CCE’s Peer Ministry group continues to grow! A new cohort of Peer Ministers—all students at CCE’s high school—was trained last summer. Since then, additional students have expressed interest in becomingPeer Ministers.
This summer, we’re expanding our sights to invite students from other schools to join us during the first week of July, when Peer Ministry training will take place. So many students are already signed up that we anticipate having to divide students into two groups.
Something new this summer: a refresher course for existing Peer Ministers. In this course, morning classes will be devoted to introducing new techniques for helping peers; during the afternoon sessions, Peer Ministers will help teach Peer Ministry basics to new students.
It’s been a busy year for our Peer Ministry group. During the first half of the school year, we were divided into two groups as some of our Peer Ministers were new. In these groups we practiced activities that would help us understand and know ourselves better. Our adult leaders were school pastor Mrs. Bosáková and our school psychologist Mrs. Potančoková (until she departed on maternity leave).
We began the second half of the school year as one group and welcomed our new Peer Ministry leader, Alenka Šajdáková, who helped us understand the psychology of helping others. During this time we discussed scenarios of individuals in need and analyzed how to resolve them. Our goal for this year was to look around our school and reach out to classmates to probe whether they had personal issues.
We also were challenged to speak to three classmates we had never spoken to before. It required us to leave our comfort zone, set aside our own problems, and think instead about our surroundings.
As our group grew, we discovered we needed more space to conduct our multi-faceted Peer Ministry activities. Until recently, we didn’t have any dedicated space where we could spend time as a group. Instead, our meetings were held literally anywhere we could find a free room!
But thanks to our American friends, we’ve been able to create space in our new school and furnish it with a couch, tables, and beanbag chairs. Some of the girls in our group designed the space and sourced all of the items. Now, you can find us in the high school in room 2.11.
We are thankful for the opportunity to have this space and know that, without the support of our American friends, it would not have become a reality. We look forward to serving even more students as Peer Ministers—and maybe in the future some of these students will join our Peer Ministry community.
by Barbora Sopoligová
Student, Lutheran High School in Martin
|
Flowing from the story of the Good Samaritan, today Peer Ministry training programs exist within several school systems and prepare students to use their gifts and talents in service to their peers. Those who decide to undergo the training are not simply “helpers,“ “counselors,“ or “advisors.“ Rather, they are carefully trained Peer Ministers—those who serve others in the name of Jesus. Peer Ministry programs emphasize relational caring, welcoming, and affirming skills. For more information on this program, please contact CCE school pastor Jana Bosáková (jana.bosakova@essmt.sk). |
Thank you, Barbora, for your insightful report into the Peer Ministry program during the school year. The reaching out to new students in your school as well as the invitation to students from other schools in Martin is a marvelous way in which this program grows in serving others. The leadership of your mentors together with those who have participated in the program over the past years is amazing, and we give thanks to God who has guided and led all of you in serving Christ in this servant ministry.
We look forward to being with you during the time of Peer Ministry training, July 2-8. The focus will include growing in the depth of this program for those who have been Peer Ministers and those who enter into the program for the first time this summer.
Pastor Mike Carlson, Erin Morris, who is coming for the third year, and Josh Carlson, our youth director, will be leading the program with you, together with three leaders of our Peer Ministry program at St. Andrew’s: Abby Rost, Haley Boyd and David Espe.