Closing Summer/Opening Campus Ministry

As I am writing this our youth and their parents are in a hustle to do a couple of things. 

1.) Buy school clothes
2.) Find the coolest binders and pens in existence.
3.) Double checking with the guidance counselors to make sure they have all the right classes to graduate and pad the ole GPA.

One thing is for sure, the summer has quickly come to an end.

Some would think that this is the time when a youth pastor starts to shut down. But, it's the complete opposite. With a new school year beginning, a whole new branch of youth ministry and opportunities to reach teens for Christ opens up!

Here is a list of how I "Close Out" the summer and how I "Open Up" the school year's Campus Ministry...

"Closing Out" Summer 

- When we finish each summer calendar I look back over it and calculate some numbers.
     * How many 'ministry' hours did we put in? (We will be close to 275 hrs.)
     * About how many different teens did we minister to?
     * What were some high points?
     * What were some low points?
     * What events/hang outs were successful?
     * What events/hang outs do we need to rework or cut?
     * What do we need to make more of a priority for next summer?
     * Should we do 'Summer' Wednesday nights differently?
     * Should we do 'Summer' Sunday morning Bible Study differently?

- I take down the Summer calendars and put up the school ones.

- We have our closing event = "So Long Sweet Summer"

- I have a meeting with our Youth Team and discuss anything and everything from point one, and we vision cast/plan for the school year.

"Opening Up" Campus Ministry

- One of the first things I do, is about 2 weeks from the start of the school year is email/call all of my contacts at our schools. (We minister to about 8 different schools.) I contact them for a couple of different reasons.
     * To ask if there is anything we can do to help them get the school year started.
     * To make sure the school is still willing to let me come have lunch during the school year.
     * To find out if I am even aloud on campus (Unfortunately some make you jump through EXTREME hoops)
     * To start setting up which week and day of the month I will come and speak through the year. (Chapels, FCA's, FCS's, Etc.)
     * To find out if the schools offer any 'sports passes' to come to games. (We go to a lot of games and it really adds up. Even if one school will give you and your spouse a pass, it was worth the call.)
     * To start setting up our 'Tailgate Nights.' (Where we go to football games, and meet tons of people!) = Amazing outreach.

The last things we do are really quite simple: (But, yet kind of fall into both categories...)

- We have our annual 'Boot Camp' = This is for rising 7th graders. It's a day full of learning and exploring what we do in the 'Blue House', why we do it, and how they can be apart of the team.

- We say goodbye to our seniors (Always sad, but they are ready.)

- I have our students fill our new 'Student Info Cards.' These are cards with general information = School, grade, email, etc. But, they also have some questions to make ministering to them a little easier for us = From their favorite soda/candy, to their favorite place to hang out, hobbies, to if they know Jesus as their Savior.

I'm sure I'm not the only youth pastor to do these things. But, I just thought I'd share. 

Praying for this year to be a HUGE, God-sized movement in our schools! 

Shine On,
Chase Allen