Why so Long?

The focus month is double the length of the longest ministry trips I've been on, triple or even quadruple the length of some of them. Most middle school trips don't last more than two or three days -- although camp lasts an entire week.

I can't tell you, though, how many times I have watched people, both kids and adults, come back from that sort of short term experience totally at a loss for what to do with themselves next. They have been inundated with new ideas and new realities, but what often has not been formed is the lasting community that is necessary to bring those realities to life.

Human beings were designed to function best in community, and, because of that, the purpose in setting aside an entire month is two-fold.
A) It gives more time for teaching, learning, and finding passions
B) It sets apart the time necessary to build a family with a common purpose

Time = relationships, and, in this case, relationships = the ability to take what we have learned and apply it outside of the Focus Month, in a way that we would not be able to as individuals scattered across the Tri-Cities.