It’s July.

For most of us this marks the halfway point of our summer… and if you’ve not been too serious about utilizing your summer ‘downtime’ to prepare for the upcoming year thus far… all is not lost.

But, it does probably mean that upon your return from the 4th of July holiday week/end it will be time to get down to business.

Here are a few thoughts on how to make good use of the month of July:

[please share your additional ideas, suggestions, and recommendations in the comment section below!]

• Assessment – If you haven’t done any intentional assessment of your ministry efforts from the past year, now is the time.  If we want our ministry efforts in the upcoming year to be fruitful, and trending in the right direction, assessment is a necessity.  I wrote a couple of posts on this topic: Satisfying Work, 3 Steps to More Satisfying Work and An Honest Assessment based on a day-long conversation I was a part of at the Summer Institute from Campus Ministry back in 2010.
• Take a vacation – I know I just said “GET TO WORK!” But if you’ve not yet taken some time to get off campus, and away with family or friends, then now is the time to do it.  You don’t want to start the new academic year tired and depleted.
• Attend a retreat or conference – There are still a number of good opportunities out there to connect with peers and professionals while you further prepare and equip yourself for the work God has called you to in the upcoming year.
• Spend some extra time at home – I will always be a fan of this… especially when students are away. There’s no time like the present to invest in the most important relationships we have with the people we love.
• Soul Care – We cannot take people places we are not ourselves. Finding someone/s who can invest in us, as ministry leaders, is critical to our success and sanity as we prepare for another year of pouring ourselves out into the lives of students.
• Connect with your team – If you’re not already, it’s probably time to start meeting with your team with greater intention and purpose. Making plans for student leader training, connecting with new students during orientation and the first weeks of school, as well as mapping out your fall semester will be important in setting the stage for a good start to the new academic year. Consider a staff retreat as a way of reconnecting and beginning the new year of ministry on a united front.
• Connect with other key ministry partners – Shore up your plans and partnerships for the year. Taking the initiative to do this now, as opposed to next month – when we’ll be running around madly trying to get things ready for the return of students – is one way to make the month of August a little more manageable.
• Map out the rest of your summer – Most of us have about 6 weeks left before students return to campus. In order to make the most of our time it will be important to map out what we need to do, and when we need to do it. I’m not a big “lists” guy, but for the sake of “starting well,” I will be for the next several weeks!

As I said at the beginning of June, the summer months provide us some much needed space for rest and ‘uninterrupted’ work. I believe that God calls us all to be good stewards of this ‘off season’ on campus. And I hold to it!