"We do mission trips instead of camp."

I don’t have a problem with doing mission trip instead of camp.  I have had youth leaders and even students use the phrase, “We do mission trips instead of camp.” in hyper-spiritual way.  I personally think mission trips and summer camp have two entirely different purposes and goals. 

Summer camp’s focus should be on spiritual growth and bringing lost students to know Christ.  As I posted earlier, camp is a great time to help a student grow spiritually.  The focus is on teaching and worship.  I have even heard “Summer camp is focused on the student” in a negative way.  Yes!  Camp does focus on the individual student.  It’s called focusing on discipleship and spiritual growth.  It’s important and camp is great tool for accomplishing that purpose.

Mission trips teach students to reach out to the lost, to focus on individuals in need, move students out of their comfort zone.  We hope teaching students to come back home with a vision to reach the lost in their own community.   A totally different purpose from summer camp.  Of course when this happens spiritual growth can occur as well.

Why do one over the other?

The volunteer youth leader may say, “I don’t have enough vacation time to do both.”  If your passion is missions find another volunteer(s) in the church to take your group to camp or find a camp where your group can go without the need of staffing the camp yourselves.

“We don’t have the money.”  Yes, camps and mission trips can add up financially.  I have been amazed by the small churches that don’t have an abundance of funds trying to pay the way for all their kids to go to camp.  I understand scholarships, I understand helping off set the cost.  I also know that most parents will invest in their kid’s life if possible.  On average most Christian camps are far less expensive from sports camps.  I’ve seen parents drop a boat load of money to send their kid to football or soccer camp.  Our students pay for their own camp experience.  We have scholarship fund in place to help students.  I also designate some money in our student ministry budget towards camp.



Funding mission trips teaches students about the connection between finances and reaching the lost.  Our church budgets an amount to help fund mission trips but our students have to raise the bulk of their funds.  Last spring we took a mission team of 15 on a trip, the budget was around $29,000.00 for the trip, the church gave $6000 from the budget and $2000 in a love offering.  The other $21,000 was raised by individuals on the team.  Biblically when you look at the mission trips of the new testament the missionaries were backed financially by the church.

One idea I want to use this year in funding our mission trip for next spring is for students who are not going to become part of the team by helping by giving financially out of their own pocket and by sending out support letters.  
I firmly believe that where God guides he provides. 

I’m sold on doing a separate mission trip and camp experience.  Some students need that time to focus on their own spiritual walk that camp gives.  They need the camp experience to challenge them to grow and move to the next level.  Not every student is ready for a mission trip. (we take only mature eighth graders through seniors and they have to fill out an application to join the mission team)  Some students are ready for a mission trip and need that experience in their life to move them to their next level of growth and can be used to build leadership into your youth ministry.

Is doing a mission trip instead of camp wrong?  I don’t think so.  Is doing a combined camp and mission trip wrong?  I don’t think so.  But I would like to challenge us to think about the impact of doing the two separately can have.  The two have different purposes and goals so consider doing them separately.


If you are looking for a cool combination camp/mission trip check out LeaderTreks.

Choosing Your Camp Experience

What is your purpose and goal for taking students to camp?
For us our main purpose is to help students grow in their faith.  That could mean coming to know Christ as their Savior or taking that next step in their faith that will take them deeper.  Figure our your purpose and goal and build from there.

Change it up.  It is easy to get stuck in a rut.  Something I’ve noticed this year is that our older students weren’t signing up for camp.  Why? Some have summer jobs and are afraid to ask off, or don’t want to lose that money they could have earned.  (have to help them see that the spiritual investment is more valuable than the $200)
I think many of them had been to the same camp experience a few years in a row and were ready for something different.



When I arrived at Nags Head Church the youth had gone for a few years to a certain camp.  After I did some research I realized that camp didn’t fit the camp experience I wanted our students to have.  I was coming from a church that attended Fall’s Creek, a huge camp, and I wanted our church’s students to experience something similar.  I discovered Student Life.  So for several years we did Student Life camps, Student Life is a great camp, solid doctrinally, great worship, locations all across the US. 

