30 Hour Famine

Rocky Supinger, Associate Pastor, Claremont Presbyterian Church

I’m not a great Christian, despite the fact of my being a pastor (or perhaps because of that fact). I don’t pray a ton, and I go through long stretches of reading my Bible only when I’m working on a sermon or youth group lesson. Worse still, there’s lots of people who’ve reached a hand out to me for help–some money, a ride to the bus station, a hotel bill–who I have very eloquently refused, longing for the solitude of my car and the comfort of my iPod.

Being a Christian is hard. Like, really hard. The dance of discipleship is tricky and strenuous. It stretches our endurance at this turn and demands restraint at this stop. If not for the call of God, the grace of Jesus, and the strength of the Holy Spirit, nobody could do it. We’d all fall in a heap on the floor.

My fourth experience with the 30 Hour Famine taught me yet again that, as hard as it is to be a Christian, it’s even harder when you’re hungry. That realization hit me hardest about 27 hours in, right after I puked. I stumbled out of the bathroom to find two students aimlessly goofing off, students who obviously needed to be redirected to some more engaging end, and I just walked past them into the kitchen to fetch some water. Never said a word.

That this is something that needs to be “realized” tells you that I’m never hungry. In fact, most of the time I’m convinced that my safety is the barrier between me and a passionate life of discipleship. I’m so full. I’m so lazy. I’m so content. If only I suffered like the poor and hungry, I would lean more on God. Because what else do the hungry have but God? It rings almost Psalm-like.

We say that about teenagers too. They’re so entitled, so privileged, so comfortable–how can they possibly relate to the plight of the poor and hungry, much less choose to share in it? This year’s Famine experience lent some evidence to those sentiments, as students were stealing food we had stashed away to make snack bags for the homeless.

That’s the exception, not the rule. In fact, when I recommended after last year’s Famine that we could do a version of the event, only without the fasting, it was the students who shouted me down and insisted on it as the most important element of the experience.

The great good that comes of the 30 Hour Famine each year is this: students and their adult leaders get a very clear look at their limits. Further, we’re learning that the poor and hungry are functioning at those limits all the time. So we pray that the hungry would be filled, even as we curse the discovery of another stashed away granola bar wrapper.

God help us all.

Nikki Myers, Famine Team

I am pretty confident that as I write this, I will get a confused call from our IT department asking why on earth I’ve spent so many hours on YouTube this week. Well, it’s been for good reason and yes, it’s part of my job!

Last week, we received a lot of applications for this years’ 2013 Study Tour to Ethiopia. I am blown away by the passion, creativity and the heart for others that I have seen in so many of our Famine students! Watching these 3 min videos has been such a humbling reminder of why the Famine program exists.

A few things I have come to realize going through this process:

-        These students, (as you know), will change the world. They will go on to be missionaries, teachers, and work in ministry or the non-profit sector. They will impact those in their direct circle and those they come in contact with, even if only for a brief amount of time. I know, because in 3 short minutes, I was impacted by them.

-        They care a lot about these issues and want proof of the change they are making. We rely on you (leaders) to update your students throughout the year on their impact through Famine, so like us on Facebook to get updates on how your funds are being used and how your group can stay involved.

-        Fundraising can be awkward. Many teens made a point to mention this in their video. We completely understand the fear of asking people for donations but it’s such an important part of what we do. Because of the money your group raises, families can now grow food on their own! Hundreds of thousands of lives have been completely changed because of these “awkward” moments. So thank you for encouraging your students to do this part.

-        On the subject of fundraising, you don’t need to have a big bold personality to be a big bold fundraiser. Some of the gentlest spirits fundraised huge amounts.

-        There are some crazy talented students out there with video production skills. Leaders, utilize them!

-        I have a pretty sweet job. I get to go with some of these kids to Ethiopia! I don’t know who they are yet… but I am already pumped.

The next two weeks will be a huge challenge as we can only take 8-10 of these incredible students. It has been such a privilege to meet some of the faces across the country and hear how the Famine has affected their life. Thank you for investing in your students and teaching them about the heart of God.

Travis Hill, Middle School Pastor, SpringCreek Church

Ah, summer! I learned from a good friend a long time ago that an enormous stumbling block of student ministry happens when the program shuts down during the summer. You get all of this momentum, 30 Hour Famine, camp, mission trip, and then you stop for a couple of months to recharge. Summer is when student ministry heats up for us, and, in Texas, I mean that literally. That doesn’t mean you have to speak, come up with small group questions, and run “programming”, but rather invest more into relationships than ever.

