(By the way, I'm posting a bunch this morning, and this early, due to it raining all night long, and at this moment...I have been running every morning around 6 am and it feels GREAT...but alas, I am stuck inside for now...)
Well, another Planet Wisdom...another great time (maybe my favorite of the four I've been to????). We took a record (for us) number of folks, and all came back jazzed up. Not as many "responses" as in past years ("new Christians", or folks needing to recommit, etc.), but that's fine, as the overall makeup of our group this year seemed to be ones that are ready for the next "leap" in their fillowing of Jesus...and I'm excited. Really, before this weekend, I was about as excited as I've been in a LONG time about doing youth ministry...and now, even more so...
The theme was "Becoming More", using pottery-making (complete with a demonstration with a pottery wheel and everything that was a perfect visual metaphor) to show us the tension (often good) that exists between God, our creator, and ourselves, with water used to shape the clay representing grace. It was really cool.
Mark Matlock, the main teacher, was really "on". I mean, he's always been great, but man he just nailed it this year...as did the always hilarious, thought-provoking SKIT GUYS! In fact, they won a contest for Southwest Airlines, producing a commercial...here it is (love it!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEuAwj2imbY
Anyways, wonderful time. On a side note, Mark, while speaking at a youth leader "only" meeting, brought up a new vision for his Generation hope parent seminars (and actually name-dropped me-hahaha, saying it was the Weatherford conference, along with other conversations he and I had, that were a big part of this new vision), involving the training of 100 youth ministry vets to actually become a team of Generation hope seminar leaders...able to REALLY spread out and effect thousands of families, as he can only do a few such conferences a year. Needless to say I texted Mark "sign me up for this parenting thing",as he was speaking, and right after he left the room I got a, "U got it" return text...it will involve training prior to a 2008 Youth Specialties Convention, and the target "launch" date is 2009... One aspect I actually liked is that the idea isn't for me to lead a seminar at my home church, but rather other churches...and focusing on "follow up coffees/discussions" at home base. I like that, as while I sense I have good relationships with most of the families I serve, I do think some would have trouble getting past the "goofy youth guy" leading a parenting seminar...but at another place? Sure...
I truly feel like this is becoming more a part of my calling: ministering to families as a whole. I still focus on teens, but increaingly am in conversation with parents, and who knows, maybe after youth min is "done", I can transistion into a more "family-wide" dynamic... We will see...
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