Oct
20
We all know that finding opportunities to get our students away from their day to day distractions and the continual lures of our culture can be extremely challenging. As leaders we have to be super intentional and creative to make space and time for our students to experience God maybe for the first time ever or in a way they have never before. This is why I am so adamant in making Snowbird Wilderness Outfitters a priority on my calendar every summer.
The only thing that I can think of that is even more challenging is trying to convince parents that spending nearly four hundred dollars to send their seemingly ungrateful teenager to camp is an investment they will not regret. Overcoming the cost factor of sending students to camp can be difficult but as leaders we need to be advocates and not waiver on our belief in the significance camp can play in a student’s life. We need to be as creative as possible in our efforts to make it a reality for as many students as possible. Let me tell you about a way I increase energy and motivate my students to attend camp each summer.
It started as a joke and has become something huge for our ministry. Last fall in 2009 we made new t-shirts for our student ministry for the start of school. The first Wednesday that the new shirts were in one of my students said “if I wear this to school every day for a month will you give me a free trip to SWO?” Her comment was brilliant and I was willing to take her up on this challenge. To be fair I extended this challenge to one student from our other high school in town. To make a long story short these two students wore their shirt everyday for the first month of school and attended SWO this past summer with all expenses paid.
After seeing the attention this challenge received last year we had to do something to continue to build on this excitement. I had several students this summer throwing out all kind of offers of things that they would do for a free trip to SWO. My summer interns and I came up with a plan for this year that was very similar but opened it up to whoever was willing to participate. We had shirts made with our ministry logo very large across the chest and underneath it read “Will wear for free trip to SWO ‘11”. The challenge was whoever would wear their shirt for the most consecutive school days would win a free trip to SWO this coming summer. On top of wearing the shirt to school every day they also have to post a picture of them at school each day on our ministry’s facebook page. We began the contest with twelve students participating and are currently at four students and have been wearing their shirt for forty-seven school days so far.
I would like to challenge you to think outside of the box when it comes to getting your student to SWO. These experiences are life changing and I am committed to do whatever it takes to get as many of my students there as possible. Not to mention the great publicity your ministry receives on the campuses of your town.
Brad Russell – Student Pastor
Park Avenue Baptist Church
Titusville, FL
Oct
7
I hate backpacking. Something about walking around with a 60 pound load of stuff hanging off of my shoulders is unappealing. Especially when it involves going up really steep mountains, which is what we have a lot of around here. But, a lot of people love it. And there is no doubt, if you want to see some beautiful country that screams of God’s hand in creation, this is one of the best ways to do it. Spending a few days out there will refresh the most worn out mind and soul.
Over the years we have had quite a few staff members hike the entire Appalachian Trail. It is over 2000 miles of mountain traverse that runs from Maine to Georgia, and the whole endeavor can take anywhere from 4 months to a year. The trail passes not far from camp, and so we have often led students on hikes out there. One thing that always strikes me as interesting, is the number of hikers who hike the complete distance each year. Many of them are on a sort of “soul search”. They are at a point in life where they aren’t sure of their purpose or identity. These folks come from all walks of life and consist of students, retirees, professionals, and drifters and wanderers. They are young and old, men and women, and there seems to be no consistent charecteristic that fits them all. Not all are searching, but many are.
And one of the stangest things takes place out there…
Everyone takes an alternative identity. They issue themselves nicknames (called a trail name) that seems to defeat the purpose of finding themselves. I have heard some doozies. “Raindog”, ”Bedhead”, “General”, “Sweet Dreamz”, “Rabbit”, “Magic Thumb”, and our very own “Stride” (AKA Anne Tully, a current SWO staff member), to name a few. Most curious to me is the fact that many of these people become consumed with the name to the point that they no longer even think of themselves by their real name. It is like the AT identity takes over. They also refer to each other by these names, and only rarely can you get someone to cough up their given name. So much for finding yourself.
I don’t want to be too critical, here. For a lot of people, it is really all done in fun. No big deal. I once assumed the name “Pigpen”, for a lengthy hike i did (No comments wanted). But for the child of God, we have been given a new name. We have been given a new identity. We are identified with Christ in his life, death, ressurection, and in eternity. The old me is dead, Paul says.
In Ezekiel, Yahweh promises Israel that He will give them a new heart and a new Spirit. John talks repeatedly about the New Birth. The scripture is so clear that we have Christ’s identity, and He determines our purpose ( See Romans 8:28-30 ). So many people try to find their identity in what this world offers, and never find true joy. We belong to Christ, and must find ourselves in him.
Happy hiking,
brody
Sep
13
In chapter 4 of 1 Peter, it says that, “the time that is past is sufficient for doing what Gentiles want to do… with respect to this, they are surprised when you do not join with them… and they say evil things about you”.
How do you feel when you hear that? At first I thought, “sure Christian’s are supposed to be different”. But then I started thinking about it. Do people say mean things about me because I don’t live like they do? Are people constantly surprised by my life in Christ? If these things aren’t happening am I really being faithful to Jesus with the way that I live?
I love how this is phrased. I feel like Peter is being a little sarcastic here. He says that the time that is past is enough time for living like a sinner. It’s like he’s saying, “Oh, did you want to be a sinner? Well, you were. You had enough time for that before you became a Christian. Now you’re supposed to be like Jesus.”
And, to be honest, this is really convicting to me. He’s so matter-of-fact about how Christians are supposed to be different than non-believers. Our non-believing friends should be surprised by the way they act about everything. Your whole life needs to testify about the Gospel. And not only should they be surprised but they should be making fun of you because you’re a Christian. At SWO we talk about the fact that the Gospel is offensive all the time. And it’s offensive, not because we are jerks who try to shove the Bible down peoples’ throats, but because when we live like Christ, others will be convicted for how they live and take out their aggression on us.
Alright, so what should we do about this? Take a minute and look at your life. How does your life point toward Jesus? Do you have non-Christian friends who you hang out with and no one can tell that there is a difference between the ways you live? If that is the case, then you’re either just pretending or you’re not taking your faith seriously enough. If they are surprised and they do make fun of you, then be encouraged, the same thing happened to Jesus. Stand strong and use it as an opportunity to love them with the Gospel.
