Bittersweet

This was the last morning for YCI at Kyles school this morning. I have so much enjoyed my time invested into this middle school bible study before school on most Friday mornings in the media center. Next year, Kyle, and a host of other students that I know will be going to the new Hickory Ridge Middle school and that leaves me pumped up. I have to wait the summer? Dang... I met the new campus Pastor this morning and spoke with her a little about seeing me next year and I look forward to serving God and these students with her as well as my time still investing in the school that has been my Friday mornings a wonderful place. It was nice to get the extra hugs and smiles this morning - Mr Lonnie we will see you this summer right? We better! I love hearing that because there are moments when one really does think - All this effort, all this time, all this modeling, all this preaching ... is it making a difference?
It is ... without a doubt.
During these summer weeks - there will be a different avenue to pursue. It won't be serving these students in a school setting, even though I will miss that and really look forward to school next year already. It is good to have some down time, take some vacation, have some family time, to invest in the relationships that are close to us .... but as those area's that are not fruitful during the summer, we must recognize that there will be other area's that will. God has invested too much into us to leave us without bearing fruit ... we just have to recognize that its not all the same ol'same ol' all the time. Another area in our ministry and in our life will prosper as another takes a rest.
With that being said - June is going to be a busy month. The calendar is full of area's that will produce. I am mostly talking with the student ministry at church with get together at ballgames, meeting over breakfast and lunch hours during the summer, mission work in the community by being a neighbor to our neighbors, movie nights, and a host of other great things to put our students, leaders and families together. I am also talking about trips to the cabin with some of our close friends and my close kids. Pool parties where we just enjoy hanging out sharing smiles. What I am really trying to word out here is "Connection".
Its the relational aspect of ministry. Without relational ministry you don't have a ministry. Jesus was about the relationship above all else. Personally knowing Him and not just knowing about Him. This reminds me of the step of faith earlier in the week where 3 of my close peeps were baptised. They have stepped forward in knowing of God to having a relationship with God. It will take relationship to continue that steps forward in their faith. We all need encouragement and guidance. We all need that "Paul" relationship in our lives. The connection to those relationships has everything to do with being a mentor. It really has me kicked up as I look at the coming summer weeks where I won't be in the schools. I won't be connected to everyone as I am during the normal year. Summer has its breaks, its different type of growth and its different type of rest. All are needed~~
Mentorship is where those relationships that we have been investing in become a little closer or they grow further apart. I love the fact that I am eager to know more of the way Jesus showed His life to us by the way He lived. We should all be holding ourselves to that level of mentorship because believe it or not -we are all influencing someone. We are leading someone somewhere even if we don't think we are. So as I look around me and to those I continue to say -"Stick with me" - I will do my best to continue a different look for the summer and will continue to pray that mentorship/relationship produces fruit.
A mentor is a person that:
* Will pray faithfully for the person or people they are mentoring
* Has a sufficient awareness of pointing people to Jesus
* Is positive and is an encourager
* Is open to mutual accountability
* Is willing to commit the time needed to mentor someone effectively (time is our most precious commodity)
* Can listen and provide a non-judgmental attitude and point of view
* Is confident in themselves and is willing to establish their life as one to be modeled
* Is faithfully seeking the Lord as to be able to more effectively encourage others in their own faith
The cool thing about a relationship built on these qualities - it doesn't have to happen in a classroom. It doesn't have to be a formal setting. For me these relationships/mentorships happen over icecream, a jump on the trampoline, a pool swim, a boat ride, a talk while walking the mall, a coffee at breakfast, picking out a song on the ipod, me attending a baseball game or tumbling practice - a text message, email or facebook post. This relationship/mentorship oozes the basic principles of "I care" , "You Matter to me" and "I am proud of you".

I look at the summer coming up and place high value on all the church programs and outings coming up together but I also value those times where its down time and we just set the pace at a slower speed and let God get personal. This is ministry in our every day lives. This is ministry that is personal. This is ministry that puts glue in the cracks of our foundation and makes our relationships/mentorships stronger.
In a few hours my family and I will be headed to the cabin. A place where you can "be as you are" as my buddy Kenny would sing. We will be there with another family that we just love and it will be nice to just unwind, remove the pace, strip down to the basics of who we are and pause long enough to not care about the clock or what needs to be done next.
I will close with this - Personally knowing God is different than know about God. There is a big difference where you invest your time, passion, money and vision when you personally know Him. You can never really shut that vision "Off". Its who you are.....
Enjoy the long weekend loved ones,
In Christ,
Lonnie~