DES MOINES (BP) – The student ministry calendar maintains a rhythm during the school year of regular gatherings alongside occasional higher-volume-and-publicity events. Sometimes the latter can be for the youth group itself, such as a bowling night, or alongside other churches, as in a weekend discipleship event.
The summer also brings its share of unique opportunities. While family vacations and demanding sports calendars can make consistent meetings a challenge, it is also the time for weeklong trips to camp or for missions. They bring a level of enthusiasm that leaders would love to maintain – or at least the effects thereof – into the school year and beyond.
Channeling the enthusiasm in ways that prolong the effects is important, said Jonathan Meyer, senior high pastor at Grace Church in Des Moines.
“We find that a lot of students come back from camp excited about Jesus and aren’t sure what to do with that,” he said. “We highly recommend they start by acting like Jesus and reaching people outside of the church.”
Luke 9-10 provides the blueprint at Grace Church as teams of students venture out to share the Gospel. Teens design one-day city mission projects with the help of a $150 budget from the church. Parents take part as well.
Recently, a group bought 14 pizzas and handed out slices alongside bottled waters and Gospel-centric silicone bracelets (ordered off Amazon) near a downtown bus station. Discussions began by asking pedestrians how the group could pray for them. Bibles were available, too.
Such events give more students a chance to be a part of missions.
“Something like this works in groups of any size,” said Meyer, who is also the state representative in student ministry for the Baptist Convention of Iowa. It was the second such outreach for the group, he added, with one more planned this summer.
Extending more summertime opportunities for missions carries over into the fall. Meyer sees students excited about studying the Bible, praying and worshipping on return from camp, but wants to give those experiences a runway for future ministry.
“We leverage relationships in the summer because they have so much free time,” he said. “We want to make the most of Gospel-centric platforms with evangelistic events.”
On July 27, the church will rent out Cascade Falls Aquatic Center. That may sound like a tall order, but if 200 students show up and pay a small fee that is half the regular price, it will only cost the church $500.
The student ministry of Quail Springs Baptist Church in Oklahoma City also works on building relationships with effects lasting into the fall.
Student Pastor Dylan Bone coaches a cohort of six students on preaching twice a week during the summer. Participants preach at the midweek meeting following camp until school starts.
“It accomplishes multiple things,” he said. “I get to pour into the next generation of ministers and help craft their preaching. Also, students are drawn to when other students lead, and that becomes a connection point for guests from camp. It gives them the chance to lead out of the overflow of what happened at camp.”
In addition to Sunday and midweek, student fellowships are held on Sunday nights at a host home. Those wanting to go deeper in Scripture take part in a systematic theology class.
It’s also important to consistently expose students to stories from the summer.
“That can be done through testimonies on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights,” Bone said. “Plans are to video through so we can share them on social media as an encouragement and show others the life change going on at Quail Springs.”
Lance Logue served in student ministry for many years before becoming the lead pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Redmond, Ore. He remains highly involved, however, through the Northwest Baptist Convention by putting on events like student conferences and youth leader cohorts. He recently completed a season of leading the state convention’s youth camp.
When it comes to reaching teens in his area, he said context is crucial.
“There is a very high level of lostness here, and that significantly shapes how we see camp and other major student events,” Logue said. “Many who come to camp don’t even realize they’re having a ‘mountaintop experience’ because they don’t know Jesus yet. For some, camp is their first real exposure to the Gospel and the Church.”
Those factors make follow-up “absolutely essential” and begin with celebrating the stories of those who came to faith in Christ, have accepted a call to ministry or took similar spiritual steps.
“One of the biggest mistakes is returning home and simply moving on. The stories stay at camp, and that shouldn’t happen,” Logue said. “Youth leaders need to understand that camp is the starting point, not the finish line.”
Growth can be largely determined by involvement from other adults. Logue encourages enlisting those who will be intentional about maintaining contact with students, praying for them and helping apply how God spoke to them.
Parental involvement actually begins before camp and can become a more active part of the student ministry and the church.
“If you cast a vision for what God might do [beforehand], you’re much more likely to see engagement after camp ends,” Logue said.
“When we celebrate what God did, we help relieve and reinforce [students’] commitments. The entire church should be part of that celebration. It keeps the momentum visible.”
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