We like to celebrate "wins" around here and follow them up with a challenge of "if". Here's a win from the High School Ministry. It comes in the form of an email to one of our Student Ministries pastors.

Bryce,

Thank you so much for the opportunity to serve within the high school ministries this year!! It has been the biggest blessing from God and something that I needed so much...I think my girls bless me more then I do them. I love serving the students, building relationships, loving on them and coming to home group every week....it is one of the highlights of my week!! Thank you to you, the high school ministries staff and Southland for appreciating me and the leaders and letting us know. Me and my family have served within the church our entire lives and never once have I been thanked like this. For you to genuinely go out of your way to make sure we all know that we are doing a good job and what we are doing is making a difference is HUGE!! You just have no clue. I do not do this by any means to get told thanks, but coming from giving and giving of my time in the church and it becoming something I am "expected", "should"., "need" to do or if I am not giving all my free time to the church then I am doing something wrong and becoming burnt out or dreading having to "serve in the church", this is such a refreshing difference! This is how it should be and another reason Southland and its staff continue to amaze me by their love for people and God and how prevalent it is in the small things.....like saying thank you. It is people like you, Jon Weece, Kaleb and all the other staff I have come to know/look up to that is healing my heart from past damage from "the church". I thank you from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to serve and be a part of something great that is not about me or the people who work, but about God and doing his will and what he has called each and everyone of us to do. I am extremely grateful!!! I look forward to being involved with the high school ministries this summer and in the years to come!!!

I love you guys and hope you and the staff have a fantastic rest of the week!!!!

God bless,
Heather 

How awesome is this? Now ask yourself the big "if" question. What if you decided to give student ministries a try? What if you just started giving a little of your time every week for the God and the community? What if we all did? That's quite a challenge. If you've got your own "Win and If" story, be sure to let us know.