Nine years of doing Student Life and then we decided to go do our own camp.  So we loaded the students in vans and drove to a huge log cabin that slept 50 in the Smokey Mountains of TN.  The next year we rented a camp up in the Shenandoah Valley of Va.  Doing our own camp was a good change but it was very labor intensive and required several adult volunteers to use their vacation time to help at camp.

After a couple years of doing our own camp I got a call from Matt Thomas at Camp Cale.  Matt was the new camp director and his desire was to see church youth groups to come together to camp.  For a long time Camp Cale has existed and the focus has been on individuals coming to camp on their own.  Matt desire to see churches grasp the impact that coming as a youth group to camp can have.  I told Matt we would give Cale a shot but they only had one shot to make it right.  Now we have gone to Cale for three years as a youth group.

 

This summer after realizing our upperclassman weren’t going to camp I quickly put together a 3 day retreat for upperclassman.  The goal was to build some unity and cast vision for the coming school year of building leadership among our students and moving toward student led youth ministry.  This mini camp accomplished that goal and purpose.

So next summer we are changing it up.  We will take our 7th through 9th graders to Camp Cale and we will do a camp trip for our upperclassman.  Trying something new and different to see how it works in hopes that this new approach will help keep the older students involved in taking advantage of the camp experience each summer and give the younger students something to look forward to.

Don’t be afraid to change it up.  Some feathers might get ruffled but our needs for our youth ministry change from year to year which means the way we do youth ministry will need to change as well.

Choosing Summer Camp

(Part 1 of the Summer Camp posts here)

It’s good to change things up every now and then.  Our student ministries can get in a rut.  Ever notice your camp attendance drop?  Perhaps it’s time to mix it up and throw in something new and different.

When I look for a summer camp experience I look for:

Good facilities - students today need air conditioning.  It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep if you are dripping in sweat.  (unless you are doing an adventure camp in tents which is a totally different approach and strategy/purpose to the camp trip)  I remember speaking at a camp the first night I preached we were in a room with the windows open and ceiling fans on and it was still in the 90 something degree range.  It’s hard for students to focus on God’s word and the message if they are melting away.  I let the camp director know that I couldn’t continue to teach that week if the AC wasn’t turned on.  They had air conditioning they just weren’t running it “to save money”.

Doctrinally Sound - I want my students to learn the Bible and the truth.  I don’t want them misled.  I certainly wouldn’t take my students to any camp or event that didn’t line up with my church’s doctrinal statement. 

Excellent recreation opportunities - games, organized rec, climbing walls, ropes courses, etc.  The camp we been attending for a few years now has added a gaga ball pit.  That thing is always full during free time, the students love it.  I loved it until I broke my big toe.

Friendly staff - I’m a huge fan of good customer service.  I look for a camp administration and staff treats your students in a way that shows they want the students there at camp and enjoys having them there. 

Good food - Camp can be miserable if the food isn’t good.  Students are expending lots of energy at camp and they need to be refueled.  I also look for a camp that feeds them until they are full.  Some students eat like a bird, other students need a little more fuel in their tanks.  Good camps know what students like to eat.

Special moments - Camps that create in their schedule special moments that build great memories.  Things like: campfires, messy games, hiking, concert, etc.  Fun can help bring down barriers.

Close to home - I have done the ten hour drive to camp in van rentals.  I don’t want to go through that again.  Do you know how many times you will hear “are we there yet?” in ten hours?  I like finding a camp that you can drive to in a matter of minutes to 6 hours (that’s my max travel time in my old age)  I don’t want to waste 2 days of camp on the road.  Close to home saves money in gas.  Perhaps you can get volunteers from the church to shuttle your students if the camp isn’t real far and that saves money in renting vans which in turn allows you to sink that money into your youth budget.  Win Win!

