The hectic pace of student ministry shifts from summer to fall, and now you have to be ready for the rogers of weekly programming.

As you prepare, I have two questions:

What are your expectations this year?
Will you do this alone?

Usually during the summer ministry you have the opportunity to witness God’s work in students up close and personal. And maybe you wonder, will this continue?

If it were to continue, what would it look like?

As you start to dream, start with some time with God. Seek God’s direction as you think and pray about the next year. I think this works best away from the office. Maybe in a place where you can go and know that you best experience God’s presence. Take a journal and commit your thoughts to print. When you are done, consider this sequence.

Put your journal away for one week. After one week, find a place where you can review your notes. Make additions. Clarify some of your notes or write new thoughts. After this, highlight the things that stand out to you.
Review your notes one last time, and before you leave this space, decide one person that you can share your dreams with. It doesn’t need to be all you have written. Choose some specific things that you would feel free to share.
Make an appointment and share your dreams with someone you trust within two weeks from the start date. Be vulnerable and ask this person to share their dreams for the student ministry, and ask them to commit to pray for you this semester.
Within the first four weeks of your dream session, schedule a time to share your dreams with your student ministry team. If you don’t have a team, then this is the place to start developing a team. Ask others to share their dreams. Plan regular meet ups to review your dream sessions, pray and celebrate.

Dream dreams. Share dreams. Celebrate dreams.