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Will wear for free trip to SWO
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
that’s awesome!
What a great idea!! Sharing with our youth director now!! SWO is absolutely worth every dime. My daughter received Christ at SWO 3 summers ago and continues to grow in truth and grace.
I’m one of these contestants! I had the chance to go to Snowbird this past summer and had such an amazing time I made a promise to myself that somehow, someway I would get the money to be there next summer. So many people think it’s crazy that my fellow contestants and I have been wearing the same shirt for 55 consecutive days now, but I have no problem explaining to them what a fun and life-changing experience Snowbird really is and that it is completely worth it to wear the same shirt everyday. I am so excited for SWO’ 11 and if all goes as planned I’ll hopefully be attending for free!
We are down to the final three. Who will it be?
Shawn and I will commit to paying half of the 2nd place winners camp fee! Awesome idea
and i will pay the other half of the second place winner. you guys inspire me!
that is cool Brody but we really just want to see you perspire. You manly man
What is wrong with my brother? There serious need to be a special breakout just for him.