Monday, June 22, 2009

Summer Ministry

When I married Wally he was serving a church in Kentucky as their youth minister. I had served a church as a youth intern and thought I knew what I was getting into. Things were going alright and then summer hit. 

We went from one activity to another. We helped teach the children's VBS recreation in the morning and led the student activities that night. The Saturday after all that, we left with a group of older kids and middle schoolers for Crosspoint, a Christian themed sports camp. 
Upon arriving home from that week-long event we had only a couple of hours to do laundry and re-pack before leaving with the rest of the youth group for Nashville, the location of a week of Mission Fuge. 

I had done alright until about three-fourths of the way through that last week. 

I was tired. I was stressed. I missed my husband. I had been near him for the previous month, but we hadn't really seen each other. The kids had become overwhelming and hard to love. Somehow, sensing that I needed to "get away," Wally took me to a Wendy's on the West End. After a quick trip through the drive-through, I had me a good, old-fashioned cry right there in the front seat of the church van. 

Recently, Wally and I had a good laugh over that good cry. I just wanted to let you dear ladies know that I know that ministry can be crazier in the summer. Church calendars seem to get busier as school lets out. There is VBS, camps, fellowships, mission projects and other events that get added onto an already busy weekly schedule.

Hang in there. Stay connected to God and don't let that relationship slide as you might let other things go. Be sensitive to other staff wives at your church or in your area. As the Music Minister's wife your summer may not be too crazy, but just look at your Student Minister's wife as she tries to juggle her husband's absences with the needs of their two small kids. Pray for these families. Minister to each other as our men minster to our churches. 

Do you have a funny summer mission/ministry story? Please share . . . I know we could all use a good laugh. Even if it isn't funny at the time, we need the reminder that what we are dealing with in the summer of '09 may be hilarious this time next year!

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