What I've been up to...

(This is a copy of something i submit to the leadership every month. It's also an excuse as to why this blog has been quiet lately.) ~dave

The previous month for the student ministry was one of launching into a new semester. Following the holidays several of our main programs began running on a regular basis once again. This was especially wonderful for me because it’s allowed me to get a better grasp on what an average week looks like in the student ministry with out Christmas and New Years getting in the way. Practically what this looked like was a very successful Basic Impact kickoff. For this we rented a section of a bowling alley and facilitated two separate times for grades 6-8th and 9-12th. This was a great success. Basic and Impact ended with me getting some time in front of everyone to share some things that had been laid on my heart.

The Saturday evening previous to our youth group kick off was a gathering of leaders in the underground. I felt it was very important to gathering mature believers that are already invested in students’ lives. During this meeting both Lisa and I had a chance to share how we became involved in student ministry as well as listen to others tell their stories. I concluded this time with some brief comments on the future as well as some hopes and goals I’d like to set. This gathering I felt was very important because it allowed me to see and pray for in a more personal way the key leaders in this ministry but also allowed those who are already invested in the ministry to get to know me and my heart better.

The second Sunday was, according to our plan, an embrace night where students gather for a teaching then split into smaller groups for a more interactive environment to grow their faith in. This happened in both Basic and Impact. We continued to build off of what I had shared during the kick off night. During these opening weeks we’ve also began again the several small groups. Each of which has somewhat of its own flavor and different type of student attending. Chris Welch and Pam Ryan continue to shepherd our main sr. high small group on Tuesday evening, Liz has started back her small group of 9th grade girls on Wed. evening and Elizabeth Wheat and myself are two weeks in to our Wed. middle school small group that meets opposite the Wed. night worship service.

The next month holds Ski trips for both Basic and Impact. The sign up for these is going really well and it looks like both trips will be really well attended. One of my goals for the first part of this semester is to develop some kind of volunteer information packet as a way of screening exactly who in the future we allow to be leaders in the ministry. I’ve been in contact with Charlene Morgan and am very interested in how their ministry has facilitated such a process. I see this as not only vital but a very Biblical step in how we steward such a precious resource as the teenagers or St. Andrews.

This next semester already has plans for a vibrant confirmation process. It looks to build off of the program ran last year and will function as a way students can deepen their commitment to the faith. Several students have already stepped up to server the confirmands as table leaders. Nyle Martin has been great help in introducing me to the schedule and flavor of how St. Andrew’s does confirmation.