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Limping Into Summer
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By Kurt Johnston 05/21/2008
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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.
First, take a few days off. As I type this, I'm looking forward to my 1/2 vacation I'm taking in about a week. 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.
Second, easier is sometimes better. Over the years I've discovered that while my students enjoy trips to the amusement park, camps and other big events, they also really like the cheap and easy stuff like park days, pool parties and the like. In fact, in our ministry we have more students show up for the cheap and easy stuff than the big stuff. Maybe it's because the cost is less and maybe it's because they can just show up without the need for pre-registration, medical releases etc. Putting a few big events on the Summer calendar is always fun, but don't be afraid to balance those out with a few cheap and easy ones, too.
Third, take advantage of the "Dog Days of Summer". I'm done trying to build momentum during the Summer. It's time to embrace, and even take advantage of, the fact that attendance is usually lower this time of year. Try creating a program that reflects the laid back attitude Summer brings: Start late, end early, keep the program simple, take advantage of the lower attendance and focus on building relationships.
The school year was busy and I'm tired! I hate feeling like I'm limping into Summer, but I've learned the best way to cure the limp is to slow down long enough to give everybody (including myself) a little bit of time to recover....just in time for another school year!
First, take a few days off. As I type this, I'm looking forward to my 1/2 vacation I'm taking in about a week. 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.
Second, easier is sometimes better. Over the years I've discovered that while my students enjoy trips to the amusement park, camps and other big events, they also really like the cheap and easy stuff like park days, pool parties and the like. In fact, in our ministry we have more students show up for the cheap and easy stuff than the big stuff. Maybe it's because the cost is less and maybe it's because they can just show up without the need for pre-registration, medical releases etc. Putting a few big events on the Summer calendar is always fun, but don't be afraid to balance those out with a few cheap and easy ones, too.
Third, take advantage of the "Dog Days of Summer". I'm done trying to build momentum during the Summer. It's time to embrace, and even take advantage of, the fact that attendance is usually lower this time of year. Try creating a program that reflects the laid back attitude Summer brings: Start late, end early, keep the program simple, take advantage of the lower attendance and focus on building relationships.
The school year was busy and I'm tired! I hate feeling like I'm limping into Summer, but I've learned the best way to cure the limp is to slow down long enough to give everybody (including myself) a little bit of time to recover....just in time for another school year!
Name:
Kurt Johnston
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We recently had a teacher
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.
i don't think that what is
i 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?
I appreciate Kurt's heart
I 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!
It's ok to rest. as a matter
It'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..
I am struggling with my
I 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!!!
i really like the idea of
i 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.