Summer

Summer is upon us. I was talking to a guy last night about student ministry and summer calendars. In my 20+ years of student ministry I've never understood why some guys choose summer to shut down much of their student ministry with the exception of events. Camp, mission trips, lock-ins, etc...all are a part of most summer calendars, but what about the weekly bible studies outside of Sunday mornings?

When I was traveling a lot to different churches leading worship, speaking, etc...I had the opportunity to see the good, the bad, and the ugly of many things in church ministry. I cannot recall seeing a successful situation in which student ministry scaled back during the summer. And by successful, I mean that students continued to grow spiritually in the summer months in spite of a schedule that was cut back.

I guess where I get confused is in the fact that for much of the year we battle so many things in student ministry. School activities, sports, private lessons....you know, everything that all of us parents spend time and money on for our kids to be "involved." In the summer we have the opportunity to do ministry with far fewer time constraints and commitments. Sure, there is the occasional family vacation, summer ball, and stuff like that....but why not ramp up the number of things at the church for the kids to get to since they do have more time on their hands, and parents have a greater need for their kids to be doing something.

As a dad, I know my kids are off in the summer, and we do take a family vacation. But, we do it at the end of the summer right before school starts back up to kind of end the summer on a relaxing, family time note. We do take a break from home groups on Wednesday nights for the high school, but that's more for the host home adults to get a break. But our Sunday night high school service and Wednesday night middle school service continue throughout the summer. I've found that attendance actually increases during the summer months, and that relationships are solidified amongst the students during this time.

It just seems to me that using June, July, and August to ramp up the student ministry will only help our students when school starts back up. We all know what happens when you come down off of the mountain at camp and mission trips. Consistent, weekly, corporate worship and bible study, combined with small group time can help sustain the decisions and commitments that students make at one of these summertime events. Without consistent effort at sustaining this growth, it only puts us back in a defensive mode when they return to the halls in August.

I love the time that the summer gives us as student leaders to hangout with the kids. But I also love the time it gives us to mentor, and lead the students into finding the path that God has designed for their life. And it does make that vacation time in August a little sweeter after a full two and a half months of summer with students.

Random Thoughts today.....

1. why did my dad use to say that when it's sunny and raining that meant the devil was beating his wife?

2. why wasn't adhd an excuse for not getting my butt whipped when i was a kid?

3. what ever happened to playing red rover?

4. every kid should have to learn how to drive in my granddad's old blue truck with 3-speed on the column.

5. 79 days till kick-off.....Cowboys v. Raiders

Trains

This has been one of the longest weeks of my life in the ministry. Granted...back in the days of playing 11-12 camps in a summer, 9-10 D-Now weekends each spring, etc...got pretty long. This last 12 days has been exhausting. Just as I thought I could see light at the end of the tunnel...I realized it was a train.

I did get to spend the day yesterday at the Catalyst One Day conference, listening to Andy Stanley and Craig Groeschel lay out some great leadership principles.

You know...there are just seasons that you feel like you're treading water. Not only that, but just as you get your head up for some air another wave hits you in the face. The comfort is that we do have a constant source of power and strength. I'm certainly glad that I don't have to depend on my own strength and wisdom to tread those waters. There are things that I just don't get and probably never will, but God's not worried about it. He's got a plan and it is perfect.

I do know that I'm gonna take some down time Thursday to just refresh a little.

Some things I've been thinkin' about.........

*i'm starting to realize what Mark Twain meant when he said the way to deal with teenage kids is to put them in a barrel and feed them through a knot hole until they're 15. then at 15 plug up the knot hole.....15 makes the terrible 2's look like a party.

*who is gonna be the team that takes a chance on Michael Vick?

*a burp is nothing more than an oral fart.


*i can't wait to see "land of the lost" with will ferrell. one of my favorite shows as a kid.






*kris or adam...i'm hoping all of the gokey fans will vote for kris and we see him win.

*103 days until the Cowboys' first game of 2009

I'm out.....

Back in the Groove

So it's been a few months....6 to be exact. Gonna try to do this weekly. I've got a creative side of me that needs to be scratched a little more, so I'm thinkin' maybe writing could help some.

We wrapped up a series on the bible with our high schoolers last night. Middle schoolers will finish it up Wednesday. It's been a great series....WORD. We spent a few week looking at proving the bible to be
credible and reliable, and then spent a few looking at how and why studying
the bible is so important to our walk.

You know.....this generation of teenagers are different. They have so much at their fingertips. Yet, they've been called the "disposable" generation because everything can be
thrown away when they're finished with it.....including relationships. As a adults, and a society in general, we may have conditioned these kids that commitments don't have to last very long. Involvement is good.....commitment optional.

I had a coach one time that used to say......if this team were bacon and eggs, we need pigs. The chicken is involved, but the pig is committed. I find the same to be true with student ministry. We need students and adults that are committed...not just involved. In order for the students to understand commitment, we as adults have to model it.

If being committed to the ministry as a volunteer is only important when it is convenient...that's involvement. Commitment comes with the territory when dealing with student ministry. If we want the kids here consistently, the adults have to model consistency. If we want the students to bring their bibles....adults have to bring them first.

Students today are active....more involved than any generation before them. They understand involvement....it's commitment that presents a problem. My question....what are we doing to encourage commitment, not just involvement? What are we doing to establish student ministries, not just youth groups?

Random Thoughts on a Monday:

1. why would a mom of pre-teens force her kids to where masks into a restaurant? why not just
stay at home and eat or get it to go?

2. is a chick Aerosmith tribute band named Dream On really necessary?

3. where is Kip Winger?