Summer is over…for me.
Since mid-June my life has consisted of going on a trip, being home long enough to wash my clothes and mow the lawn, and then head off on the next trip. Summer camp, mission trip, and family vacation have all played a part in this madness, along with a few other random days and things…I’m done!
We flew back into Boise yesterday and I am done traveling for a little while, which means my summer is unofficially over. There will still be plenty of outside activity, some wake boarding, and other family fun for sure. But it does mean I need to do these three things:
1. Get back into a routine
Travelling is fun, but it is nothing like a regular routine. Even when I have been home I have not gotten my “regular” things done, like blogging for example. The break from everything has been nice, but I am ready to get back to it.
2. Get ready for fall kickoff
We are facing some big changes in our whole church, not just the youth ministry come September. The height of our attendance is September – December. In order for all the changes to be accepted well, happen smoothly, and enable God’s Spirit to move in new amazing ways this fall I (and all our leadership) need to be well prepared. The next three weeks will make or break this fall.
3. Be over relational
I have been gone a lot. Everyone else has been gone a lot. Obviously people I was on the trips with I connected with more than anyone else, but several of them I only saw during the trip. Right now I feel out of every loop, I can’t wait to get back in.
The calendar on the wall and the thermometer still say it’s summer, but for me summer is over, and I am really excited for fall! How has your summer of ministry been? When is your summer over?
Posted on August 11, 2012, in Youth Ministry and tagged fall kick off, summer busyness, summer ministry, summer youth trips, Youth Ministry, youth ministry changes. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment.
We have a large youth group, and every we year we struggle to keep all youth engaged and ready to return during the school year. Though personalized one-on-one time is great, it is difficult to do so with a youth group of about 300. In recent years, we have been creating weekly small get-togethers throughout the summer that any youth can sign up for. They range from weekend-long service projects and mission trips ( http://youthworks.com/ has some great ones, for all sizes), to a daily visit to a nursing home, to a day trip to the mountains. I think it is so important to use activities like this to consistently remind youth why they value youth group time and the satisfaction they can gain.