Planning and Purpose

I spend about half my time at BBC planning for the future. I try to plan each school year out by the end of the summer, and each summer by the end of April. I generally know the Bible studies we’re going to do, the events we’re going to hold, and how we’re going to get things done. You may find it hard to believe, but I’ve already started planning for the Fall 2011 semester, and I’m actually behind some other youthguys I know.

Things don’t always go as planned. I’m experiencing this right now. Last summer, I planned One Night Only 2011 for April 2. Then something came up and we needed to move it, so I chose April 16. Now, we have found more reasons to move it again. Frustrating... if my purpose was to advance my own program, that is.

Planning ahead from an organizational perspective is completely necessary if we are going to advance an organization in a meaningful way. That’s kind of where we are in our institution of church. So I will keep planning. But at BBC, we tend to value people over programs and relationships over schedules. And when I am tempted to become annoyed and frustrated because things didn’t work out the way I planned, I remember my purpose.

You see, my purpose is not to pull off great events. My purpose is not to be well-known as a tremendous speaker or revered as the city’s best youth guy. My purpose is to pursue real and lasting life change in the lives of my students brought about by their growing knowledge of and relationship with Christ.

Events and programs are just a means to that end. And they are not even the primary means. We have Focus, I am Second, One Night Only, Second Camp, Mission Trip, and other scheduled events to facilitate growing relationships with each other and with Christ. But in reality, it’s the phone calls, the Facebook messages, the conversations at lunch or at the ball game or in a living room, the hanging out around Farkle or Madden Football, the random interactions at the store that really foster and deepen our relationships with each other. And it is through these interactions that we are able to spur each other on to love and good works.

So when scheduling difficulties come around, as they always do, I remember my purpose. I remember that we could do without the event, and we would be just fine. There are plenty of ways that Christ draws us into an ever-deepening knowledge of Himself, and most of them have nothing to do with a silly variety show that raises a little money so we can travel to camp and mission trip. Something tells me we would have that money with or without the show.