Corinthians 12:12

“There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ.”

My name is David and I had the privilege this summer to lead the Summer Team. We had the opportunity to plan and execute the programming Amberlea offered to the children, youth and families in our community.

One of the most challenging and rewarding things about working with and leading a team is discovering and learning each team member's strengths and weaknesses. Learning how those individual qualities fit together with each other. Our team of 5 young people spent almost the entire first week of the summer, getting to know each other through games, planning, and storytelling. This was a priority to set a good foundation of how we would work together for the rest of the summer. This “getting to know you” wasn't finished after that first week. We honestly spent the entire summer getting to know each other and learning where our strengths and weaknesses lay. This was mostly seen in how we interacted with kids, our planning sessions, and our morning devotions. Our morning devotions particularly gave us a deeper understanding of each other that we wouldn't get by just playing a simple “icebreaker”.

“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26

I believe understanding each other is so important because it allows you to better offer and ask for support from each other. When we face something that we know we have a weaker skill in, we know who to ask that would be eager and ready to support us. Similarly, when we see a team member running an activity which may be more challenging for them we know to jump right in supporting them, without having to be asked. These understanding dynamics are important for a team to run smoothly and create a positive community.

I'm speaking specifically about my experience this summer with Amberlea’s Summer Team but this is an important thing to remember in everything we do. We need to truly know the people we are around so that we can support them. It is always encouraging and inspiring to be supported by someone without asking first. Remembering this, we can involve ourselves more in our community, going out of our way to support each other; whether it is in our school, local area, or our church.

Ask yourself, “Do I know the people I share a community with?” “How can I support them?” … or… “How can I be more involved in the things that are important to me?”

I am extremely grateful to all the staff who spent their summer working with me at Amberlea and all that God taught me through them! I am incredibly grateful to the committed youth volunteers we had this summer who chose to help at our extremely hot outdoor camps, instead of sleeping in!

Colossians 3:23

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.”