Well it has been a crazy few weeks. Classic summertime stuff – PHCA camp trips, going places with people staying up late etc. I am slightly excited for the school year to begin. One would think that with as long as summer is that I would be able to spend lots of quality time with lots of quality people but it just didn’t happen. In the past months it seems like I got to do something with each student that is currently in the youth group and even got spend time with some of those fringe student that I had hope to. However I would have like a little more time to soak in the presence of certain individuals. Recently I feel my heart going out to today’s American female teens so naturally I wish I could have spent more time with the ladies. However I did manage a ladies fishing trip this summer and I will be posting some pictures. For some reason I feel the need to take care of and protect the ladies in the youth group. Maybe it is because I never had a sister or maybe guys are treating girls worse than ever but either way as life goes on my heart goes out to them. So if I had to do the summer over again I would spend more time with the ladies. Hopefully that doesn’t come across as a creepy thing to say – I do have boundaries for myself and the opposite gender and etc.
As we come into fall I am excited to do a few different things with the youth group. Several times in the past I have felt the need to have our youth group grow in numbers and in spiritual depth. I think I am going to give up on numbers because I think that will fix itself with time if the focus is Jesus. The two big events that stand out for me this summer are PHCA (pine haven Christian assembly senior high camp) and NYR (nationwide youth roundup) the main focus of both of these was Jesus at the center. It seems so kindergarten Sunday school but so much becomes clear when the focus is just Jesus. So as a youth group we are going to strive to be like him as a group. This means first and foremost is serving – we are going to try and serve our community. Secondly we are going to be here for the sinner and not the righteous. Sure we will still have bible studies but they will be dovetailed with some hands on ministry. We will get much more out the bible if we are living it. So that is the goal this year. Be like Jesus.
