It’s March and you’ve been at this youth ministry season since last September. You are running out of lessons (the ones you so proudly put together late last summer). The routine of your youth group and those who attend is set, and there aren’t many surprises. If you’re not careful, you will start counting down the weeks until the youth group year is complete. I can’t speak for you, but I can tell you that when I get into that mode, I’m not serving my youth group as well as I should.
So what do we do about it? Do you have an accountability group or coach that can help you with this? Do you share your concerns, frustrations, and weariness with anyone? Have you alerted those who faithfully pray for you that you need a spiritual boost at this point of the youth season?
OK, so here’s my pep talk for you. You have a precious few weeks left in this youth group season. A number of your students will not be back, because they are graduating or moving to another area or youth group. Enjoy these last months and the relationships you’ve nurtured with youth. If anything, it’s time to pick up the pace to make sure you have blessed your group and your students in any and every way possible.
Forget about the winter blues. You have the best job in the world. Enjoy it!
Comments
I sometimes wonder if our biggest fallacy is constraining our "programs" on the basis of the secular school year? Why don't we rather consider taking a few weeks break in winter, and continuing our programs in the summer, perhaps with changes in location and context? Does the dictates of state mandates for public school education become the determing factor for the spiritual growth of our children? Maybe the summer time is our prime time for evangelistic opportunities and spiritual growth of our youth?
I love this idea John. The question you raise at the end of your post should drive our process far more than the secular school year.
(And thanks for the well-written, graceful response on the previous post regarding the importance of youth ministry.)
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