If you’re like our student ministry, 30 Hour Famine is over. You have turned in the money (please turn in the money) and you may already have your sweet rewards. In the minds of students the experiences of Famine are long gone. But they don’t have to be. Between camps and mission projects and movie nights, take some very intentional time this summer to plan, think, brainstorm, and create a Famine environment for your student ministry.

Going on a mission trip? What a perfect way to hearken back to many of the experiences you had with Famine! Did you put together a devotional for the Famine? Why not reuse some of them, intentionally, so that students might see the consistency in scripture of helping those who suffer.

Back in high school, I did the whole “write a letter to yourself and your teacher will mail it to you in 5 years” thing. It was great. My middle schoolers have no idea where they will be in 5 years, but they might have an idea where they are in 6 months. Why not have students write a letter to themselves that they can open up and read during Famine? It can be encouragement, stories, verses, etc… Not sure if they’re doing Famine? Have students write extras so the students who don’t get letters will still have one.

Have you ever planned your Famine the summer before? Yeah, me neither. Why don’t we do it though? If it’s such a big deal, then why do we wait a month or two before Famine to get those wheels running? Grab your adult volunteers, feed them, brainstorm ideas with them during summer. In fact, do this anyways for the year, then you can see how Famine fits into where God is leading you to teach this upcoming year.

Give students the power to speak into your decisions. So you’ve had your meeting with leaders, now do the same with students. You would be incredibly surprised how much they will respond to this. Grab students who have done the Famine, others who have been around for a while, but never did it, and then also grab a new kid who doesn’t even know what Famine is. Ask them questions. Give it away to them.

This year, I shamelessly stole an idea from fellow Famine leader/Malawi-trip friend, Ross Carper. He told he that his group of middle schoolers actually sponsors a kid through World Vision. How cool is that? So we did too, a 10 year old boy from Cambodia. I let the kids decide on who, where, and how old. Every month now, a different small group will write letters, send notes and pictures to our sponsor child. Throughout the summer and the entire year, this is a great way to keep students connected with the heart of God.

Matt Joldersma, Minister of Youth, First Presbyterian Church of Lake Wales, FL

Why did God have you do the 30 Hour Famine?  You.  Not your friend with the hair.  You.

Did it test your faith?  Did it grow your prayer life?  Did it strengthen your Christian commitment?  I hope so.  And more.  After all you have 8,735.81277 hours to live before the next 30 Hour Famine.  Going forward we need to ask some good questions.  Questions like, how did it affect your body?  Your mind?

For example:

What has become of your eyes and ears now?  What irreversible work has God done to them in 30 hours of seeking his kingdom first (Matthew 6:33)?  Are your eyes now more keen to noticing the needs of others which they might have instinctively shifted from before?  Are your ears more tuned to hear the cries of the poor over the ear buds stuck in them?  How do the “important” conversations around your lunch table ring to you now?

What has happened to your taste buds?  Are they more jubilant and responsive now for having passed around a cup of suffering with others?  What of your other tastes?  How will you figure in fashion?  How will you look at the $30 put into your hand for babysitting this Friday?  And what has become of your fingers?  Do they push your homework pen along the pages more resolutely for the sake of those whose fingers can only push seeds into dry earth and pray?

Why did God have you do the 30 Hour Famine?

Well, we know from Scripture that God is conforming believers to the image of his Son (Romans 8:29).  What a high honor.  You are being made into one who thinks and feels like Jesus.  You are becoming one who loves the world like Jesus loves the world (John 3:16).  Do you believe it? You are becoming one who righteously rages at oppression (Matthew 23:15).  You are becoming one who sniffs at injustice (Isaiah 56:1).  God is changing you.

God is preparing you to do his will on earth as it is in heaven. You.  It doesn’t happen in 30 hours.  It happens 30 hours at a time.  Your finishing the 30 Hour Famine is not an end.  It’s a powerful beginning.

So, for the next 8,735.81277 hours, look at the world intently with your 30 Hour Famine eyes.  Listen to it carefully with your 30 Hour Famine ears. Touch it purposefully with your 30 Hour Famine fingers.  Taste it distinguishingly with your 30 Hour Famine tongue.  Sniff it sensitively with your 30 Hour Famine nose.  By God’s grace these are no longer what they once were.  Neither are you who you once were.  God had you do the 30 Hour Famine for a reason (Matthew 5:16).

Ross Carper of Spokane, Washington

Eat.

Sleep.

