It’s mid-August and that means one thing: book bag shopping time! Back to school is right around the corner for your students. Yikes! Where did the summer go?

Even though my kids are grown, I’ve had the recent pleasure of coughing up my credit card for a few brand-name bags myself. Sure they were Angry Birds and Hello Kitty for two grand kids but the experience was similar: what to pack inside?

If you’re like me, I use this time of year to help my students freshen up their “faith to school” habits. I got to thinking about their backpacks and what I could provide them to help them make God the center of their school year. Here are three ideas you could try:

1) A monthly devo booklet: Fill it with scriptures and “things to think about” geared towards what they’ll be talking about at church. Include prayer ideas and birthdays.

2) Pencils: Students still use pencils, right? What if you gave them customized pencils with the scripture of the month on it? It’s a subtle way of helping them memorize their verse.

3) A snack with a purpose: Each week, put a note of encouragement on a granola bar or snack bag. When they come to youth group or Sunday school, stuff it into their bag to eat when they need a little pick-me-up at school.

Ok, I gotta jump onto my flight. More ideas to come.

S

make God