So are you already planning for camp next summer?

Why Summer Camp?

Summer camp holds a special place in my heart.  Why?
  From fourth grade through eighth grade I worked at a camp named “Treasure Island”.  This camp was in the middle of the James River on an actual island.  The camp had several weeks of camp each summer for 4th through 6th graders.  This was my first taste of camp.


In high school our church’s youth group would go to camp.  We rented cabins at Waianapanapa State Park we were a small church and it was a small camp but many fun and good memories.
 

Once I started in youth ministry as a volunteer at a small church in rural Oklahoma I found myself joining forces with a larger youth ministry to take our students to Fall’s Creek, the world’s largest Christian camp.  Fall’s Creek was amazing.  Incredible camp pastors, great worship leaders, just a huge experience.  When I went into youth ministry full time we took our youth group to Fall’s Creek each summer.

When I moved to North Carolina to be a student minister we started taking our students to Student Life camps.  Over the past 14 years we have done a mix of Student Life, our own camps, and Camp Cale.  Every summer of the past 22 years I have been part of taking students to summer camp.  In fact in the past 22 years over a year of time from my life has been spent at camps, retreats and youth group trips.

Why do summer camp?

• Removes students from their usual routine and atmosphere.
  There is something about getting away from the normal ebb and flow of your life that helps take your guard down.  Going to a place where most of life’s distractions are removed helps one to focus on God.  Sometimes when the noise of life is removed a student can better hear that still small voice, the whisper of God.

• Provides a temporary escape.  

  It’s sad but there are students who have a terrible home life.  There are students who get juggled from living with one parent then back to the other.  For them the “normal” of life is living in a constant state of flux.  At camp a student can be in a place where they don’t have to be concerned or even think about the mess back home.

• A break.
  Students work hard (or should) all year in school, athletics, extra curricular activities.  Many of those students take up summer jobs.  God created this universe in six days and on the seventh day he rested.  God intends for us to take breaks and rest.  Camp can provide a well needed break for students and rest from normal life.

• Intentional focus on God
  Summer camp provides a week where the focus is on God and spiritual growth.  It is rare in a person’s life to get to spend an entire week that is built around God and his word.  How many adults wish now that they could get away for a week and focus solely on their relationship with God.

• Lives are changed at summer camp.
  I have seen summer camp have an impact and influence on so many teens’ lives.  I have seen students come to know Christ at camp and even carry that new relationship home and influence an entire family to turn to Jesus Christ.  Many students realize at camp God’s purpose for their lives and even answer the call to ministry at camp.

• Camp can be a springboard.
  Camp can be a springboard to launch your youth group into a stage of growth and outreach.  Students come back from camp challenged in their faith walk.  This is a great time to take that challenge and build on it.  (more on that in another post)

• Camp is fun.
  Let’s be honest, camp is fun!  Students have a great time at camp.  I have a blast when I’m at camp myself.  Most camps have built into their schedule some rec time for games and competition as well as some free time where students choose their afternoon activities.  Fun is a huge draw factor on getting kids to go to camp. 

• Builds relationships.
  Camp provides students opportunity to build relationships within their own youth group.  Living together, eating together, playing together, worshipping together can be a huge factor in tightening and strengthening relationships among your students.

• Influence.
  A week at camp allows you, their minister, to focus on them.  During the year we get around 50 to 100 hours with them at youth group.  A week of camp gives you 120 hours of living life with your students.  You get to sit around the table and chat with them, worship with them, cheer them on, spend focus time answering questions and asking questions.  When do you get that kind of opportunity as a youth pastor?

So now that summer is over we should be looking to next summer and deciding what to do about camp.  In my next blog post I’ll write about what I look for in a camp and even challenge you to mix it up, break away from what you always do, “We always go to ________ for camp”, or, “We do mission trips, not camps.”.  Try something new, do something different.

(Part 1 of 4 on Summer Camp)

Sabbatical Prep

Well when this posts I will have been on sabbatical for 4 days.