These first two post-Famine steps are nothing to skip over. Yes, you should nourish your body with a glad and thankful heart. And yes, you should study the interior of your eyelids for absurd lengths of time. But many of us wonder: what comes next? We’ve put weeks (maybe even months) of effort into an amazingly impactful weekend… a community experience that so beautifully combines fun, faith transformation, and deep engagement with issues of justice in our world.

So, is it any wonder that stepping back into our normal lives might leave us feeling a little… hungry?

For youth workers and students, this hunger is what makes the post-Famine season special. We’re simply in a different place than we were before we began this adventure. The question is whether we will choose to let the Famine way of life become a part of our identity, rather than letting it be just an activity. In this way, our follow-up to the Famine might be more important than the weekend itself. So, how can we get it right?

I’d love to hear what other leaders/students are doing on this front, so make sure to leave a comment.

Here is some stuff our group has enacted in the Famine aftermath:

Dig In

You’ve already eaten, so I’m talking about digging into the Bible to help answer the “now what” question. Did you know there is an almost eerily applicable section of scripture…one that wrestles with the exact thing we’re dealing with? Check for yourself: it’s crazy how much Isaiah 58 rings true in the days and weeks after the Famine. God is encouraging people to move from a one-time fast (a sort of drive-thru-window experience of faith and justice) to a deep, ongoing lifestyle of loving our Creator and our neighbors. Find a way–whatever way that works best with your group–to creatively engage with this chapter after your 30 Hour Famine. Be sure to include practical, concrete ways your group can stop exploiting people, speak up for the voiceless, and empower neighbors to have the basics (food, shelter, clothing). And be sure to recognize the spiritual ramifications of such action (or inaction)–it’s really what the chapter is about..

Capture Stories

Have you ever heard the phrase “don’t forget in the dark what you’ve learned in the light”? It’s striking because it’s true. We experience something big, but often the busyness and distractedness of life causes the most vivid take-away lessons to evaporate. As you’re sifting through pictures and video clips (or hashtagged tweets) from your 30 Hour Famine, don’t forget to approach actual people. Have your group leaders meet with students one-on-one, and set up meetings yourself, too. Turn on an audio or video recorder and simply ask students to tell the story of their experience. Ask follow up questions: small stuff about weirdest noises our stomachs made, and big stuff about who God is and who we are called to be. Collect these somehow. Feel free to use the clips to make a video or audio collage that tells the story. But remember, it’s not about the “product”. It’s about those one-on-one conversations that encourage students (and leaders) to remember the goodness they’ve experienced.

Celebrate

I know, I know. You celebrated during hour 31. But consider how powerful and fun it might be to take a week or two after your 30 Hour Famine, gather some thoughts and stories, invite whoever will listen, and then throw a big ol’ party. That’s what we did this year after our February 22-23 Famine. Ten days later, we did a dessert event called “The Banquet After the Famine.” We created it to be sort of like a end-of-season sports/activities recognition banquet. Students and volunteer leaders dressed up nice and took to the spotlight. They shared stories of the weekend, lessons they are taking away, and celebrated the difference their Famine funds will make in rural Ethiopia. It was also a great outreach event: teachers, coaches, parents, extended family, and church members learned a lot about our community and what we offer middle schoolers in our city. Once again, leaders get to help students prepare what to say in front of a crowd. And once again, it’s not about making great speeches; it’s about having great conversations.

These are three things we focused on this year. The 30 Hour Famine is, by sheer time-length, a relational fast-forward between our students and their mentors. It’s the equivalent of six months of youth group meetings, all in one weekend. For our group, we love the places it leads us in our relationship with God, our love of neighbors, and in the relational ministry that happens between students and leaders.

One final tip: whatever we do, we try to ask our group the holy trinity of questions: “(1) WHAT? (2) SO WHAT? (3) NOW WHAT?” In other words: what was your Famine like, what did it truly mean, and what new actions are you willing to take?

You’ve eaten. You’ve slept. Now go debrief with your group!

Fresh off last weekend’s National 30 Hour Famine, there are plenty of stories to highlight in this edition of Famine in the News.

Youth group participates in 30 Hour Famine project

The Star Democrat – Easton, Maryland

Kama Wewe, the youth group of the Wye Mills and Hillsboro-Queen Anne United Methodist Churches, met at Hillsboro that Friday to prepare to go hungry for 30 hours to raise money and awareness for world hunger. Youth leaders Sue Segar and Wanda Collins led the youth in a few games before separating them into groups, or tribes, that would work as teams during educational games and on service projects throughout the weekend.

