Closed For the Season

This week, 3 of our once a week programs are coming to an end.

Innermission: our more intense/study based junior high sunday school is ending for the year.
Xtreme Youth: our high energy, outreach focused evening finished last night.
LINK: our highschool no-one-can-stop-when-it-gets-going machine is coming to an close for the season on friday night.

When I was beginning my first summer here, I always questioned why we shut down...
That was until the fall came again. The benefits were huge. Here are just a few...

1. It gives regular leaders a break in order to preserve them for the next term. It's called Sabbath. God created it and said it was so important, it became a top ten issue in life.

2. It gives the leadership some time to reflect on the previous year and identify what was done right, and usually, what was done wrong and needs correcting.

3. It gives the point leader some time to spend in study and preparation to make sure that no one has the excuse to fly by the seat of their pants... that includes every leader and every student leader. In other words, when those you lead fail, it's usually because you have failed to lead them... so take the time to lead them well by being prepared.

4. It gives you time to connect with people... away from the programming and the events. Time to ask unrelated questions to "ministry" that often matter more to our students and adult leaders in our ministry-- questions that show that we're human, that we care and that this is more than just getting a job done, but is all about journeying through life as we chase after God's Spirit...

5. And finally, it gives you time to Selah-- you see it in the psalms. After something has happened or said, authors would pause and say "Selah"; which scholars have spent much time deliberating a meaning but come to this conclusion... Stop and listen... stop what you're doing for a moment and listen to the God of the universe whisper. It's during these momenets in which we often make some of the soundest, wisest and most important descisions that determine the outcome of our futures.

and isn't that worth the time to just slow down?

Till next time,