Audra Balque
CCOU 304 – D03
Discussion Board 2
Finding Your Identity In Ministry
The way that I found my true identity in ministry was by way of me operating in the capacity of
an Unofficial Social Worker and Mentor in Manor ISD at Decker Middle School. The Scripture
Colossians 3:12 (ESV) says “Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved,
compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Now mind you I was hired as
an Inclusion Specialist Assistant for 6th grade and 7th grade Special Needs students in English
Language Arts. My journey began at the beginning and throughout the Fall 2016 – 2017 school
year because these young ladies were displaying and acting out inside and outside of the
classroom by cussing out their teachers or their fellow peers along with getting into physical
altercations on and off campus. The teachers where giving them Disciplinary Referrals and
sending them to the Administrator who was the over the 6th grade students overall and he was the
Principal who handled all of the disciplinary issues that were at an all-time high percentage level
of 100%. This Administrator was informed about my background of having a heart that was
compassionate for those youth who were troubled. I am so passionate about those youth who are
misunderstood and who need to be loved on with no strings attached, and but who also need
structure and consistency. I began to meet with that 6th grade at-risk young ladies and their
parents and grandparents and building a rapport with them because the majority of them were
from single parent homes or living with their grandmother because one of the parents male or
female were incarcerated or just not participating in their child’s life especially in a home where
there is no male role model in the home. My Spiritual life impacted my ability to reach all of my
6th grade daughters was to share and be transparent with them about how my dad was absent and
that at the same age that they are now my dad told me that I was a mistake and that it was my
fault that he did not go to college. Those words caused me great pain and yes it left a scar on me
but I refused to allow his words to have any POWER over me because I knew that my Heavenly
Father loved me unconditionally. “He wants to satisfy your soul with His unfailing love and say,
you are everything to me.” (Moore and Moore, 2003). I created a check-in and check-out system
which included me giving them one journal for them to keep with them at home so that they
could limit their time on social media sites where a lot of drama would come from, and the
second journal was for them to check-in with me every day and on Monday mornings with their
journals after their weekend. They would have to check-out with me on Friday afternoons
because I was the only one allowed to read them because of the trust and respect that we had for
one another and that I would not judge them and this kept the negative behaviors at bay and by
the end of that school year the Disciplinary Referrals had dropped to 10% because of God
allowing me to minister and love on all of my 6th grade daughters and because of the system that
I had in place impacted and left a huge imprint on their hearts and lives as it has mine. In spite
of me no longer working at Decker Middle School my 20 daughters still wish me a Happy
Mother’s Day and they text me monthly and weekly to this very day. The Scripture Romans 8:28
(ESV) says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for
those who are called according to his purpose.”
(Word Count: 400)
References
Holy Bible ESV (2011). Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.
Moore, B., Briscoe, J., Wilson, S. D., Hager, W. D., Hart, K., Wells, T. J., . . . Scheck, L. L.
(2003). A woman and her God: Life-enriching messages featuring Beth Moore, Jill Briscoe,
Sandra D. Wilson, Kathleen Hart, David Hager, Thelma Wells and Beverly LaHaye. Arlington,
TX: Integrity.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
