Christian life. God has provided this
growth through those I was actually supposed to be ministering to! I think that
before this year I only focused on my responsibilities as a leader and the duties
that had to be done whenever I was teaching or in a position of leadership. In short,
I think that sometimes I would lose sight of the students’ needs and simply just
look at what lessons or work needed to be accomplished. I looked at ministry as a
checklist.
Well, God dealt with this issue immediately this year through the 3:10 Coffee
Stop and Learning Center that Glowing Heart opened almost two years ago. This
year I was given the responsibility of managing the center and I quickly learned a
new level of flexibility that is needed in ministering and caring for people that I
never had to exhibit as often before. Many of the students that come to the Coffee
Stop are unchurched. Actually, nearly all that walk through the church doors have
never been inside a church before in their entire lives. Therefore, many of them do
not know what is acceptable behavior. The other volunteers and myself have had to
deal with many different situations and confrontations ranging from correcting bad
language to calming tempers so that violent behavior does not result. We have had
to learn how to deal with these students in love no matter what attitude they may
show towards us or the church, and sometimes this has involved us having to stay
later than closing hours to talk to a student or giving them rides home. That alone
has involved much patience and looking to the interest of others above what may
appear to be important to us.
One student, Beka, has helped me grow in patience and flexibility the most.
She comes from a very difficult home situation and because of her upbringing has
put up many walls and developed different ways to cope with troubles that may
come her way. She became a Christian and was baptized this spring semester, and
although she is not perfect (are any of us?) she has made great strides in her walk.
The Lord broke through many of those walls she has built, but she still puts them up
sometimes and I have had to learn how to put aside my own wants, feeling, and
judgments to work at sincerely listening to her and what is happening in her life, so
that she can continually keep letting me know what she may be struggling with or
working on in her walk. There are times I know that I have not taken the time to sit
with her or bond with her when I could have. Sometimes I would focus more on the
duties that had to be preformed so that we could close, and because of those
misplaced priorities at times, there have been back slides in our relationship that
were evident.
But in these times, the Lord has reminded me that He never lets up in His
pursuit of us and care that He has for us, His children. How dare I not attempt to give
the same attention or effort toward someone He has placed in my life to influence!
The Lord has provided ways for me to improve in my patience, flexibility, and effort
that I give to others in my ministry and I feel so much more happiness and joy in
what I do because of it. And I believe that those who you minister to benefit because
of that joy that they can undoubtedly sense. I have found a newfound joy in my
position in the Glowing Heart family, and have been blessed by those the Lord has
given me to learn from and teach at the same time! I love how the Lord works and
am thankful for the His loving discipline.
Sincerely,
Jerri Catagnus
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Grand Prairie 12/9/11