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The fast officially began at midnight Saturday morning; the group woke up at 7:30 a.m. and had a breakfast of only juice before going into the kitchen to coat Friday night’s Easter eggs with chocolate. To keep themselves from accidentally eating some of the creamy goodness, many of the youth and leaders taped their mouths shut with duct tape.

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Did that say duct tape? We didn’t see that coming. Please send us pictures of that!

30 Hour Famine

KELOLAND TV – Souix Falls, South Dakota

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Youth ministries unite for 30 Hour Famine

Amarillo Globe News – Amarillo, Texas

The youth ministries at Polk Street United Methodist Church, Trinity United Methodist Church and Westover Fellowship United Methodist Church are coming together to participate in World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine challenge Friday and Saturday at Polk Street.

In preparation for the fast, the youth at all three churches are fundraising and selling empty plates for $1 because a $1 will feed a child for one day, Keys said.

As support to their youth, Polk Street UMC will fast from doughnuts the last two weeks of April, and the money that would have been spent on doughnuts will be given to the 30 Hour Famine fundraiser, he said.

“I think it’s cool to see the church support us like that,” Keys said.

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We love to see churches working together on the Famine. Great job!

Area youth collect money, food for famine relief

La Cañada Valley Sun – Los Angeles, California

Twenty local youths participated in World Vision’s 30-Hour Famine April 26-27, fasting throughout the period and collecting money to feed starving children. One highlight of the event was a protest against world hunger Friday night in Old Pasadena.

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According to Marie Henry, a spokesperson for La Cañada United Methodist Church, fund-raising efforts in conjunction with the drive will continue for two weeks, with the local youth groups earmarking their donations for World Vision’s work in Zimbabwe. They hope to raise $3,600, the amount needed to feed 10 children for one year.

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Great job raising awareness for world hunger!

We’d love to feature your group in the next edition of Famine in the News. If your group’s Famine was featured in the local news please share the link with us by leaving a comment.

Matt Williams, Assistant to the Rector, Youth Ministries, St. John’s Episcopal Church, Charlotte, North Carolina

It’s kind of a big deal.

The 30 Hour Famine is a big deal for the youth group at St. John’s.  We have done the Famine for fourteen consecutive years now.  It is not “an event” for our youth…it is part of the fabric of who we are as a youth group.  The Famine is so big at our church that younger siblings plead to be able to join in every year because they “want to help hungry people too.”  (And they want to sleep out in the cardboard village.)  The Famine is so big at our church that our high school students demanded we do a 40 Hour Famine, because “that is what they do in Australia, and we can’t let them be more dedicated than we are.”  The Famine is kind of a big deal for us.

That is why a one-minute conversation I had at the end of our last Famine made such an impact on me.

We had just broken our 30 Hour/40 Hour fast, and teens were rapidly devouring all of the food in sight.  Our overall fundraising total had been announced, our top fundraisers recognized, and our volunteers had been thanked.  The laughter was abundant and the celebration underway.  In the midst of this a high school student named Mary approached me looking a little dejected.

“Matt, I have another check for the Famine that I just got.”

“That’s great Mary! We will add it to the total.”

“Okay.  It is only $100 though.”

It stopped me dead in my tracks.  “Only $100?”  For a few heartbeats I was stunned that Mary thought her $100 donation was not important.  How could this be?  Is it because she was a friend of one of the youth group regulars that wanted to join us?  Or was it because we had just recognized our “top ten”, and she felt her donation was insignificant?  Why would one of my Famine kids think that way?

As she handed the check over I asked her a simple question.  “Mary, what will this $100 do?”  Now it was her turn to look confused.  I reminded her that “only $100” would provide the food, water, medicine, and more to a hungry child for more than three months.  I reminded her that “only $100” was more than enough to save a life.  And I reminded her that her donation was monumentally important to those that have so little.

Mary broke into a big smile, said thanks, and went back to her friends.  And I walked away with a clear reminder for myself: whether you raise $100 or $10,000, whether you have 4 youth do the Famine or 400, everything we do to helps hungry children.

It’s kind of a big deal.

Mark Oestreicher, Partner, The Youth Cartel

I’m not sure how to verify this, but I’m pretty sure that this weekend will be the largest single weekend youth movement in the country. Whether you have 5 teenagers or 100 participating in your 30 Hour Famine this weekend, be sure to remind your students that they are part of something MASSIVE!
Think of it this way. This weekend alone:

+ 112,000 teenagers will choose to give up food for 30 hours in the pursuit of learning about hunger and making a real-life difference in the lives of hungry children around the world.
+ Just over 3,000 Famine groups will participate.

