Why should the first week of youth group feel more important than any other? We know how this works by now: several more students than last year’s average will be in attendance because we’ve made a “kickoff” out of it, but by October the attendance will resemble the norm we have grown accustomed to.
This. Is. Fine.
Healthy ministry is not served by special events that inflate participation. So can these circled calendar dates amplify time instead of attendance? Can Kickoff Sunday be a focused moment for leaders and students to celebrate God’s guidance of our community, past, present, and future? Can it be an occasion to pray for strength, wisdom, and growth in the coming months? And can this all be for any student who is there, both those we know them well and expect to see regularly this year and those we know not at all and likely may never see again?
Bring on the Kickoff.
YoRocko! 
Thanks for the perspective, Rocky. I have enjoyed startling people at different services than my usual one by telling them how long I’ve been around. You never know when an “unfamiliar” person might be just a hidden part of the family!