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By Kurt Johnston
5/21/2008
If you are anything like me, and if your junior high ministry is anything like mine, you probably feel completely worn out right about now from a long school year of ministry. To be honest, about this time each year I feel like my ministry is limping into the Summer season! Here are a few things worth considering as you head into Summer.Because my kids aren't out of school yet and because we are wrapping up lots of school year lose ends, it isn't a good time for a full-fledged vacation, but I've found that taking 2-3 days off before gearing up for Summer is vacation time well spent.
We recently had a teacher in-service day so the youth were out of school on a weekday. We met at CiCi's for lunch and then had a snowball fight at the Church. It only took an hour and half out of their free day, cost$6 for a mountain of food, and they had great fun building community, which has helped them be more attentive during lessons since. I agree with Kurt's emphasis that cheap events can be good ones, because I've seen work in our humble little ministry! Planning just one of these events per month in the Summer can help maintain and even build momentum into a strong Fall.
Mike 11:04:25am on 4/29/2009
Offensivei don't think that what is being emphasized here is a faith break but more of a less is more attitude. Instead of scheduling a hundred different things to do, focus on the quality of the activities that you put together instead of the quantity. My dilema is that I live in a very small town with a youth group of about fifty. Any good easy activities that ya'll want to share?
jfee 4:06:29pm on 6/01/2008
OffensiveI appreciate Kurt's heart about not trying to "create something out of nothing" every summer while a good chunk of students are on vacation on and off. Though I can't speak for him, I don't think focusing on relationships is encouraging a "faith break" I think it's grabbing onto valuable opportunities to be with students without the chaos that ensues within the school year. Relationship is obvisously vital to ministry, and Kurt I appreciate your encouragement to us to put "new lens" on for what summer ministry looks like!
Bryan 11:06:46am on 6/01/2008
OffensiveIt's ok to rest. as a matter of fact, rest is biblical, while being a workaholic is not. When Jesus visited MArtha, martha quickly went to work to serve and didn't want to relax, or "chill" with Jesus, she kept herself busy, but in her reluctance to put down the trays, she missed on something important that Mary picked up on. Mary decided to just sit down beside Jesus and bathe his feet with perfume. What? Yup. Jesus never Got up and said "NO theres no time for this nonsense theres work to do!" No, he allowed it, because in the process, Mary was pouring out her distresses, worries, issues... We have to stop thinking that Ministry is Work, but look at it as Life.. We work until we are exhausted, and worn.. But Living is constant.. Part of Life is being able to Rest. If your kids can still be christians even though theres no Exciting Pumpin Youth Service to go to in the summer, then it means you have done, or are doing your Job to teach them that Walking with Christ is an everyday relationship, not an ersatz ritual, something you imitate only in church to satisfy the superiors [parents, teachers, leaders, elders, pastors, etc..] So don't stress yourself, when you find rest, grasp it, renew your strength like the eagle.. take it in.. continue praying, fasting, studying, cuz like i said the things of God is not work, its Life, and then prepare yourself for winter... If you fed them well, they will flock back to the Shepard, because they will know what is beneficial to the soul. Our goals as youth leaders is to make sure they know this..
Jose (Adonis) Sanchez 7:05:59pm on 5/30/2008
OffensiveI am struggling with my faith. My team seems to have disappeared. We havent had a solid summer schedule in place. This group is five years old. Last year was my first year as leader. What now? I agree with GEK--Summer shold not be teaching teens that you take a Faith Break!!!
BEE 10:05:28pm on 5/28/2008
Offensivei really like the idea of "taking advantage of the 'Dog Days of Summer'. i've found myself trying SO hard fight low attendance and half-hearted involvement. my only concern is that it will implicitly teach that summer is when we take a break from our "faith." i don't know . . . i struggle with stuff like that.
GEK 12:05:11am on 5/26/2008
Offensive
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