Crazy Morning

Crazy Sunday, but a good Sunday.

The Haiti team sold homemade brownies and ice-cream between and after church services as a fundraiser, summer Sunday school started for the elementary schoolers, the new sixth graders moved up to middle school for the first time, and the new freshmen come to high school youth group to tonight.

Because of when I ran out of the fundraiser and showed up for elementary Sunday school, I ended up helping with crafts - meaning that I got to see all three groups of kids cycle through, rather than just stick with one group the entire time. The difference between the first two groups of 1st-3rd graders and the last group of new 4th and 5th graders was... just a little pronounced.

Smaller room, bigger kids, lack of leaders that the fifth graders knew and trusted (although not a lack of leaders), last station of the day, "new" situation (although we've done this every summer that they would remember), and a group that is not used to being herded = much noise and plenty of needing to know that they were heard and seen even in a massive crowd.

Normal behavior for 4th and 5th grade, but pretty entertaining to watch the teachers who are used to younger kids try to adjust to, nonetheless. But, we have an awesome group of high school shepherds (Sunday school teachers) who just rolled with the punches and loved on the kids regardless. Because, yes, these high schoolers really are that amazing.

* Hopefully, as the summer goes on, we'll get some shepherds in who are a little farther from their own elementary years. The high schoolers are AMAZING, but the kids need to know that "real adults" - to borrow a phrase from a 4th grader - care about them too. And, the high schoolers need to know that it's not all being left to them! *