RELEVANT middle school camp // day 2 video update

2 days into Relevant middle school camp and God has really done some amazing things. Camp is just a small glimpse into what God has done in the life of a student through the entire year. We are blown away by this group of students. They have grown this past year at REMIX in ways we could never have imagined. This group is connecting with their small group leaders like I have never seen at a camp. So blown away by these leaders and these students. Day 2 was crazy so here is a short recap of what went down!

RELEVANT middle school camp // day 1 video update

Just woke up, made it to breakfast this morning, and I am stoked about Day 2 here at Relevant middle school camp. Everyday we carry around our flip video camera and try to give you and inside look at camp. Check out the video and pray for us as we continue this journey with these students this week...here we go...

RELEVANT middle school camp 2010 begins!

Really it's not summer until we hit Middle School Camp and on Saturday morning we load the vans and head to Shocco Springs Conference Center in Talladega, Alabama for an amazing week at Student Life Camp with some crazy middle school students from RELEVANT student ministry. We made the choice the first year of Relevant three years ago to make sure we had a separate Middle School and High School camp experience. We love partnering with Student Life for Middle School camp and Bigstuf for High School camp because of the amazing experiences both offer students. Both High School and Middle School camp weeks are next level and allow us to connect with some amazing students and watch God work in all our hearts. We are excited about the week ahead. Look for daily video updates here on the blog and on FB so parents and the peeps back at Grace Community can see what is going down!

Training VOLUNTEERS and Changing PERSPECTIVE

I have always been a fan of Mark Batterson's blog and his writing and this idea he lays out in his new book Primal is stuck in my head...

Change of Pace + Change of Place = Change of Perspective

On Thursday the Family Ministry Teams of Grace Community Church and Cross Point Church are getting together to plan a one day conference for our volunteer teams. Why plan a training / refueling / equipping event for volunteers? We want to try to change their perspective when it comes to investing in the lives of families. For one Saturday in August we are going to CHANGE both place and pace as we invest in our leadership teams and we are going to partner to make the day happen. Both of our teams are changing pace and place to do some planning and we are hoping we can do the same for our volunteers in August...who knows what the outcome will be BUT I am excited to see how it turns out!

just listen...

Last week we gathered our Remix small group leaders for an end of the year gathering to help them prepare for this summer and to celebrate the end of the school year. My favorite part of the night was hearing the stories of life change that happened in their small groups through the past year. Listening to their stories helps us all connect with what God has done in the past year of ministry. We had the joy of listening to the experiences of other team members and celebrating with them. That moment never would have never happened if we did stop stop to listen...to process...to celebrate...to connect. All of that went down because we slowed down to listen.

There is one thing I know for sure about the volunteers you lead and that one thing is that they need to be heard. When we take time to listen to our team we express their value. We say to them that what they do is important enough to bring our busy selves to a halt so that we can JUST LISTEN. How do I know this? I know this little fact because I love to be heard. When people listen to my story, seek my advice, want to hear my experience I feel valued. Why would I think my volunteers are any different? Once I hear the stories of those I do ministry with they are much more likely to join me in our adventure of creating the story of serving kids, teens, and parents at Grace Community Church. There ya go...make sure you stop to just listen to those you lead!

congrats CLASS OF 2010!

Today is the day...the Class of 2010 starts graduating school by school here in Clarksville. I have 2 little girls and thinking about them graduating from high school almost makes my stomach sick. I also remember what this day felt like when I was graduating from Shelbyville Central High School in 1994. (I know most of this class was like 4 then!) That day was a day of celebration and completion for sure but it was also a day where I felt like my best days were ahead. I was thrilled about all the possibilities that might be in just a few years as I ventured into this thing called adulthood. As I think about the group of students who are graduating in the next few days I feel hopeful and excited once again. Sure seniors are leaving our student ministry BUT when it comes to following Christ the adventure is just beginning. This is where it really begins. What does "faith" look like when they are in complete control of their spiritual journey. Because we have created a student ministry where teens get to choose to join our community (not be forced) we are hopeful. Hopeful that they will make a difference in this world. Hopeful they will follow Christ as they hit their college campus. We are also pretty determined to walk with them, cheer them on, be here to give direction when needed, and celebrate with them as we watch them move to this next level of independence. Here at Grace Community graduation is not the finish line...it is just the beginning and we can't wait to walk with you in the coming years.  Class of 2010...congrats, we are proud of ya!

stopping THE SLOW FADE

Reading The Slow Fade by Reggie Joiner, Chuck Bomar, and Abbie Smith right now and it is helping me process what it looks like to reach people as they move into their twenty's. I am not surprised that college students and young adults walk away from church. Are you? Have you been to many churches in your town? Most churches are wired to preserve the institution and traditions of a past generation. There are simply not enough churches passionate about serving this group of people...oops...let me change that statement, there are not many churches out there willing to do what it takes to serve this age group. What stirred in my heart in the first chapter was the idea that maybe God is going to call out a group of people to move around the institutional church (not wait on permission is what I am saying) and begin to invest in college students, young professionals, people starting out on this journey of adulthood. Listen to this quote by Reggie Joiner...

