Last week my family stood along a few Mardi Gras parade routes in New Orleans. It was wild and colorful, fun but crazy. Almost as soon as a float would roll up, it would be gone in exchange for a new flashy float.
This made me think about a theory I've heard over the years about ministry with kids. There are people out there who believe our time with kids is like a passing parade, that we have a limited window to connect kids with God before they graduate and move on.
A few nights after returning home, I found myself at my favorite concert venue, Eddie's Attic, watching my friend Max play music with his Athens jam band, stretching songs into something alive and electric.
I met Max when he was in middle school. Since then, we've shared late nights at camps, pulled each other up mountains, served on Summer Staff together, and led music for hundreds of campers. It's been a rich relationship.
Now he's writing songs and playing live shows, and I couldn't be more proud of him.
As I watched him perform, it didn't feel like an ending. It felt like a friendship still growing.
Someone I really respect once said "We should meet people as if you are going to know them for the rest of your life."
That feels far more true than the parade. The parade passes quickly, but the relationships we build are meant to last, growing and deepening over time rather than disappearing once the moment is over.
This spring, that is exactly what we are doing as we continue to show up in the lives of kids. We are starting and continuing friendships that last a lifetime. Our February banquet set a goal of $120,000, and thanks to the generosity of this community, we are thrilled to say we surpassed it. This spring we have 40 kids headed to Crooked Creek and 49 freshmen signed up for our FFO trip. These are not parade floats. These are friendships being built for life.
Your support of this kind of work is so appreciated!
