As summer draws to a close, students, leaders, and youth pastors are gearing up for another academic year filled with new challenges and opportunities. After a transformative time at a summer camp like BigStuf, it's crucial to hold onto the lessons learned, even as the busy school year takes off. Here are some insights to help guide you into this new season.
Reflect on the Summer Lessons
Summer camps such as BigStuf are more than just fun—they're a time of profound spiritual growth and fellowship. Reflect on the lessons these experiences provided. Whether it was a particular scripture that resonated with you or a worship song that deepened your faith, consider how these moments can influence your daily walk and interactions at school. It may be helpful to review your notes from the messages or revisit the five day devotional on the bible app. Reminding ourselves of these moments where God has shown up for us makes our foundation stronger for when challenges come along the way.
Setting Spiritual Goals
As you step into the new school year, setting spiritual goals can be just as important as academic, extracurricular or ministry ones. These might include dedicating time for daily prayer, joining or forming a bible study group, or even leading a prayer session at school. Goals should be specific, measurable, and realistic to ensure they serve as a true catalyst for spiritual growth. For some, committing to showing up to your church's weekly gatherings might just be the best next step.
Building and Maintaining Community
The emphasis on Small Groups at camp underscores the importance of community. Having friends, mentors and a community of people who can come alongside you and support you in your walk with God gives you a trusted support network to rely on. Organize regular meet-ups, whether they're informal gatherings, service projects, or fellowship dinners, to maintain the bonds formed during the summer. If you're a leader or youth pastor, you have a particularly important role of creating these environments and fostering this community during the school year, which provides continuous support and encouragement for students.
Embrace Leadership Roles
Whether you're a student playing on a sports team or a youth pastor leading your youth group, the leadership roles we play in our areas of influence present a huge opportunity for us to show others what it's like to follow Jesus. Show integrity, compassion, and resilience. Demonstrating integrity, compassion, and resilience can inspire others to do the same in their respective spheres, be it in classrooms, sports teams, or within their own circles of friends. Simple acts of kindness and understanding can go a long way.
Stay Rooted in Scripture
Incorporating scripture into daily life is fundamental. Find a verse that you can make your anthem for this school year and put it somewhere where you'll see it everyday as to serve as a powerful reminder of God’s presence in every challenge faced. Then, as the year goes on, keep a journal or note on your phone of verses that are particularly meaningful to you.
Continuous Learning and Growth
Remember, spiritual growth is an ongoing journey, and everyone connects with God in unique ways. Discover how you best connect with God, whether through nature, scripture, worship music, a Bible study, or other activities. Find resources that resonate with you, such as online sermons, Christian books, and podcasts.
As you prepare for the new school year, keep these reminders at the forefront of your mind. Let the lessons from your summer experiences fuel your journey ahead, making it a year of impactful growth and profound faith. And remember- your BigStuf family has your back!
