Love: It Gets Stuff Done

February.  The beautiful month of the year where chocolate hearts, stuffed animals, and unrealistic expectations of love and relationships are thrown at every human being from every angle.


Think about the messages the students we minister to are hearing everyday about love and relationships.  Now multiply that times a million heart emojis and that’s how much more it’s in their face this month. Maybe there’s sweetheart dances at school.  Maybe some schools still do the carnation flower exchange sponsored by the student council, where you can send a flower to the crush in your Algebra class.  All of this pressure crowds in on students, and it’s easy for them to believe it’s a necessity to have another human to celebrate Valentine’s Day with.  (Side note: thank you, Leslie Knope, for introducing Galentine’s Day.)


As people ministering to students all over the world, we know it’s valuable to chat with students about love and relationships in the context of what the Bible says and because February is a month all about hearts, flowers, and mushy stuff, the timing is perfect.  But what if we took some time to help our students understand what it means to love God and love others?  That to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength means we have to use our hands and feet - really the rest of our bodies - to go love others.  To go outside the walls of the church to love people well.  To go beyond focusing on the relationship they do or don’t have and focus on the love that changed the world, and turned it upside down.


What if your student ministry took time this February to focus on loving people well?  Here’s some ways your students can do that this month:

• make Valentine’s Day cards for people in your community: you remember how awesome it was getting that rad Valentine’s Day card from your BFF in 3rd grade.  I don’t think those feelings go away as we grow up and get older. Think about people who have lost a spouse or significant other in the last year - this Valentine’s Day can be brutal for them. Choose a small group to make Valentine’s Day cards to be mailed to that individual.  Check with your local food pantry or homeless shelter.  Could you make cards that they could hand out to people as they come in?  For example, our Middle Schoolers made Valentine’s Day cards for teenagers who are court-ordered out of their homes due to unsafe living arrangements.  A simple card saying “Happy Valentine’s Day” can make a huge impact in someone’s life.
• think about all things food: connect with local food pantries to see what their needs are. During the winter season, lots of food pantries are in need of cans of soup.  Do a soup drive and have a competition between the guys and the girls.  Find out if your local soup kitchen or food pantry takes homemade “soup kits.” These are easy to assemble and easy to make soup mixes.  Ask students to donate items to make the kits and use a gathering time to assemble the soup kits. You can even encourage students to add a note of encouragement to each can of soup (if allowed by the food pantry/soup kitchen).
• no date on Valentine’s Day? no problem: we’ve all been there (or I least I have…a lot) when it’s Valentine’s Day and we don’t have a date.  It doesn’t have to be the end of the world, especially if you shift the focus to making another person’s Valentine’s Day awesome. Put together a Valentine’s Day meal for people in your community.  Maybe it’s just in your neighborhood.  Maybe it’s at a senior living facility.  Maybe it’s for widows/widowers in your church.  Have students sign up to serve a meal, encourage them to sit down have conversations with the attendees, have candles (or battery operated ones if fire is an issue), and make it look better and classier than any 5 star restaurant in your city. 
• Insert your idea here: you know your culture and your city the best. What needs do you see? What longings do people have? Where do you see the most loneliness?  How can you disciple your students to engage with the needs of the people in your city this Valentine’s Day?

Something to think about…

1. What local organizations does your ministry partner with? What ways can you serve with them this Valentine’s Day?
2. How can you continue to partner with these organizations beyond Valentine’s Day? How can you continue to build relationships with the individuals you sent cards to?