Summer is over.

Camps, conferences, missions trips, and VBS are in the rearview mirror. Fall is staring you in the face. August is a transition month for most student ministries. There’s a different mindset and vibe to June and July. We go from a pretty irregular, demanding, travel-heavy summer schedule to a slightly more routine, more home-based schedule in the autumn. Still demanding, but in a different way.

August is the in-between space between a crazy summer schedule and the routine of a fall calendar. It’s a bridge space, and it’s important that we get this short season right. Here’s what I do to make August a useful time.

Take a Vacation

I always take time off in August. It’s a natural reset. Summer gets filed away. I travel and see family. I read and write. I think. I sleep in. I eat whatever I want. I don’t do much unless I feel like it. You should too. Schedule it in at the beginning of the year and guard it. You won’t think you’ll have time for it.

Do it anyway.

Reflect

What just happened? Get together with your spouse, co-workers, volunteers, etc., and evaluate events, trips, etc. Make a list of people (students/volunteers) who absolutely knocked it out of the park and send them a thank you card or treat them to coffee. Deal with any disappointments or discipline issues and close the books on them so the drama doesn’t bleed into the school year. And don’t forget…how did God move in your life? He was working on you while you were working with others.

Figure out how.

Plan

Lest you think you’re finished, there’s more work to do! Promises have been made, recommitments pledged. Programs kick back off. Prioritize and develop a plan of attack for now thru December. Right now, we already have fall teaching for Sunday morning planned through the end of the year and our midweek teaching series are planned for the whole school year. When I get back in the saddle (I’m on vacation as I write this), I can immediately start executing. And I’m ready to, because I’ve done the other two things on the list already.

Do a Sabbath Day & a Day of Recreation

If you have a family, you probably took vacation with them. That’s awesome. But you probably didn’t really get rejuvenated that much. So set aside two more days. Make one a you and Jesus kind of thing, and do whatever it takes to connect with Him. Pray, journal, read, be in nature, sing and play your guitar, whatever.

Take a second day and recreate. Get in a kayak, ride a horse, binge watch a show, eat something fried, go for a long run. Do something you enjoy, and do it all day.

Then – and ONLY then – after you’ve done these four things, should you get back to work.Relax.

Reflect.

Recreate.

You’ve earned it the past couple of months.