enroute

Most of my travels, involve me traveling into the US from Canada. In Canada, most every day, I enjoy my cup of Steeped Tea from Tim Horton’s. Tim Horton’s is a staple for any Canadian and really is one of our cultural trademarks in Canada. Anyways, while in the US, I have to forgo my Steeped Tea and venture into the world of Starbucks.

One of the things that I appreciate at Starbucks is the quotes/thoughts that they have on their cups. While in Tulsa, last weekend, I found a very profound quote on my cup after facilitating the Enroute experience. Here it is - it is #237 in the series on the way that I see it.

“It’s relationships, not programs, that change children. A great program simply creates the environment for healthy relationships to form between adults and children. Young people thrive when adults care about them on a one-to-one level, and when they also have a sense of belonging to a caring community.”

- Bill Milliken (Founder and vice chairman of communities in schools, author of Tough Love and the Last Dropout)

What a great reminder for all of us in ministry that it isn’t the security of a well-organized and developed program that changes children (students).  It is about us as adults being positive role-models in the lives of the students that God trusts us with.