It seems like every week of the fall there is a day off from school for our public school students. At first I thought Rosh Hashanah was this Friday so I got excited not because of the new year, but because it means schools are closed. With Friday off, it means students were less likely to worry about homework on Thursday night and could attend our high school program kickoff. But after further examination I realized it was Thursday, which is still okay. With the schools closed it means students (who do not practice the Jewish New Year) are just hanging around, which means perfect opportunity to hang out and minister to them.
I need to get better at tracking holidays and days off for the students. I find myself realizing the day of or the day after that there was no school and that students were at home, watching television or playing video games. Days off are a blessing for full time youth ministers because it gives it can be a bonus day to minister to them without interfering with after school activities and homework.
So this Thursday I plan on grabbing a little lunch, maybe coffee with the students, just to check-in and see how there first two weeks of school have been thus far. I would encourage other youth workers to take some time to look at your local schools calendar to determine days off (holidays, professional days, exam days, etc.) where you can connect with a few students here or there outside the regular atmosphere. How do you plan on spending your student’s day off?