When you are the one that leads the student ministry there is a certain amount of prep work to have your ducks in a row before going on a sabbatical.  In my case there were three months worth of Student Church to assemble and schedule.  This took some extra work but after doing it I thought I might do this same approach to every quarter of the year so I can focus on other areas of student ministry and plan and put more effort into message prep.

Thankfully I have an awesome team of volunteers that lead our student ministry.  During my absence several will take turns bringing the message at Student Church.  We are also currently using LeaderTrek's Deep Discipleship curriculum.  This allowed me the ability to go in and edit and tweak to fit our Student worship time flow.  I set up a file box and put a folder in the box for each week's Student Church.  Each folder contains:
Message Outline
Student Handouts
First Crow - our pre game team meeting guide
Next Steps - student decision cards
POD Leader guides
POD student guides

In the dropbox I put folders that contain our powerpoint slides, video and music videos for our worship time.  This dropbox is accessible from the iMac in The Loft for our tech team.

The two keys that made it easier to plan this sabbatical were an awesome team of volunteers with some who have the gift of teaching and LeaderTrek's Deep Discipleship.  A sabbatical is a great time off to rest, refresh and renew and there is a lot of work that goes into the planning and a whole lot of photo copying.

Then as you leave your office for the sabbatical there is that little voice inside saying, "did you remember everything?"  I guess in 86 days I'll know the answer to that.

Taking a Sabbatical

I’m blessed to be serving in a church that has decided that pastoral staff should get a sabbatical.  Here is the sabbatical section of our personnel policy:

“The biblical principle of the Sabbath was given for man’s protection against burn out.  Not only does that apply to our work week and taking a day off, but there’s a longer range benefit as well.  The purpose of a sabbatical – an extended time away from work – is spiritual, relational, emotional and physical rest and recuperation.

After a staff pastor has completed five years of full time ministry at Nags Head Church he is eligible for a one month sabbatical.  Or he may choose to wait until the completion of seven years of ministry and take a sabbatical of up to three months.  During the time of sabbatical salary and benefits will continue to be paid by the church.  Sabbatical does not negate accrued vacation time, but is in addition to vacation.  Sabbaticals must be requested at least six months in advance and be approved by the elder body.”

I look forward to this time to refresh, renew and refuel!  I’m thankful that our church sees the benefit of a sabbatical.  This is my fourteenth year at NHC and this will be my second sabbatical.  My first sabbatical was when we brought the twins home.  I spent a month at home changing diapers, holding and feeding babies, living life with a huge lack of sleep.  Not really refreshed after that sabbatical but the time off was really appreciated and it hit at exactly the right time. 

If more churches put this into practice would they keep pastoral staff around longer than two or three years?  Would pastors get the 7 year itch to move on to a new ministry location?

My plans are to:

Spend more time reading the Word and articles and books.

Spend more time with my family investing in them.

Spend more time resting and relaxing and even taking long walks on the beach.
Spend more time working around the house and getting some projects done.

Take a few small road trips.



I plan on blogging more during this time and of course posting the meals I cook on instagram.


The Cell Phone Post

The dreaded cell phone.  For years in youth ministry we have combatted the cell phone.  In the early years it wasn't a battle because phones were so expensive to have and to use.  In addition they were huge, a handheld looked like a military phone used to call in air strikes, the bag phone just wasn't cool to carry around.   

Because I’m an old man I probably struggled more than others.  When I was a teen we used land line phones if we were going to call each other.  We waited until we saw each other to talk and have conversations.  If we wanted to listen to music together we had to get into the 69 Bug (this was in 85, I’m not that old) and listen to Phil Collins on the boombox located in my backseat because I was too poor to install a stereo system.  To take a picture I had to get the roll of film for my Kodak camera, as a result I don’t have many pictures of me and my friends from the days of old.

