My Usual Speech:

CREW's latest activity was winding down and with a few minutes left until parents showed up to pick up their son or daughter or high schoolers hoped into their vehicles to drive off I gathered everyone's attention and said, "Thank you for coming. Our next event will be... I'm proud of each of you and I love you." After I finished speaking one student who will remain nameless looked up and said, "what did you say." I began to repeat myself when the student stopped me and said, "oh just your usual speech."

Just my usual speech.
Just my usual speech.
Just my usual speech.

I'm sure the student had no idea but he or she (let's keep this anonymous) paid me one of the biggest complements which could be paid. "Oh, just your usual speech."

My usual speech at the end of an event. "Thank you for coming. Our next event will be... I'm proud of each of you and I love you." Every section of this speech is important and something I want every student who is a part of CREW to know and meditate on.

Thank you for coming: There are about a hundred things for a student to do in my town. They have a lot of different obligations but the fact that he or she would take time to come out to an event at my house blows my mind. I do not take it for granted that students choose to come to CREW and they choose to participate in our activities. I am thankful that they've chosen to join us for each and every particular activity. Besides let's face it wouldn't the world be a lot better off if more people said thank you.

Our next event will be...: Our mission statement at CREW is to reach, teach and release 7th-12th grade students. Every event we do is either a reach, teach or release event. In July, I sit down and brainstorm a list of activities for the coming year and I spread out reach, teach and release activities throughout the quarter. Students have fun in our reach activities, learn in a hands on way in our teach activities and serve the church and community in release activities. We are a family and we grow as a family in CREW through monthly activities where students can be themselves.

I Am Proud of You: As long as I live I will never forget sitting in a room of twenty Seniors in High School and asking them if they knew their parents or someone was proud of them. The vast majority in the room did not know that someone was proud of them. I left that meeting changed. Every chance I get I tell my students that I am proud of them. To be honest I am very proud of them. Everyone of them is growing and maturing in the Lord and as young men and women. They blow my mind so many times with their self-less attitude and servants heart. I am proud of them and I want them to know that I am proud so I tell them collectively and individually. If you are a parent reading this may I please encourage you to share with your son or daughter that you are proud of them. They do not know it unless you share it.

I love you: I love my students. I would take a bullet for each and every member of CREW. I don't love them because they are good kids (they are) or because they are Christian (not all of them are) or because they serve others (they do). I love them for who they are. I love them because they are made in the image of God and they have value, worth and dignity. This world is tough and unforgiving. I want them to know that there is at least one place where they can come and feel loved. No matter what happens or what they do I will always love each and everyone of them.

At the end of the next event you know what I will say.
I bet I will say my usual speech.
I will say, "Thank you for coming. Our next event will be... I'm proud of you and I love you."

As far as I'm concerned that's not a bad speech or philosophy.