EMP: Impact!

18 college students walked off their campus into the Education Majors Project and into the Myrtle Beach Getaway (MBGA) and the hearts of dozens of our high school students.  Nobody will be the same!  Our call to the students as we started the ten day project was to have faith as their default mode when they were given the option.  Sometimes we applied the pressure and sometimes it was a surprise to us when God created the opportunity for them to trust Him.  The staff team for the project this year was delighted to see them walk by faith, even as we had to!

We put them on the hot seat right away.  The first night we placed them on 3 teams and had them tackle a strategic problem with people they hardly new, for a ministry with which they were only vaguely familiar.  At the end of the thirty-six hour time period, they had to stand and deliver their findings and solutions to the problem we put in front of them:  Design a plan for exposing students to the gospel and launcing a Student Venture type movement at their respective schools (an elementary, a middle and a high school). They designed and conducted interviews with teachers doing the work in other locations.  They researched the specific school to which they were assigned and thought through how they could see ministry take place there.  They poured through the resources and materials we provided and connected with some First Amendment not for profit groups that informed them of their legal rights as well as the rights of the students who would participate.  They designed a presentation and shared it with the staff and some of our guests.  We were so excited about the thoughtful, creative and faith-filled plans they created!

What they learned this year about launching a ministry was essentially the same information we told last year's group in our project training meetings.  Which group do you think might have a better understanding?  Which group will be more likely to launch a new outreach to students at their school?  We believe that the depth of understanding that is required to gather and then present the type of presentation we asked of them is greater than what was learned through the "talking head" presentations we offered last year, and we believe the application of the content in future teaching settings will also be more likely to succeed.

In addition to the Ministry Launch Project we provided two other strategic resources before the EMP students had the opportunity to lead our MBGA students. The students were able to interact with Finn Laursen, the director of Christian Educator Association, International (CEAI) and a group of local teachers (all volunteers with Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Myrtle Beach).

After our content, the future teachers were given different assignments at the student project (Myrtle Beach Getaway - MBGA) where they led small groups, facilitated table discussion during the training seminars and fulfilled various other leadership opportunities thrown their way.

For many of them, this was the highlight.  They loved getting to know the students and speaking truth into their lives.  It was the highlight for me too.  Not only did I get to see the college students step up and trust God as they led, but my own children were impacted by the time spent with those from the EMP.  I take part in this project because it is strategic.  Future teachers will impact the lives of middle and high school students for decades, but the greatest benefit to me these last two years has been the young men on the project investing in my son and his friends.  That's a Win-Win proposition!