+ Millions of dollars will be raised. Remember: $1 feeds a child for a day, $30 feeds a child for a month, $360 feeds a child for a year.

Get this: as a result of THIS WEEKEND (not the whole year), approximately:

+ 11,667 otherwise hungry children will be fed for an entire year.
+ Or, 140,000 otherwise hungry children will be fed for a month.

That’s a lot of happy tummies. Talk about an amazing impact!

There’s some special National Date stuff we want to make sure you’re aware of:

+ We created a grip of new videos just for this national weekend. You’ll be able to find them on the Famine site; or you can see them all directly on YouTube:
+ Famine Moment photo contest (on Facebook): Submit a photo of your favorite Famine activity — a unique fundraiser, the TRIBE game captured in action, students joined in prayer — whatever moment you found most memorable. Make sure to include a short caption with your photo. Once submissions are in, don’t forget to have your youth vote daily and share the link with their friends! By submitting, your group is eligible to win a 5-foot Xorbee, a pizza party and Famine gear! The submission period goes through Wednesday, May 1. Then we’ll open it up for voting!
+ FAMINE HUB: Starting Friday morning, the 30 Hour Famine website will be taken over by… you! Everything posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc. with the hashtag #30HF or #30hourfamine will be fed to the Famine home page! Leaders and students can find their posts featured here, and can also see what groups around the country are doing.

I hope you know how much we appreciate you. We know that hosting the Famine with a group of teenagers is a lot of work. We’ll be praying for you all weekend (really, we’re not just saying that!). Personally, I’ll be praying that God gives you a glimpse of the impact you’re having as you serve him in this powerful way.

Emily Capes, Director of Youth Ministries, First United Methodist Church in Pensacola, FL

YOU:

…the one who is leading a 30 Hour Famine this weekend.

…the one with only 3 kids signed up.

…the one who hasn’t had any money turned in yet.

…the one who hasn’t gotten a confirmation from all of your leaders.

…the one who decided to sleep outside in cardboard boxes but it looks like there is rain ALL weekend.

…the one who just got told that you can’t use the church vehicles this weekend because another ministry in the church needs them “more”.

…the one who is planning to use the TRIBE game but haven’t even looked at the leaders guide. And you’re just now realizing that you aren’t even sure where the leaders guide is.

…the one with a family member who just passed away.

…the one who is a new youth leader and agreed to do this Famine thing because this youth group always does it. But you still aren’t sure what you’ve gotten yourself into.

…the one who used to have an eating disorder (or maybe still do). So you aren’t sure how to do this well.

…the one who has done this for 10 plus years and you might not be sure that you want to do it again.

…the one who is already tired and it’s not even time for the Famine to start.

…the one who feels completely outside of their own comfort zone.

…the one who is an “only a parent” and is willing to help with the youth but feels like you may be in over your head.

…the one who hopes their youth have fun even though they won’t be eating.

Do YOU know how amazing you are for leading the 30 Hour Famine? 

YOU:

…are part of the reason that there are an estimated 112,000 youth who are not eating for 30 hours across our nation during the 30 Hour Famine National Weekend.

…are part of the reason that there are children all over the world who are going to be alive next year.

…are part of the reason children all over the world will get to go to school or have clean water or will have livestock to take care of.

…are part of the reason that one of your youth may hear Jesus speak to them in a new way this weekend.

…are part of the reason that another youth may find their voice for other children around the world.

…are part of the reason an adult in your church may sponsor a child through World Vision for the first time.

…are part of the reason that “Since the Famine started in 1992, the total number of kids under age 5 who die each day has fallen from 40,000 to just over 20,000.

112,000 are fasting this weekend. What an incredible number of teenagers! 

It feels like we should throw a party for all of the youth who are willing to do something that our culture says is hard to do. Maybe you can, during your Famine! A juice party!

What an incredible testimony to all of you parents, volunteers, part-time and full-time leaders who are willing to not eat for 30 hours to stretch your teenagers, because you know how good it is for them!  AND you get to change lives of people you may never meet!

Take a few minutes right now to stop.

Breathe in.

Listen for what Jesus is saying to you in a new way.

As you head into this weekend, you probably have some roadblocks that you need to get through.

Know that you are not alone.

You will make it.

And lives will be changed!

Can’t wait to hear the stories!