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Jason.

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Jason is the founder of Ignite Student Ministries, a dynamic ministry igniting youth, young adults and university students to passionately pursue Christ and transform society in high schools, work places and universities around the world.

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A Week of Rest

Jason VanaJason Vana

Photo Credit: David Goehring (Creative Commons)

It’s finals week right now at Monmouth College and the semester ended last week at Carl Sandburg College, the two schools where Ignite operates, which means one thing:

It’s time for a week off.

After a school-year long of meetings and prep work and planning the Czech mission trip and social events and counseling students and writing resources and fundraising and sending out tax-deduction letters and building our team, I need a break.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a great year for Ignite. God has impacted the lives of students in powerful ways this year – and we’ve seen a lot of firsts for Ignite:

I couldn’t be more excited for what God has done in us and through us this year.

But by the end of each school year, I need a break.

This week, I am taking that break from all my ministry duties.

No leadership meetings.
No mission trip meetings.
No Ignite groups.
No board meetings.
I won’t be planning any social events, preparing any resources or making phone calls to book speaking times.

I won’t be writing regular blog posts, here or for the Ignite blog, nor will I be reading and commenting on other blogs, either.

This is my recoup week.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

I am looking forward to a down week. I am happy about having nothing on my calendar. I am excited to be done with back-to-back meetings every Monday night. I’m stoked about actually getting to bed at a decent time each night.

But most importantly, I’m looking forward to focusing solely on my relationship with God.

A season of rest reminds us that we are not what we do.

I am not Ignite.
I am not a college pastor.
I am not a writer, blogger, nor mission trip leader.

I am, first and foremost, a child of God.

So this week, I’m going to spend time reading and worshipping and exercising and visiting with friends. I’m going for walks at night, reconnecting with people I haven’t seen in a while and getting some much-needed sleep.

And, hopefully, connecting with God in a deeper way.

Jason is the founder of Ignite Student Ministries, a dynamic ministry igniting youth, young adults and university students to passionately pursue Christ and transform society in high schools, work places and universities around the world.