National Youth Workers Convention 2007

Atlanta, Georgia, may not have been the most desired location for a 5 day convention, but the experience was right on the money for someone in my position. Getting to sit in on over a dozen great conversations with experienced professional youth workers, seminary professors, and world-class communicators provided a unique perspective on the world in which I currently live. Although, there were too many “ah-ha” moments to record during our trip, there were a few that are definitely worth mentioning:

Mark Oestreicher
The final general session of the convention was lead by the President of Youth Specialties, which is the company behind the NYWC. Mark went over the evolution of youth ministry in America taking us right into 2007. One of the changes that he challenged us to be more aware of is the need for our student ministries to no longer be driven by a program. Gone are the days of students hungry for the next big production. Nowadays, students are looking for real community and authentic relationships. Mark asked that our ministries begin to take on a more organic feel so our programs remain almost “not-driven” as opposed to “program-driven.” This was a statement that I was very ready to hear. The president of Youth Specialties was saying that our kids deserve more than just a program. They deserve a ministry that is “present” in their everyday lives via small groups, effective and passionate leaders, and a culturally relevant teaching atmosphere.

Andy Jack
I decided to take a chance on a new name this year for one of the break out sessions. Andy Jack leads a mid-sized middle school ministry at a church in Chicago and the title of his session caught my eye: “The Art of Unplugging: Practicing Spiritual Disciplines with Middle School Students.” It was really refreshing to hear from a guy who wasn’t focusing his middle school specific session on game ideas, outreach events, chaos control, etc. One of Andy’s main topics of discussion was the idea that we focus on creating a space for God to work in the lives of these young kids. This got me thinking about A2 and how it needs to feel like a space created for Critical Thinking, Community, Discovery of True Self, and a space created for Imagination and guided Creative Expression. Though the cognitive development of most middle school students is still leaning toward the concrete, we should be practicing a bit of the abstract in order to help these students grasp the significance of an invisible God during such a pivotal time of transition.

Phyllis Tickle
At first glance, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the 70-year old woman walking on to the stage about to address some 5500 youth workers. She looked like my grandma, minus the shawl. It turns out that Phyllis is a sought after lecturer and author of over 2-dozen books, mostly on religion and spirituality. She spoke to the urgency of denominational reconciliation due to the reformation the protestant church is finding itself in right now. She went on to speak about the “emerging church” and the importance of not allowing denominational differences to get in the way of loving the lost, serving the poor, and seeking the spiritual power of God. Her remarks were profound and it really got me thinking more about the possibility of Seminary in the future. I’d enjoy being taught by someone of her intelligence and experience.

Chap Clark and Kara Powell
The 2-day critical concerns course that I signed up for was “Deep Ministry in a Shallow World.” This presentation was pieced together by two of Fuller Seminary’s most extinguished Youth and Family experts. I’ve got pages of notes that I find myself going over again and again. We focused on understanding kids and today’s culture, the transition of students moving into college, searching for deep justice in today’s broken world, and teenage discipleship. Chap and Kara also gave us steps that we can take as youth workers to help our ministry move from “Shallow to Deep”

1. Discern God’s transformative work
2. Reflect upon new insights and discoveries in the world of today’s culture
3. Realize the importance of observing other ministries that are going deep
4. Apply the information gained in our reflection and in our observations that can help bring about a new kind of deep and meaningful ministry.

There was so much said during our time together, but I really hope to use what they taught me to continually evaluate the effectiveness of the ministry God has entrusted to me.

Kenneth
Adam and I happened to meet Kenneth during a 20-minute walk through downtown Atlanta around 12:15am. We were looking for some good late night eats since we clearly weren’t ready to fall asleep. Moments before entering McDonald’s, we met a man who had certainly seen better days than the one in which he currently found himself living. Kenneth was looking for money so he could get home. We offered him food and enough cash to take the Marta a dozen times. Realizing that our time with him needed to feel like more than just a one-sided exchange, Kenneth insisted that he escort us back to our hotel. During our walk together, it was obvious that he wanted to somehow earn the gifts we wanted to give him. I was then reminded of my time in Chap and Kara’s class when we learned the importance of allowing the poor to give back to us whatever they could, in order to feel proud, dignified, and important once more. When we walked with Kenneth, we wanted him to know that we cared about his story and his life. We talked and asked questions the entire trip back to the hotel. Something that I hope to be teaching our students is to not only care about the physical needs of the poor but also their emotional and spiritual needs.


This was my second NYWC trip since my hire in September 2005, and I hope that there will be more in my future.