I have seen the problems cell phones cause on youth trips or at youth group gatherings.  Students get locked into their own world with a friend who didn’t come on the trip, or boyfriend/girlfriend.  The student who puts in the ear buds to block out everyone else.  For sure there are problems with the cell phone on the trip or at youth worship gatherings.  Here it comes . . . .

BUT . . .

There are some benefits to the cell phone:

On the trip to the amusement park you can find students quickly and easily.  You can remind them in a group text to meet at the main gate at 8:55pm, etc.


Pictures are one of the best ways to promote events.  Students can instantly post pics to Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.

You can’t be everywhere at the event at one time so students can share their pics with you to use to promote the event next year and on your web site/Facebook page.

Students are using their cell phone with Youversion app for their Bible reading.  A lot easier to carry to youth group and they actually have a Bible with them at all times.


Great pics from youth group worship can be posted immediately.


The “hover parent” can text their kid instead of texting you at 11:30pm to see how “Johnny” is doing on the trip.

BUT . . .

It’s good to lay down some ground rules.

Our rules at our Student Church on Sunday nights: 
If we see you texting a bunch we ask you to put it away.  If you are constantly on your phone we have a nice little box to put your phone in.

You are welcome to use your phone to take pics, post to social media.
 #loftstudents
Please use your phone and use your Bible app if you didn’t bring your Bible.

No earbuds or headphones.



A No Brainer

A few weeks ago I was on the beach with my family on a Sunday afternoon and as we left the beach I walked past a large group of local middle and high schools students who were hanging out at the beach. 

Each Sunday night during July and August our youth group meets at the beach, we have been doing this for 13 years.  We meet at a different beach access than the one my family was hanging out at.  As we left the beach that day the thought rolled through my mind, "Why not meet at a beach access where middle and high school students are already hanging out at?"  It was sort of a "no brainer" moment.  But I tucked it away in my cranium and let it roll around in there for a few weeks.  It kept surfacing and I kept tucking it away in the noggin.

Last week I got a "nudge" that pushed me to make the decision.  I ran it by our team of volunteers and they were all on board.  I even got a few, "Change is good!"

So we are going to amp it up in a few ways:

1.  Our students will lead the way in setting up the beach for our student church on the beach.
2.  Our students will set up  Beach volleyball, cornhole, KanJam, Spikeball.
2.  Set up a large pop up canopy with a banner (possibly set up earlier in the day to get attention)
3.  Continue to grill hot dogs as we have in the past (but grill more)
4.  Play some music
5.  Have our students be the ones that go around and invite the middle and high school students there to join the fun.

The trick is getting our students to catch the vision.  I'm promoting it with parents via email and Facebook group.  I'm promoting it among the students via Instagram.

July 5th is our launch of youth group on the beach 2.0 - Student Church on the Beach.  Check back and I'll let you know how it is going.  Join us in praying for a great success in sharing the love of Jesus Christ with students at the beach.

Last Night in The Loft

Wow!  It has been a while since I have posted in the old blog.  Been super busy and just haven't taken the time.  Trying to get back in the saddle.

Last night we had an eventful evening.  We have several graduates to say goodbye to so we celebrated with cupcakes and sub sandwiches.  Each graduate received a copy of "Moving On" Knowing where you're going to go and how to get there.  This book is from our fine friends at LeaderTreks and Doug Franklin.

Our current series has been The Real World.  We have dealt with the fact that life is full of struggles, finances, being a light in a dark world.  Last night we took a look at My Place in the real world.  Quick overview of the message:

•  God has a plan and that plan includes you.  Jeremiah 29:11

• God is sovereign

•  Find His Plan
•  Right Now > follow him, share him, love others
• In the Future
• How do I discover his plan for my life?
• Spend time in the Bible and prayer
• Ask God to show you.  Proverbs 3:5-6
• Seek advice from godly and more mature people
• Don't get so consumed by the future that you miss out on today
  Matthew 6:33, 34
  
• Seize the Opportunity   (Esther's story; Esther 4:14

We  said "Welcome" to our 5th graders moving into 6th grade.  This was a big moment for me personally as my eldest man-child is now in the youth group.  I'm now my son's youth pastor.   How did this happen so fast?  This could get interesting.  

