Summer Rest

The two words summer and rest seem like an oxymoron for kidmin and preteen leaders. Summer is the busiest time of the year for most of us. Students are out of school and we are really busy with camp and other summer activities. If we want to stay emotionally & spiritually healthy, we need time away from ministry after summer.

While I was at a church in La Jolla for two years, the children’s/youth staff had a week off from all programming before and after summer. Many of us took vacation time during those weeks. And if we were in the office, we were encouraged to not work all that much and take it easy. Having that structure was extremely helpful for all of us. Instead of kicking it in high gear for the fall, I would highly recommend taking some time off after summer.

You need family time. If you’re married and/or have kids, they need some focused and dedicated time with you. You give to other kids all summer-long – spend some time with your own. And remember your spouse? He/she needs some attention from you too 🙂

You also need personal downtime. Schedule your time away with little activity. Keep it simple. Avoid cramming so much into your calendar that you need a vacation from your vacation. Keep it simple. Also build in some time to do things that recharge your emotional and spiritual batteries. Journal, take long walks, sip a hot cup of java at a Starbucks, enjoy a few minutes of solitude, paint, watch the sunset, fish – do whatever works for you.

Ministry is ongoing. There is always a service to plan, event to coordinate and a family in trouble. One of the keys to having staying power in ministry is to build downtime and family time around your busy seasons.

My friend, Matt Morgan, wrote about this topic as well. You can read his post, NO ONE LIKES ME WHEN I’M GRUMPY, at his blog – www.mattmo.org.

Have a great summer!