Student Ministry - June 2019
Dear Church Family,
This Summer is going to be a fun-filled, mission-minded, disciple-making whirlwind! There are so many things to do during the Summer, and that is no different in the life of the church. Sports camps, church camps, mission trips, VBS, family vacation… it can all be a little overwhelming. It’s not like any of these things are bad though. They all serve a really good purpose. But if we have to make a choice between one or the other, which way would our priorities push us?
At this point you’re likely expecting me to talk about how important Student Camp, Mission Trip, and Mission Week are, and you’ve already started to tune me out. While those things are very important to the Christian walk of our students, that is not what I want to emphasize in this article. (Besides, we’ve advertised and emphasized those things just about everywhere else imaginable!) What I really want to advise you to do this Summer is to maintain your own personal Bible study and serve wherever the Lord leads you to serve.
It’s great to take a break from some things in order to get a breath of fresh air or refocus yourself. But taking a break from reading God’s Word is like taking a break from breathing itself… you don’t end up refreshed; you end up gasping, weak, and confused. Many people think that the Summer break is a good excuse to stop reading the Bible and stop serving God as He would have them serve. It might be true that you need a vacation very much, but God may actually have a plan for you to share the gospel while you are away. And He certainly doesn’t want you to neglect spending time with Him while you’re sitting on the beach. Taking a break, going on a vacation, and serving God are not mutually exclusive things. So look for all the ways God wants you to serve while you relax. Let your Bible study be the most refreshing thing you enjoy this Summer.
For our students, we have lots of ways lined up for them to serve the Lord and grow in their relationship with Him this Summer. I hope that many of them will join us in those things. But above that, I hope that the parents, grandparents, and friends of our students would encourage them to seek the Lord in personal Bible study, and to jump in and serve wherever they feel called.
Sincerely,
Brian Van Doren