Gearing Up for August!

I am quickly approaching my three year anniversary as Student Minister here at Community Christian Church. I’ve done and seen a lot of things. I’ve been to conferences, organized events, done a few lock-ins, all your typical youth ministry kind of stuff. All that stuff is fine and dandy. They all help accomplish our mission in one way or another. We’re here to reach those unconnected to Christ and together grow to full devotion. In our case, that involves students. My number one priority is to see our students grow to love Jesus and His Church. Unfortunately, with the size of our church and the way we are structured, I can only personally minister to a small percentage of our students. That, of course, is where you guys come in. You guys are vital in connecting our students to the church. (No pressure, right?) And I know you are up for the challenge.

As many of you know, in the past few years we’ve had the privilege of taking some of our students away on weekend retreats. Although a lot of work, money and time commitment, I think these retreats have met with great success. But not in the way you probably think. Yes, through worship, small groups and camp fires, I think students have grown closer to God on these retreats. But I think (maybe even know) that the greatest thing to come out of these retreats have been the connection leaders have made with the students. How do I know? Because time and time again leaders tell me how they really got a chance to connect with the kids. They spend 72 hours straight with a kid and all of the sudden they are connecting in a different way. The student is changed and the leader is changed as well. Why is that important? Because it is at that point you, as a leader, can begin to speak truth into a student’s life. You move from being the facilitator of a lesson to being the third adult in their lives. You become a part of their lives. And because of that connection the student is more likely to stay connected to the church long after they graduate high school. I can’t remember any specific sermons or Sunday school lessons I had as a youth. But I remember Larry Vierling. Mr. V (as we called him) invested A LOT of time into me and several of the other youth. He helped us with our homework, took us to his farm (as slave labor to bail hay!), helped us fill out job applications. But above all, Mr. V was (and still is) a great Christian. I don’t remember much about the Bible lessons he taught, but I remember him teaching us how to love Jesus. I am in love with Jesus and His Church because of Mr. V. All that to say these two things:

• You are making a difference in the life of the students in your group. You’re not just “teaching” teenagers, you’re connecting them to Jesus and the Church.

• As this new ministry season begins in August prayerfully consider making every effort to attend all scheduled events. Specifically any planned retreats. And more importantly, encourage your students to attend. It is at these events that you move from “just another adult telling me what to do” to “the person who made me fall in love with Jesus”.