We're here to talk about the wild, ridiculous love and grace of Jesus. So come along for the ride, and take time today to laugh, love & forgive. Never regret anything that makes you smile. Don't label people & focus on the positive. And enjoy EVERY sandwich!
Mike Yaconelli was killed in a car wreck on October 30, 2003. I've never met anyone who was quite like Yac. Co-founder of Youth Specialties and creator of the Ideas Books, he is considered by many to be the father of modern youth ministry- a title which he would have hated. He was much happier with his own description of himself as a man who had been kicked out of Bible College and was for the last few years of his life the pastor of the "slowest growing church in the country." I first met Yac at the YSNational Youth Workers Convention in 1982, and I was immediately overwhelmed by his passion and his personality. His early morning bible studies at those events were legendary, and I seldom missed one. Over the years I fortunate enough to attend numerous seminars which he led, and we sat and talked on several occasions. His heart for Jesus was enormous; his love for youth workers knew no boundaries. Seldom does a day go by that I don't think of Yac.
I remember his stories about youth ministry and the ever-present Jones Memorial Carpet. I think about the time I was standing at the front desk of a fancy hotel that was hosting the NYWC, only to feel a finger-blaster go whizzing by my head and hit the clerk. I turned to see Yac laughing hysterically- having fired the shot! His story about serving communion using orange juice and stale hot dog buns inspired me to use OJ & Krispy Kreme doughnuts. I remember spending 2 days with him as part of a small group in a spiritual renewal seminar just soaking in prayer and scripture, being reminded how important it is to be still. No one who ever encountered Yac will ever forget him. Just before his death I made arrangements to have him deliver the Sunday message at the Tampa church I served at the time the following February. I couldn't wait to see the wild, messy and totally unpredictable Yac blow the roof off the place. That day was never to be...
Today, I want you all to understand that Mike Yaconelli was all about a dangerous faith. He challenged everyone he encountered to step outside of their comfort zone and follow the radical teachings of the Christ. This passion often made him a critic of the institutional church and of corporate student ministry. The 3 quotes below are from his book Dangerous Wonder. They tell you a lot about Yac. They tell you even more about what is should mean to follow Jesus. Read them. Re-read them. My hope is that you will be overwhelmed by his words just as I have been- over and over again. If they make you uncomfortable...GOOD! Then I know I have used them well. I have said before that I have known 2 men in my life that I know really "got" Jesus. Rich Mullins was one. Yac was the other. I was blessed to have known him. Enjoy his words.
If Christianity is simply about being nice I'm not interested... I'm ready for a Christianity that "ruins" my life, that captures my heart and makes me uncomfortable. I want to be filled with an astonishment which is so captivating that I am considered wild and unpredictable and.. well... dangerous. Yes, I want to be "dangerous" to a dull and boring religion.
How did we end up so comfortable with God? How did our awe of God get reduced to a lukewarm appreciation of God? How did God become a pal instead of a heart-stopping presence? How can we think of Jesus without remembering His ground-shaking, thunder-crashing, stormy exit on the cross? Why aren’t we continually catching our breath and saying, “This is no ordinary God!”?
It is time to find the place where the dangerous wonder of faith can be discovered—a place landscaped by risky curiosity, wild abandon, daring playfulness, quiet listening, irresponsible passion, happy terror, and naive grace. In a day when most of us are tired, worn-out, thirsty, and starving for life and joy and peace, maybe it is time to become a child again. Maybe it is time to quit college and take a year off to go to the mission field, or give up a secure job and go back to school, or leave the corporation because the work is killing our souls, or give up the possessions that are possessing us. Maybe it is time to live this dangerous wonder of faith, take our shoes off, roll up our sleeves, and have such a romp as no one has ever seen. Maybe it's time to play in the snow once again.
Happy Throwback Thursday! Yesterday was the great Tony Campolo's 80th birthday. Tony is one of the great storytellers our our time, quoted in sermons on a regular basis. But to celebrate here, I thought I would share my favorite story (originally posted in 2009) ABOUT Tony. It's one for the ages...
