NYWC and YM 3.0 and A New Kind of Christian...Part 2

This is a continuation from the previous post, you may want to read it first in order for this to make more sense. That being said away we go...

Reflecting back on all of these things, there are a few observations I want to share.

I have found that God never leaves you in a place all by yourself; especially if He wants something to be done because He knows how much we need a community to join with us. This was true for me with my struggle with the church. When I went to NYWC 2007 where I heard Marko's talk on Youth Ministry 3.0, it was so encouraging to me because it was not a hate church speech or a we need to start a new church, but simple we need to realize where we need to take it next. This was so refreshing to me, especially since I work in a mainline church. There was a HOPE within his talk that what we have been doing was good at that time, but he encouraged us to realize that it needs to change because people have changed. In fact, McLaren's book had the same feel; the pastor is ready to give up on the church and go teach in a school, but the professor engages him in a deep conversation aimed at keeping him in the church. This feel like I am not alone, but God has placed others around me to encourage challenge and guide me is what Marko calls "Communion" a community with Christ in our midst.

Marko's book YM 3.0 carried the same tone as his talk at NYWC, hope that the church has done well, but also that it needs to change. There was even a facebook group started to engage people in conversations about YM 3.0; I was really excited! I found out that so many other felt the same way about needing the church to have a shift, but I also gained new struggles from this group too. This group helped me realize how hard this shift is going to be from programs to presence, from driven to not driven, results based to God based. To me, it seemed like person after person was feeling like there was something not quite right about the church, but the same we unable to get out of the mindset of where the church is now.

I guess for me, since is spoke so directly to me, I was ready to try anything even if i meant getting beat up about it because it was not how we had always done it; but it seemed like so many others were taking the surface points of the books and trying to fit them into the current church setting.

It was at this frustration and excitement communion that I entered into NYWC 2008.

I was so excited to have brought five volunteers with me; one of which is my wife who is also called to youth ministry! I cannot imagine going this journey without her!!

Upon getting into the conference, we went one day early so our females could go to HERstory, a day of pouring into women in youth ministry. Seeing the ladies excitement from that might have been one of the highlights from the weekend. My wife and I also sat down to coffee with Marko, the author of YM 3.0 and President of Youth Specialties. It was great to sit down with the one who really started me on this new part of my journey (Ok so God had a lot to do with it too :-) ) From here, everyone started showing up for the main part of the conference. From this time on til the end of the conference, I felt like my group and a few others we in such a different place than a lot of the rest. This is not saying better or worse, just different.

Within the conference, you have the option to really go to or not go to everything or anything in between. There is a full schedule for the whole time, and I really felt pulled not to miss anything because there was a lot of good stuff, but also pulled to miss most of it because I just needed to sit down with God.

I ended up only going to one breakout session, the main sessions, and the sanctuary. The sanctuary was something new this year and i have to say it might have been my favorite part, outside of my ladies reaction to HERstory and three of the main sessions! In the Sanctuary, there was just an atmosphere where God was present, sitting among us. Another reason I really resonated with it is because I feel a HUGE pull towards the Christian Disciplines and spending more time with God and resting in Him. There was even a part called "Nap Time" where there was just a light guitar and singing and you were literally encouraged to lay down and nap!! It was so refreshing.

I was still struggling as always with the consumeristic feel of the conference. The booth area with all the vendors is like wading through a small pond with 200 sharks; I hate it because I know several of the vendors. At each of the main sessions there were about 2-5 products and events being advertised. This is tough for me because I have a marketing degree, and actually went the other way to be against being sold anything and just loving people.

THE EXCITING CONCLUSION:
Ok so I hate when you have to say it, but I needed to wrap it up, also I know this is really only the beginning, but oh well.

I am learning more and more about the great NEED of Communion, community with Christ in our midst. Not only should we seek it for ourselves, but we should try to encourage it with youth.

I learned the NEED for God sized patience, a patience that as Marko put it is "so patient it is annoying"

I continue to learn the NEED for God. I know this sounds funny, but I think that we forget sometimes that when we do it on our own (which happens a lot in ministry too) we are forgetting we need God.

I cannot wait to see where I, the church, youth ministry, Youth Specialties, and everyone else end up! What and exciting journey we get to be a part of!!!!

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!