Something else that I have learned in working with youth for so many years…

is that creating a culture…

where they are invited to engage…

thus producing results that are incredible each and every time…

is a win/win situation.

They are challenged and pushed to new levels of performance and leadership…

while you get the desired results that you want and need!

Another key component?…

I didn’t ask them to do anything that I hadn’t done myself…

or wasn’t willing to do along with them.

There are theme days that occur throughout the week of Summer Spectacular.

Twin Day…

Knight and Princess Day…

Crazy Hair Day…

There are 2 T-shirt days as well…

Day #1 and Day #5.

If you recall…

I had requested pretty much required…

that the Juniors participate in each and every day.

And they certainly stepped up to the call!

In fact…

over 30 percent of the Juniors actively participated…

in the program that “The Queen” offered.

Some of you will be thinking…

but I thought that you had over 100!

I did.

115 to be exact.

But here is the beautiful thing.

You don’t necessarily have to have 100 percent participation…

in programs and offerings…

to achieve results that are above and beyond.

I had Shepherd after Shepherd after Shepherd…

come to me..

take me aside…

and request to speak with me..

“for a moment.”

Each and every one of them…

sincerely thanked me…

for giving them…

“the best Juniors in the program!”

SCORE!

Oh yes…

You see…

it’s not about my program or agenda…

It was all about them…

engaging…

participating…

being challenged to an entirely new level of commitment.

I scored 100 percent on that deal!

And I couldn’t be prouder.

These youth challenged me…

brought me to my knees more than once…

stretched me…

made me laugh ’til it hurt…

humbled me.

Some of them are pictured here…

and one team will be going to Disneyland a little later this summer!

These two…

competed hard…

and won the individual prizes…

two new iPod nanos.

Trust me…

they earned them.

In closing…

Any organization or program…

is only as good as its leadership.

The man on the left…

is Bob Thune.

He is the Lead Pastor at the church…

where Summer Spectacular is held.

You might say…

he’s a big deal.

And travels in some pretty big circles.

He could act like it…

but he chooses not to.

Recall if you will…

the financial goal and project that the week started out with.

It was to raise $10,000 to build a home…

in Haiti for 15 children…

that were orphaned due to the earthquake.

What you see above…

is Pastor Bob…

joking with Pastor Brett, the Children’s Ministry Pastor…

on the main stage in front of the kids…

about the fact…

that he doesn’t think they are up for the challenge.

Every year the crowd goes WILD.

And every year…

for the past 15…

come Friday at noon…

This is what happens.

SLIME.

Lots of it!

While the kids ROAR with delight and triumph.

Because Bob knows that leadership that is really strong…

knows when to defer in humility to whoever is running the program.

The results?

Over $13,500 raised…

in 5 days…

for Haiti.

All by kids…ages 5-5th grade!

1,704 people on campus…

all ages…

sizes…

profiles…

working together…

towards one huge, common goal.

Have you enjoyed “this week” of Summer Spectacular?

I certainly have!

And it’s my second time around!

It is living proof that Leadership Education principles work…

for those that will work them.

That Jesus was right when He said…

“Suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not…

for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Youth matter…

they make a difference.

One little boy…

who is currently a ward of the state…

brought his only dollar and gave.

Why?

“These kids need it a whole lot more than I do.”

How beautiful.

How convicting.

He saw a need…

and freely invested in others!

How challenging!

During the remainder of this year…

will you rise to an occasion?…

See a need and embrace it with reckless abandon?

I hope so.

Someone out there is waiting.

Won’t you step up to the call?

You can fill a need…

and complete a task…

perpetuate and generate freedom…

lead.

In your own unique…

one-of-a-kind way.

I can’t wait to hear about it!