fathom blog

from Sarah Rathbun

I started going to the Harvest Youth Club because I love volunteering and wanted to find a way to serve God. I also really love kids and the kids there are awesome. I love going now because I’ve made relationships with some of the kids. Also, when I first started going I didn’t know anyone else going but now I have many new friends. It was a good way for me to get to know people in our youth group. Going to the Harvest Youth Club makes my Mondays so much better and gives me something to look forward to. It’s one of the highlights of my week now.
Working with the kids has definitely made me more confident. When I first went I was afraid I wouldn’t know the answers to their homework or I wouldn’t know what to say to them. Now it’s much easier for me to start up conversations with them and if I ever don’t know something I can always ask someone else. Going has also helped me with my patience. Patience is something I really needed. Working with the kids you really do have to be patient because they often get distracted or don’t want to do their work.
I still feel like I’m serving God at the Harvest Youth Club even though I’m not talking about Him. I think just being there for the kids and letting them know someone cares is serving God. Sometimes I’ll try to talk about God with the kids when they’re done with their work or when trying to give them encouragement I’ll talk about God. The kids I’ve helped mainly just want attention from someone and to know that someone loves them. I think everyone should try to go. The kids at the Harvest Youth Club will brighten your day.

from hannah fisher

i go to harvest youth club because i love to see the children’s faces light up when we walk through the door. when i first started going it was because i wanted to do something fun to serve God but over the weeks it became something more. i developed a relationship with the kids and slowly got to know more about them. i felt heart break, real heart break, for the first time. i had no idea how such sweet kids could come out of such horrible situations. for the first time ever i actually cared for someone in need…really and truly cared instead of doing it because it’s the right thing to do…

i feel like we are being the examples to them since most of them are without a parent. i also love being there to just lend a shoulder to lean on or someone to talk to.

they have also changed my life, i have learned to be thankful for the things i have and appreciate them more. I LOVE harvest youth club!

from Anna Daily

When I first began visiting the Harvest Youth Club, I did so simply because I wanted to spend time serving. However, once I began visiting regularly I realized how awesome it was to be able to work with the kids. They are always eager for help and it is easy to see that they enjoy our company. Furthermore, going to the Harvest Youth Club has opened my eyes to the true meaning of serving. Although spending an hour a week helping kids with their homework is a great way to serve, the real ministering comes from the relationships that have begun to develop. So even though I began volunteering to simply help out others, the Harvest Youth Club has been able to teach me lessons about serving that will extend beyond the hours spent with the kids.

from Hayden Taylor

at first i went to harvest youth club because my mom wanted me to and i had nothing better to do during that time. then the more i went i began to build a relationship with some of the kids and i felt right there and at ease, which I usually only feel when i’m worshipping or purposely trying to be still. the one time I didn’t go God convicted me about it in my heart. i go for the kids, myself, and for God. i am serving Him even though i’m not talking about Him because i am showing His love.

harvest youth club is awesome.

every monday kids show up at five points to pile on a church bus and go to the harvest youth club, which is a boys and girls club nearby. truthfully until we started going there this summer I didn’t even know that there was a boys and girls club here. I really only thought that they were in cities like chicago or atlanta or something.

so we go there every monday. it’s so cool to get to hang out with these kids every week. we have gotten to know them over the semester and they’ve gotten to know us. I have the same group of girls that I work with each time I go. I love going in and seeing them wave and be excited to tell me about what’s going on with them. when I first started working with them they didn’t want to do any work, they got in trouble for being loud and not working. the last time I saw them they got everything done and still had time to drill each other on their spelling words for the week. some of these kids started off on ‘academic probation’ which means they had grades on their report card lower than a C. because they have people pushing them to succeed many of them have come off of the “list”. It’s like a big party when their report cards come and they get their grades up past a C.

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