 

my boy's first student worship experience

 

We said "Goodbye" to Marie.  Marie has served with me in youth ministry as a volunteer longer than anyone else at NHC, probably around 12 years.  We are going to miss Marie on Sunday nights!!  Marie has decided that she is going to switch it up.  She will be working with our 4th and 5th graders on Sunday mornings.  Where did I spot her during Hang Time last night?  Doing what she does best, sitting with middle school girls talking with them and building relationships.  It is the end of an era.  She will be missed but I'm excited for how God is going to use her in the lives of our 4th and 5th grade students.

 Marie is dead center in our YM Team photo strip

The YM Team left the church and headed to the Snow Bird for some ice cream and time to hang out with Marie on her last night of serving with us.  Nothing consoles the heart like a big old scoop of ice cream.  (I had moose tracks)
     

Mission Trip Video

The Mission Trip

We just returned from a great mission trip.  We took 9 students and 6 adults to the island of Eleuthera to work at Camp Bahamas.  Some think right way, “Oh, yeah.  The Bahamas.  Right.”  We discovered on our trip that 75% of children born in the Bahamas last year were born to single moms.  Over 60% of the nations population is under the age of 24.  This nation doesn’t stand a chance if the youth are not reached with the gospel.









Camp Bahamas is knocking it out of the park.  The only Christian camp, that I’m aware of, in an entire nation.  For 6 weeks in the summer they put on camp for children and youth.  Eighty kids a week show up to have fun, play sports and learn about the love of Jesus Christ.  During the year they host many retreats and events that are focused on life change through Jesus.

When you hear the history and vision of the camp from camp director, Richard Albury, you immediately know that Camp Bahamas is a “God thing”.  

Our group had the honor of serving Camp Bahamas for several days.  We flew in on a Saturday.  We arrived late in the afternoon and unloaded and got set in our cabins then spent some time relaxing and jumping in the ocean before dinner.



Sunday we attended worship at a Hatian church where the service was almost entirely in Creole.  What a great experience for our students!  The Hatians loved worshipping and being at church, you could see the joy of the Lord in them.  Two of our students shared their testimony and the pastor interpreted for them.  These two students moved way out of their comfort zone.

Monday we worked all day at the camp clearing brush and picking up trash and construction debris.



Tuesday through Thursday we worked at the camp in the mornings and then in the afternoons we went to a local park and played ball with the kids.  One day we bought them all ice cream.  Each day at the park one of our students shared a Bible story with the kids.  It was interesting that on the first day there was only one kid at the park when we arrived and it didn’t take long for word to spread through the settlement of Tarpum Bay that we were at the park.  Soon we had about 20 something kids there playing ball with us.  This was our students’ favorite part of the mission trip.  On the final day at the park I followed up the Bible story with the gospel.



Friday was our “free” day.  We helped clean up some cabins in the morning then went out to lunch and spend the afternoon swimming and went and checked out a banyan tree.

 Each morning we worked on our quiet time journal which was specifically designed for a mission trip.  You can find these resources at LeaderTreks.  Each evening after dinner we gathered together for a team meeting.  We reviewed our day and evaluated our team.



The purposes of this trip was to:
Expose students to a different culture
Move students out of their comfort zone

Allow students to experience a short term mission experience

Serve and minister to Camp Bahamas staff and future campers

Share the love of Christ with the kids of Eleuthera

What an awesome experience we had together and everyone on the trip is already talking of a return mission trip. 
  I'm not gonna lie, for an old guy the work wore me out and I had muscles aching, muscles I had forgotten about long ago.  As a youth pastor I was so encouraged by our students serving without complaining and doing what was asked of them.  They truly understood the reason why they were on the island.   Now we are talking of how we can apply what we learned in Eleuthera here in our own community.