In the late 70's or early 80's (those years really run together in my mind!) Alan Brown showed up at my house one day having written most of a song about a blue pick-up truck. It was the type of song where heartbreak is all around- a true parody of country music. I helped him (very little) finish it, and it became legendary around Quaker Lake Camp and NC Young Friends events. As time passed, Alan was not around those events much and I took to singing it by myself. In 1986 I sang it at New England Yearly Meeting and it killed. It seemed that people everywhere could get into this song.
At the 1987 National Youth Workers Convention in Atlanta there was going to be a "talent show" at the annual Wittenburg Door Banquet. I had brought my guitar with me, and at some point Terry Venable, Ray Luther and I decided we would audition for the banquet and sing Blue Pick-Up Truck. The three of us had never performed the song together before, but we would be bound together by history. Ray would follow me as Youth Pastor at Springfield Friends Meeting, and then would follow Terry as Senior Pastor there. He was still Pastor there until December of 2014. Ray was by far the best singer of the group; I knew the verses; Terry was there for moral support! We auditioned under the name The Country Quakers. They let us sing part of the song and then told us we would get a call letting us know if we were in. The call came, and we would make our debut in front of 800 or so youth workers.
The Wittenburg Door Banquet was a wild affair each year, and 1987 was no different. We were sharing a table with some Mennonites who were wearing suits and hotel shower caps. People dressed crazy, acted crazy and had lots of fun, all without the benefit of alcohol! Wayne Rice did his Sinatra impression ("I did it His way...") and Mike Yaconelli made fun of everyone. Before we knew it, it was our time to take the stage, one of the final acts of the night.
I introduced the song in my usual way- "How many of you like country music?" After the cheer went up in response, I said, "Well then you will hate this..." It got a good laugh and started the song. The first verse and chorus passed with some laughter, but we had no indication of what was about to happen. People began to clap along with the music. After the second verse, as we started the chorus again, I jokingly yelled out, "Sing it if you know it!" To our shock, they did! "There's a blue pick-up truck where my heart used to be" rang out like Born to Run at a Springsteen concert! The place was now rocking, and we were really getting into it. Everyone in the place was standing and clapping along. The room itself was pretty dark, with candles on every table. Sometime during the final verse we noticed that someone at one of the front tables was standing in a chair and waving a candle. Others began to copy him, until he and some of the crowd were actually on the tables singing and waving candles. We couldn't really see at the time, but when the lights came up we discovered it was Tony Campolo, world renowned speaker and teacher, who had been the lead dancer! We received a huge standing ovation, and Wayne Rice told me he thought we might be the biggest hit in the history of the banquet. Tic Long, who selected the acts for the night, told us later he had chosen us because he thought we would get booed off the stage; we were supposed to have been the "Gong Show" act of the night! I just hate that this was before the days of video phones; I would love to have a tape of it all!
The next day we were full-blown celebrities. Everyone wanted to say hi and offer congratulations. Yohann Anderson wanted to publish the song. Tony himself stopped me in the hall to tell me how much fun it had been for him. The Wittenburg Door Banquet was discontinued shorty thereafter, so that was my one and only bit of NYWC fame. It was also the one and only performance of The Country Quakers. Always leave 'em wanting more, right?
The Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention is going on this weekend in Sacramento, and even after 8 years away I still miss those events. I attended 18 of the conventions (NYWC) between 1982 and 2006. The full list of conventions I attended is as follows: Dallas (1982, 2001); Atlanta (1987, 2000, 2004); Chicago (1988); Orlando (1989); Nashville (1995, 2002); Anaheim (1996); Philadelphia (1985, 1997); Denver (1998); Cincinnati (1999); Phoenix (2003); Sacramento (2005); Pittsburgh (2005); and Charlotte (2006). Today I want to remember some of the people, speakers, seminars and events that made those conventions such life-changers for me. Today I take a look back at 10 of the best moments. Two of my very best memories- Mike Yaconelli's early morning bible study and the Exhibit Hall (featuring every youth ministry resource you can imagine, from finger blasters to bibles)- happened every year and are not included on this list.
