Threshold to the Summer

While it’s true that ON-RAMP (YouthWorks lingo for “week-long training” and short for Regional and Area Mission Preparation) is set to kickoff on Memorial Day, the training website (our pre-summer training ground for staff) has been a hopping for some time now. As I took a quick tour of the site this morning, I got excited reading these comments from soon-to-be 2015 summer staff…

 

Let’s Go!!!! YouthWorks 2015 -Brittany

Can’t wait!! #YW2015 -April

I’m so EXCITED and READY for this Journey….. -Montez

THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BEST SUMMER EVER!  -Luis

I’m excited about what God has in store for all us this summer!! -Samuel

 

Come Monday, the 2015 YouthWorks program, which currently only exists as words written in training manuals, program materials, curriculum and RAMP session outlines, will begin to unfold and take shape. By the end of the day, 320+ Jesus loving, service minded staff will have arrived to our four RAMP locations in Denver, Minneapolis, Birmingham and Philadelphia and we’ll officially kick off the summer.

 

 

Over the course of the next four days a solid foundation for a summer of ministry and service will be laid. We’ll worship together, share meals together and sleep on the floor together. Complete strangers will become teammates and friends. Kitchen novices will be prepared to cook for 70 (or at least have had some experience to build upon for when they actually have to cook for 70). We’ll provide tips on best practices in serving communities, youth ministry and working with adult leaders. Everyone will be thoroughly trained in their staff role, their Friday role and what to do when [insert any number of things here] happens… there’s hardly a topic left uncovered. J

 

Come Saturday, we’ll say our goodbyes as each team loads up their vehicles with personal luggage and a summer’s worth of giveaway shirts, devos and supplies and heads to their communities. And while it might seem that after four full days of training there couldn’t possibly be any more learning to be done about YouthWorks and respectfully serving communities, the reality is we’re just getting started… The real fun will happen over the coming days and weeks as each team gets to bring all the theory of RAMP to life in their specific context.

 

I can’t wait to see what transpires!

 

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Dave Berg is the Director of Training and Programming at YouthWorks. Serving in his current role since 2011, Dave has been with YouthWorks ever since his first summer on staff in Bayou La Batre in 2003. A math major in college, Dave     still generally prefers spreadsheets to PowerPoint. Husband to Lea and Daddy to Hawkin and Freya, Dave keeps busy   playing baseball or constructing forts with the little ones, and can also be found scheming about keeping bees, riding his bike or planning his next trip “up north.”