Summer Devo

Once again in 2024, all Work Crew, Summer Staff, Assigned Team, and Camp Staff will receive their own copy of our new mission-wide devo when they arrive at camp. Capernaum friends will receive a version specially adapted for them.

This summer's devo is tited Jesus, the Glorious Son of God: Learning the Gospel According to John. It's the second in our four-year series of gospel devos, following last year's book, Jesus, The Suffering Servant: Learning the Gospel According to Mark.

This guide has helpful information and best practices for those who will be leading Biblical engagement, learning, and discipleship across all Young Life camps this summer.

Summer Devo Vision

• Everyone serving at Young Life camps will read and learn from the same gospel together.
• People on the same assignment who serve in different roles and contexts will have touchpoints for Biblical-discipleship conversations when they interact with each other, creating more opportunities to process, learn, and be formed.
• People on assigned team/work staff will have touchpoints for Biblical-discipleship conversations when they interact with camp staff, creating more opportunities to process, learn, and be formed.
• Friends who serve on different sessions or at different camps will be able to process and talk about the Biblical-discipleship content together when they get back home, creating more opportunities to process, learn, and be formed. ​
• Field staff whose friend(s) serve on work crew or summer staff will be able to access a copy of the devo and engage with it in real time, then talk about it with their friends when they get back home, creating more opportunities to process, learn, and be formed.
• Others throughout the field and mission services will be able to access a copy of the devo and engage with it throughout the summer and be reminded to pray for everyone who is serving at camps.

As a mission, we will go deeper into God's word together, learning, reflecting, discussing, processing, and being formed (both formally and organically)​ into faithful disciples who are becoming more like Jesus.

2024 Content

The 2024 book has 25 lessons-devos that take readers through the entire gospel of John. Each includes a gospel reading plus scripture engagement, discussion, and reflection. The content can be used as written or can be adapted and personalized with alternate questions and practices to best fit you and your team of people.

Everyone will receive their own copy of the summer devo when they arrive at camp. To help you plan in the meantime, you can access specific content at these links:

• Devo 2024 Cover
• Devo 2024 content​ (single page)
• Devo 2024 content​ (facing page

You'll find helpful background info on the book of John​ below.

Adapting the Schedule

Lessons-devos are not attached to specific days, so scheduling can be flexible. In past years, some teams have created a bookmark schedule for people to tuck into their Bible or devo book. ​

If your assignment is shorter than 25 days,​ you can combine two devos into one, or you can choose to bypass several devos and encourage people to complete them on their own after returning home.

If you assignment is longer than 25 days,​ you can spread several devos over more than one day, adding additional questions and engagement strategies. Or you can insert alternate content on specific days (e.g. changeover day) and focus on a Psalm or other short passage of your choice.

• Some Psalms that people have used in past summers (you'll find Psalm Reading & Reflection Practices​ below):

1. 1, 8, 19, 23, 43, 63, 93, 98, 121

• Some short passages that people have used in past summers

1. Romans 4:25-5:11
2. Romans 12:1-10
3. 1 Corinthians 13
4. Philippians 2:1-11
5. Colossians 1:15-23, 3:1-17
6. Sections of 1 John

Adapting the Content

The primary way to adapt or personalize the content is to change or expand the discussion questions on the right pages, or to add more scripture engagement practices. Use your own, or pick from ones you'll find here.

Scripture Reading & Conversation

When time and place allow, read all or part of the daily passage aloud in community. To help develop deep listening, sometimes have everyone except the reader simply listen without following along. You’ll find helpful information about Communal Bible Reading (or Public Reading of Scripture) here.

Scripture Memorization

If you'd like to incorporate memorization into your discipling interactions, here's a list of passages (some just one verse, some a paragraph) to consider, recommended by staff:

1. John 1:1-5
2. John 1:1-14
3. John 3:16-21
4. John 8:12
5. John 8:31
6. John 10:7-9
7. John 11:25
8. John 14:1-3
9. John 14:15-17
10. John 15:1-5
11. John 15:9-17

Listening Prompts & Discussion

Providing prompts both before and after listening or reading helps develop awareness and thoughtfulness. Here are a few that can be used while reading the book of John:

• Before reading

1. Read or listen for specific details about Jesus ​ — his actions, his words, his attitudes, his emotions, his identity, and more.
2. Notice how the different characters respond to Jesus.

• After reading

1. What is the strongest impression you have of Jesus after reading or hearing this passage? Why
2. What character made the strongest impression on you? Why?
3. What's one thing this passage is teaching you about God? About yourself? About how to live as a faithful follower of Jesus?

• Extras

1. Are there any words or actions of Jesus that surprise you? Why?
2. Which conversation or interaction of Jesus do you most relate to? Why?
3. What is something new you heard or realized about Jesus from this reading?
4. What character do you most relate to or empathize with? Why?
5. Do you sense the Spirit speaking to you through this reading? In what way?

Here are more reading and discussion tools:

• Fresh Openers: Beyond Highs & Lows
• Bible Questions: From Listening to Learning
• Ways to Read The Bible