Sat, 20, Nov 2021
A Reflection
Sakhan Warren
To say that I was ecstatic that Ashley reached out to me about teaching Sunday school, would be an understatement. I grew up at SJC and was always so proud of our church on the hill that overlooked, essentially my entire childhood. Much like growing up, SJC provided me with a combination of familiar and unfamiliar faces; allowing me to grow my social circle and ultimately add variety to it as well.
While it has been some time since I had been back to SJC on a more regular basis, I always feel welcome when I return, and the familiar faces that I was once used to seeing weekly, embraced me with the love that I had left with when I left for college in 2016. This is a community that I am especially proud to be a part of, and the reason why I was so excited to be given the opportunity to make an impact on the growth, love, and safety that SJC provides.
It is with great pleasure that I get to teach the 3 to 5-year-old Sunday school class, as I rarely babysat growing up (now I get to live out my OWN youth by doing what I missed out on in the past)! Reflecting on my own experiences in Sunday school and throughout my youth, I was unbelievably shy. Much like many children at this age, I never wanted to leave my mom’s side; insisting that I would prefer to stay with her during the entire church service, unknowing of the possibility of meeting new life-long friends. I eventually broke out of my shyness and began attending Sunday school on my own (without my big sister), thus opening my eyes to an entirely new world for me (you wouldn’t believe the excitement of meeting a new friend that when to school in Maine and not New Hampshire)! With this being said, I have learned the importance of community interaction, especially when growing up. I hope that my involvement at SJC, whether it be musically, working with youth, and/or anything else, will make a positive impact on our lovely community here. I hope to influence the kiddos like I was when I was growing up. While I am still so new to teaching and childcare, I have already learned so much from the kids. I cannot wait to see them grow and flourish and I am very blessed and thankful for even having the opportunity to also impact their lives.
Thank you, SJC, Ashley, Rob, and Johan (Olin) for sharing this wonderful opportunity with me!