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Killing a golden calf?
My church has done the same youth mission trip, run by the same people, to the same place for 25 years...it's become an idol to many here. I attended the trip last summer and there is absolutely NO spiritual focus from the trip planners or the parent organization we partner with (their idea of a devotion was prayer for breakfast and singing rocky top Tennessee for worship). How do I help this thing die gracefully without looking like a complete jerk. I heard my predecessor tried and was ripped apart for it (he left at the beginning of last summer..12 months on the job). I don't want to disrespect the past but at the same time can't stomach something that isn't point students to Christ....
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- bdcurtis85
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- 1 year ago
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first off, there's nothing wrong with rocky top. geez. my suggestion would be to plan the trip this year, but be very straightforward that the following year either the format, location, or entire trip will be shifting. keep your existing team in on this process. then spend the next year or so selling the idea to your volunteers, parents, leadership and teens. the best way to do this is by reframing the trip based on the focus of the ministry. a shift in ministry isn't bad. changing things up isn't bad either. also, check out the chapter on change in "your first two years in youth ministry" by doug fields. good stuff. (btw, Jesus respected the past, but changed things up, too). |
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A couple of things I notice here are these: 1. It's great that you have a team of people who are not paid staff who completely plan a trip. Albeit not so spiritual, there are a lot of YPs who would love to have that problem. 2. Missions are spiritual even when there are no great worship times or devotional times. But I agree there should be a more concerted effort on a mission trip to enrich our souls through things other than just manual labor. I don't know your structure. I would suggest you try to work with the planning team to make it a more spiritual experience. That way you keep a team of committed volunteers doing the work, you just steer them toward a more spiritual focus. Then maybe by year 2 you can do something totally different. |
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You didn't mention how long you've been there. If you're at the year point, slay that thing right in front of everyone. But...do your homework and be prepared to answer questions. I killed our summer conference trip this summer, but knew exactly how, why, etc. I got my own ministry team on board first, so it wasn't just me, but a group decision. |
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It is likely that you have not been there quite long enough to kill that calf, especially given the prior minister's experience. However, that does not mean that you cannot have a new vision for the existing trip. Maybe you can include some new or additional leadership, even from the outside to lead worship or do Bible studies. You might also consider setting up a second missions activity where you can model the behavior you would want for the other trip. |
