Next week, I am taking a large number of students from my ministry on our annual Summer Retreat. There will be one big difference this year though, and that will be that my children will be coming along with us. My wife and I attended the Simply Youth Ministry Conference earlier this year, and we realized both while we were there, and when we returned home, that the length of the trip and being without Mom and Dad, took a heavy toll on our little guys!
For this reason and others we started looking into the logistics of bringing them along this summer and deemed it "Do-able", so next Thursday when the bus rolls in to pick us up. We will have some extra luggage, and extra little people with us.
I've opened this possibility to volunteer couple who are helping out on the trip and they are bringing their children as well. We've employed the help of 2 "Camp-Nannies" to come along and watch the kids, especially during "critical" ministry times (Our devotional times and services, etc.). The main point that my wife I kept arriving at during this decision making process is that our family has to win. And because of the vacation time at my day job, that I have had/will have to use, for the conference earlier this year, the Summer Retreat, and a few other ministry events coming up, my family was definitely on the losing end of my time allocation. This doesn't completely change things, but it helps.
I'd love to get some input on how make the retreat work even better for my family, and my ministry all at the same time!
What have you done during ministry trips to help your family win?
Blessings,
Jeremiah
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