26 Years of Junior High

Gary Eilts has been in junior high for more than two decades. No, he isn’t the world’s worst student — he’s a Junior High Ministry (JHM) leader. Gary has served in JHM as a life group leader and currently serves on the weekends and for special events. However, when Gary first joined the junior high team, he had no way of knowing it would become home for him for the next 26 years.

Gary’s initial motivation to volunteer came from his desire to learn how to be the best possible father for his daughter. “I started thinking you’re going to be a dad with a teenage girl pretty soon and you don’t know anything about teenage girls,” Gary said. The three years of experience he had before his daughter entered seventh grade made him more patient and understanding of the difficulties facing teenagers. “ You gain a depth of experience working with kids that age and you kind of know that certain things just happen to teenagers, it’s not just unique to your kid,” Gary said.

Even after his daughter left junior high, Gary stuck with it because he loved the work he was doing. “I think it keeps you young. Junior high kids are very spontaneous and fun. They’re easy to talk to,” Gary said. “I personally just like the idea of more a two-way conversation where they could start to articulate spiritual concepts and be involved in a Bible study,” Gary said. “I like being able to help mold young people.”

In 1999 Gary married Tami, a woman he met while they were both serving as divorced, single parents within the junior high ministry. Kurt Johnston, the student ministries pastor, officiated the ceremony and the couple continued to serve with junior high together. Looking back, he sees just how much his service affected his children, who all grew up looking forward to the day that they too could be a part of the junior high ministry. “There was no sales pitch, it’s something they grew up with and were really interested in doing,” Gary said. “I got to see them at camp, making commitments at camp. First hand it’s a unique perspective. You know I’m there so I see it.”

He continues to view all his student ministry work through the lens of being a parent. He appreciates all the work of JHM team first as a parent, and second as a volunteer. “For me I just sit there sometimes and because I’m a parent, I just think of it from the perspective of a parent and I appreciate so much what our church does for kids. The priority we make for kids,” Gary said. He sees how other volunteers have poured into his children and is grateful for all the good he’s personally experienced as a father of junior high students. “It’s nice to have another adult come alongside and encourage your kids in the path you’re trying to get them to go into,” Gary said.

Gary himself has been an adult mentor to countless students. One of Gary’s greatest joys while serving is when he sees former students who are in their 20s and 30s still following Jesus and teaching their children to do the same. Seeing these former students thrive encourages Gary to keep going and continue to invest in the lives of more junior high students. He thinks the junior high ministry is especially important now in a time that he considers the most challenging ever for students due to influences like social media and technology.

“I feel a burden for them,” Gary said. “It’s such a tough world out there. JHM is like an oasis of love, affirmation, protection, and community for these kids,” Gary said. “A lot of times, these kids won’t share with their parents but they’ll open up to a volunteer or youth pastor.”

His commitment has not gone unnoticed. Once a month during S.A.L.T training each Saddleback campus selects an outstanding member of their church who has shown courageous leadership in problem solving and serving the needs of others for the Giant Killer Award. In November, Gary received that award and the title of a Giant Killer in recognition of his years of service with junior high.

“I really appreciate getting the award and it is kind of special, but I think to me it’s just kind of an award for perseverance and for hanging in there and I thank the church for helping me find my shape and helping me to get plugged in where I felt comfortable, where I felt I was making a difference and a lot of that has to do with our junior high pastors,” Gary said. “They’re very encouraging, they keep you engaged, they’re always asking for your opinion and there’s a lot of different opportunities within our ministry to move around and do other things so that keeps it fresh. ”

Gary and his wife still work together within the ministry and his youngest child is about to enter junior high. He said that he is grateful for the way working in the junior high ministry has benefited his entire family, especially his children. “What a blessing for me that my kids have been through this and are a part of this,” Gary said. “I think it’s a good example for my kids that you can make a difference through service. It’s not about you — it’s about helping other people,” Gary said.

Ultimately, all four of his children followed Gary and his wife’s example. The two youngest, Robyn and Cassidy, volunteer within Saddleback Kids and play in student worship bands. His college aged daughter, Melody, works in the stage management ministry and also plays in a worship band for college ministry (CM). His oldest daughter, Jody, actually came back to junior high herself and volunteered as a leader for two JHM summer camps. “My family all goes to church on Saturday afternoon, then we all go and serve on Sunday,” Gary said. “I’m so grateful every day, I mean it means the world.”

Gary encourages people to look for the best place for them to serve at Saddleback. “The beauty of Saddleback is there’s so many ministries, there’s so many different places to serve, if you try one thing and it doesn’t work, try something else,” Gary said. When he first volunteered with junior high ministry, he had no idea that it would be the most perfect, natural fit for him and have the wide reaching benefits for his whole family. “If you like kids, it’s something you can try. Come in, meet the staff, give it a try.”

To learn more about junior high ministries, visit the JHM page.