Sami Preps for Summer

In my former life as a Youth Director, preparing for summer used to mean endless to-do lists: making sure the fundraisers were ready, the oil in the church van was changed, the payments had been collected from parents, the paperwork turned in by the students, hunting down endless insurance cards to copy and attach to medical forms… you name it.  The rhythm of busy is a regular one for youth leaders heading into summer. We get it.

What are you doing to prepare for the summer?

In my role as Church Representative here at YouthWorks, my summer preparations are focused on helping youth leaders prepare for their summers.  With the paperwork, driving directions, and trip and community specifics now up on the dashboard, it’s been great to connect with youth leaders who are looking for these resources.  They are in the midst of parent meetings, fundraising, and sharing with parents, students, and their congregations what they will be doing as they serve communities this summer.  It’s been great to be able to talk with excitement about our sites, and hear youth leaders get excited about ways they will be serving and engaging with the community.

What has been helpful as you prepare?

As someone who has been on the other end of the process, I think my experience as a youth leader has been great for helping other youth leaders walk through, step by step, the resources we have available and the timeline we are working on.  The online dashboard is thorough and has great information about communities, as well as resources for meetings and required paperwork.  LiveChat has been a great resource, too, because it helps us direct people around the website to find their pre-trip materials.

What moment are you looking forward to this summer?

I’m really looking forward to following our social media and seeing the youth leaders I’ve been working with in action – seeing pictures and reading updates about their mission trip moments.  I’m excited to see these folks I’ve worked with from the first phone call to the final group photo doing what they do best with their crew – in fellowship, in community, striving to be like Jesus.

After working in a church as a youth director for six years and going on numerous YouthWorks trips, Sami is excited to be serving youth leaders as a Church Representative. A lover of Jesus, teenagers and Diet Coke, Sami admires those who spend their time being secretly incredible by providing quality opportunities and experiences for the youth, churches and communities they serve. Highly caffeinated and ready for adventure, Sami spends her time away from work gallivanting around the Twin Cities, discovering delightful coffee shops, finding good food, and enjoying the company of friends.