How To Reclaim Your Student and Your Summer in 30 Days Or Less

Julie Johnson, Ridgecrest Baptist Church

Summer doesn’t officially start until a week from today. However, the hum of air conditioners and the smell of barbecue have been tingling the senses for several weeks. Kids are out of school. The pool is open. And “nothing” seems to be the topic of the month.
In the words of Nell Carter* and with the echo of John Stossel*, “Gimme me a break.”

So without further ado, here are top tips on reclaiming your student and summer in 30 days or less by having spiritually-significant experiences and conversations.

1. Be a party of two. 30 Days: Turning the Hearts of Parents and Teenagers Toward Each Other isn’t so much a book as it is a line of communication. Sealed in envelopes, 30 Days contains cards to be read by both parent and student and designed to deepen relationships. One reviewer says that “my 15-year-old son shared that he felt valued and important because I took the time to do this with him.” You can find the book at Lifeway.

2. Share an experience. Our Rock Your Block one-mile mission trip is July 26-28. CAMP is July 14-18. See where I’m going with this? Imagine how summer would be if the conversation after a mission trip or CAMP would entail more than, “How was CAMP?” “Fine.” “What did you do?” “Stuff.” By sharing the experience of a mission trip and/or CAMP, conversations can vary from simple one-word statements followed by laughter to longer, more significant stories about Jesus.

3. Attend church together. Sit together as a family and then talk about the message afterwards. Share what you learned and how the Scripture applied to you. Need an ice-breaker? I have two from this past Sunday. a) Hosea and Debbie washing each other’s feet and 2) Molly, the zoo and poop.

4. Pray together. In addition to the safer mealtime and bedtime prayers, find moments throughout the day to pray together. What are you thankful for? Who in your family or circle of friends or community needs intercessory prayer? Has God placed something on your heart or your student’s heart? We aren’t talking New York Times best-sellers list. Instead, do the best you can and model your love for Christ in a prayer shared with your student.

5. Fast. Recently, a New Jersey principal, Anthony Orsini, urged parents of middle schoolers to prohibit their students from all social networking sites (Facebook, etc.) mainly because of bullying. You could say, I suppose, that Orsini believed bullying interfered with learning. Quick -- name something that interferes with your growing closer to God. Television, anyone? A type of music, perhaps. The gym? Yes, I said it. Whatever it is for you and your student, fast from it for a week or so, and use that time to grow closer to each other and to God. See above and below for suggestions on how to fill the space.

6. Take the 7/24 Challenge. SO super simple. Read the Bible 24 minutes a day for seven days a week. Not sure how to start or where to start? BibleGateway.com has several different reading plans to help.

Pop Quiz: First person to leave a comment and correctly identify the TV shows that made Nell Carter and John Stossel famous receives $15 off CAMP or $10 off Winter Retreat. Make sure your name is in your post!