There/Here Thinking

I love our Summer Ministry at NMC. Although we continue with a scaled back Sunday and Wednesday program, the heart of our Summer Ministry can be summed up in one word... TRIPS.

DCGO
IMPACT Mexico
Jr. High Camp
Sr. High Camp
Preteen Camp

I think the whole area of "trip discipleship" is our specialty at NMC. These trips are fun, memorable, and life-changing. Each trip has a varying level of intensity and focus, but they all are significant in our game plan to see students move from Religion to Relationship to Spiritually Reproducing. I'd say the key element in taking the trip and moving into something deeper is living out "There/Here Thinking".

Simply stated, "There/Here Thinking" is understanding that almost any significant experience, lesson, or breakthrough that happens there (in Mexico, Washington D.C., or at Camp) has application and implications here (back home).

It's awesome watching the there/here lessons unfold in students.

• At NYGO last year, the student who was harshly rejected by an individual he was seeking to share the gospel with. As he debriefed his devastation over the event, he realized it was because the individual reminded him of his father back home. When he returned here, he went out with his dad and had an incredible discussion about Christ.
• At one of my first IMPACT trips, I'll never forget the student who was simply broken over the vast sea of people and realizing how many of them did not know Christ. The sparked a desire to return to the sea of faces in his own High School and seek to be more intentional and aggressive in his efforts to share his faith.
• The gal at Summer Camp who knew that her life was filled with way too many good things that were keeping her from the God things. She chose to lay down her final year of track in order fully dive into the IMPACT Ecuador trip the following year. On that IMPACT trip, she experienced Christ at a depth and understanding she hadn't before which caused her to redefine her college major (that's called, there/here/there/here thinking).

I could go on and on with these stories. How do we do this? are a few key ingredients that we infuse into these trips...

• Extensive Training leading in: Not the case with the Summer Camps, but the GO and IMPACT trips have months of training meetings and a retreat leading into the time. They start "here" before we go "there" and practice/learn.
• Lot's of Process Time. Every trip contains anywhere from 30-60 minutes of daily TAWG Time Alone With God). Students are given basic coaching on personal Bible Study, prayer, journaling and worship, and then get out and do it. GOD SPEAKS IN THESE TIMES. It's often these moments students will remark where the "There/Here" lesson translates.
• Debrief. We stop and talk about what we're learning A LOT. In small and large groups. On bus rides and in group times. Through strategic exercises and impromptu conversations. We are constantly stopping and asking students "What is God doing in/through you, and what is the take-home lesson?"
• Leaders. When looking for leaders for our trips, I'm looking for shepherds who know how to help students process. Some adults want to go on these trips for their own experience. The best leaders are there to do everything they can to enhance the students experience. The best leaders ask students tons of questions about their experience. The best leaders pick their game up in the student's down-time because they know it's in those times they can engage in the "There/Here Thinking."

I'm excited to see the There/Here Lessons that will be happening again this Summer!