The church will struggles to implement a more strategic ministry for this age group. But as Christian adults, you and I don't have to wait for the church to figure this out and have a better plan. You can start today to influence a college-aged person. The best way to stop the slow fade in the next generation is to stop it in one person's life.

What a great reminder! It comes back to being willing to continue this journey with college aged folks through this time of massive transition in their life. To not make the finish line high school graduation. To find ways to engage twentysomethings as a local church. Stoping the slow fade is a life by life process and a passion the church must embrace. Reading the that quote in the first chapter of the book reminded me there are things we are and can do right now to reach this age group.

• Plan your environments with college aged people in mind. // if you want to reach this age group you better remember to plan for them to be in the room on Sunday mornings. At GCC we intentionally plan elements that will target college students. Sure it might be risky but college students are just as important to the church body as the 55 year old professional.
• Support intentional ministry. // Brandon Reed launched an intentional college ministry to reach students on the campus of Austin Peay State University. You would be amazed at the kids on college campuses looking for someone who cares for them. Show up...do intentional ministry!
• Gather and support adults who will mentor twentysomethings // what college student need are adults who will mentor...care...support...model what faith looks like beyond high school. With all the change that happens when teens hit "the real world" what they need are adults who will still be there when everything else is chaos.

If you are a parent, youth pastor, senior pastor, or volunteer you need to click on the logo above and order a copy of this book. 3 chapters in and my head is spinning! We can stop the slow fade but we have to be willing to think beyond attendance and toward relationships.

change of pace

Every summer at Relevant Student Ministry we CHANGE THE PACE of what we do with students. Changing the pace helps us...

• give small group leaders a change of pace / break (small group leader still do ministry but they are just as busy as everyone else in the summer!)
• keep teens engaged (doing the same thing over and over gets BORING)
• give our student band and creative team time to prepare for fall
• help teens experience a "new thing" every summer
• focus our efforts on High School and Middle School camp and mission trips
• meet with more teens one on one and in small groups with the goal of connecting and investing
• build momentum for the fall (how do you ever build momentum if you never pause?)

Changing the pace doesn't mean we stop doing ministry because our school year environment stops...we just mix it up and try stuff. One of the things we are trying this summer are three gatherings we are calling Remix UNITED. One message series through the entire summer, one theme we are trying to drive home, a new communicator and worship leader for the summer, a new service flow planned for every night, and surprises that we really can't talk about right now! Will it work...not really sure, but that is what a change of pace is all about. We are taking a risk and willing to see how it turns out! 

I challenge you to think about how you can change the pace in the environment you lead this summer.

first ever FamilyVenture at Grace Community>> JULY 22, 2010

This summer we are going to have our first ever FamilyVenture at Grace Community Church. What is a FamilyVenture event??? It is one day in the summer we are asking families to get away together with other families from GCC and have nothing but fun. Yes, we think shared experiences make a huge difference in family life. We also know that many parents out there are busy. We are giving you a reason to take off work and be with your kids. This summer we are all going to gather for a day of craziness at Venture River Water Park on July 22 from 10AM to 6PM. THERE YA GO...THERE IS THE GCC SCOOP. Families with preschool, k-5, and middle school kids mark your calendar for the first FamilyVenture!

still NERVOUS?

This past week we had our final student gathering (REMIX) and family experience (Cross Street Live). At both experiences I still got nervous! Why? Why am I nervous about a weekly/monthly experience where some of the most talented people in our city are involved in pulling it off? Why after working with parents and teens for 13 years do I still get nervous? I have been processing if being nervous is good or bad and I have landed on the side of good. Worry (or next level nervousness) is bad and worry is so different from having the jitters. When I am worried I am assuming responsibility for things I have no control over. When I worry I am telling God that I am not sure He will deliver. Being nervous flows out of a desire for excellence...expecting to see God do something amazing...from the place of being fully prepared and waiting for the moment. NERVES are natural. No one ever told me that as long as I was doing something I was passionate about, putting my heart and soul into my work that I would ALWAYS be a little nervous before speaking or leading or serving or helping. Why? BECAUSE I CARE! I am beginning to think that when you stop being nervous about the environment you lead it might be time for a change of pace or place! So there you have it. I still get nervous...do you?