121 Stories - Serving Together
What Is It Like To Serve In A Ministry Together As A Couple?
The Patterson's
Aug 6, 2023 3m
As our church strives to make a difference in the world, we will look at real life stories of serving. Garrett and Lauren Patterson share what it is like to serve in a ministry together as a couple. Video recorded at Grapevine, Texas.
TranscriptionmessageRegarding Grammar:
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
This is a transcription of the sermon. People speak differently than they write, and there are common colloquialisms in this transcript that sound good when spoken, and look like bad grammar when written.
Garret Patterson: [00:00:15] We're at Bible Point, we just hiked up really far and we're all tired. For me, camp is being able to spend more time with these guys and get to know them on a deeper level. You know, you can only do so much with an hour, an hour and a half, and so getting them outside of their element and being able to have some longer conversations and some deeper conversations is worthwhile to me.
Garret Patterson: [00:00:46] I'm Garrett Patterson and this is my wife Lauren, and we've been at 121 since 2020. We bought a house back in late 2019 and Jermaine was down the street from us, brought a plate of brownies with his horde of kids, and eventually went to 121 for the first time. And I think by the end of the service, Lauren and I both agreed that this was home. And then once we were trying to decide what ministry to go into, from our past experience and from Jermaine's leadership, we couldn't help but choose the youth ministry.
Lauren Patterson: [00:01:27] Alright, y'all try it, one, two, three. Because we grew up in a great youth group and wanted to give back to other youth groups and continue to grow those, that was one of the first places we looked along with already having a connection with Jermaine. And we each wanted to find a space to serve and give back to the church, that's always been a big part of our hearts.
Garret Patterson: [00:01:46] When we decided to serve with the youth ministry, Lauren and I decided to try to do the same grade so we could hang out with each other and develop relationships even amongst the different genders. Not only do Lauren and I serve, but we have other couples in our life group that serve with us in student ministries in other grades.
Lauren Patterson: [00:02:07] We've been able to really deepen connections with some of those couples just as we see them on Sunday nights or Wednesday nights or even at camp and just come up with ideas for one another on how we can better connect to the girls or the guys and just ideas to help those youths grow in their faith as well.
Garret Patterson: [00:02:25] The reason I come to camp is I guess I love the outdoors and love being in God's creation, but I also love seeing my guys for an extended period of time and getting to pour into them and be able to have those, you know, two-hour conversations or late night conversations or things that aren't really able to happen during a 1 or 2-hour session up at the church on Sundays.
Lauren Patterson: [00:02:48] It's been really neat to see how God is able to use Garrett and I in the youth ministry, just with the kids being able to confide in us in certain things or just confess things for maybe the first time that they haven't realized they're really struggling with. And just some of those small moments that they're able to connect the things that they've been taught at 121 their whole lives, but finally able to apply in just their everyday world has been really neat to see. I've been her life group leader for about a year now and she's going to share a little bit about her story.
Unknown: [00:03:20] I accepted God into my heart when I was eight years old.
Recorded in Grapevine, Texas.
Garret Patterson: [00:00:46] I'm Garrett Patterson and this is my wife Lauren, and we've been at 121 since 2020. We bought a house back in late 2019 and Jermaine was down the street from us, brought a plate of brownies with his horde of kids, and eventually went to 121 for the first time. And I think by the end of the service, Lauren and I both agreed that this was home. And then once we were trying to decide what ministry to go into, from our past experience and from Jermaine's leadership, we couldn't help but choose the youth ministry.
Lauren Patterson: [00:01:27] Alright, y'all try it, one, two, three. Because we grew up in a great youth group and wanted to give back to other youth groups and continue to grow those, that was one of the first places we looked along with already having a connection with Jermaine. And we each wanted to find a space to serve and give back to the church, that's always been a big part of our hearts.
Garret Patterson: [00:01:46] When we decided to serve with the youth ministry, Lauren and I decided to try to do the same grade so we could hang out with each other and develop relationships even amongst the different genders. Not only do Lauren and I serve, but we have other couples in our life group that serve with us in student ministries in other grades.
Lauren Patterson: [00:02:07] We've been able to really deepen connections with some of those couples just as we see them on Sunday nights or Wednesday nights or even at camp and just come up with ideas for one another on how we can better connect to the girls or the guys and just ideas to help those youths grow in their faith as well.
Garret Patterson: [00:02:25] The reason I come to camp is I guess I love the outdoors and love being in God's creation, but I also love seeing my guys for an extended period of time and getting to pour into them and be able to have those, you know, two-hour conversations or late night conversations or things that aren't really able to happen during a 1 or 2-hour session up at the church on Sundays.
Lauren Patterson: [00:02:48] It's been really neat to see how God is able to use Garrett and I in the youth ministry, just with the kids being able to confide in us in certain things or just confess things for maybe the first time that they haven't realized they're really struggling with. And just some of those small moments that they're able to connect the things that they've been taught at 121 their whole lives, but finally able to apply in just their everyday world has been really neat to see. I've been her life group leader for about a year now and she's going to share a little bit about her story.
Unknown: [00:03:20] I accepted God into my heart when I was eight years old.
Recorded in Grapevine, Texas.
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