Dallas, 1982- Convention #1 has to go at the top of the list. I was amazed at everything, but among my favorite memories are hearing Tony Campolo speak for the first time; meeting Mike Yaconelli for the first time; Jim Burns and his incredible Advanced Youth Ministry seminar; the Wittenburg Door Banquet with radical speaker Dick Gregory; and of course, my amazing souvenir belt buckle (pictured).
Atlanta, 2004- Tic Long offered me the opportunity to lead my very own NYWC Seminar, which was a dream of mine. I had finally achieved the status I always desired- that of Minor Christian Celebrity. Very minor. My seminar was called Pagan Eye For the Christian Guy and focused on taking our ministries out of the church and into the community. It was well attended and well received. A true highlight of my professional career.
Phoenix, 2003- I signed up for a two day intensive seminar (called Critical Concerns Courses in those days) led by Yac and Fil Anderson, who had been my Young Life leader during my first couple of years of high school. It was a spiritual growth workshop, where we spent 8 hours focused on the scripture found in John 12:1-8 where Mary pours perfume on Jesus' feet. We literally soaked in the scripture, building our own clay jars and making our own perfume. It was amazing. The fact that Yac would be killed in a car wreck less than a month later made it all the more significant to me...
Philadelphia, 1997- All of us who had served 20 years or more in student ministry were called to the stage and presented with a framed copy of the great Geoff Moore & the Distance song, Only A Fool- while Geoff and the boys sang it to us. The framed copy (pictured) still hangs on a wall in my home.
Atlanta, 1987- The Country Quakers (myself, Terry Venable and Ray Luther) sang Blue Pick-Up Truck at the Wittenburg Door Banquet and rocked the house! Also that same year Wayne Rice did a great Sinatra impression while singing I Did It His Way... Classic.
1982-2006- The "group singing" in the general sessions was always just incredible. Over the years I was fortunate enough to share in worship with Yohann Anderson, James Ward, Bob Stromberg, Chris Tomlin, 721, Starfield and of course, *David Crowder Band. I can't even begin to explain how these amazing artists impacted my life and my ministry, or how many of their songs I took home to my groups. I used to say that the Angels would have a hard time matching the sound of 1000 youth workers singing "Where justice rolls down like a mighty water" or "There is no one like you..."
Dallas, 2001- Late Night Live on the final night of the convention was always good, but in 2001 it was simply awesome! Lost And Found came out to warm up the crowd, doing cover songs and claiming not to be themselves. When asked who they were, they responded with crazy names like Czars of Clay, Second Day or abcTalk. Comedian Brad Stine joined in with his "Put a helmet on!" bit, which killed. Lost And Found then came out for real and played my request, Used To Be. And finally CPR closed with their brilliant improv act. Best. Night. Ever! And I was on the front row...
Philadelphia, 1997- During general sessions YS used to have a set of bleachers on the main stage that they called The Peanut Gallery. The seats were first come, first served, and in those days me & The Banana Splits were always first because we volunteered to do set-ups before the sessions. We usually avoided the Peanut Gallery (preferring the front row) but for some reason we sat in the bleachers for a session featuring Third Day. Mac Powell (complete with blond hair!) came over and sat with us during one of the songs, as did Mark Lee. I may be wrong, but I think Campolo spoke at that session too. A great memory!
Anaheim, 1996- We got on an elevator at the hotel with some weird looking British dudes we had never seen before. A few hours later we were worshipping with them. We had just encountered Deliriou5- and that is something you never forget. I had never experienced worship quite like that. I still get chills every time I hear Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?
Nashville, 1995- It should come as no surprise that music was the thing at my first Nashville NYWC. Michael W. Smith showed up unannounced and played some songs from the then-unreleased I'll Lead You Home album. PRF performed with help from members of Jars of Clay. Audio Adrenaline played without lead singer Mark Stuart, who had laryngitis. One of their roadies sang lead on Big House. And I met Geoff Moore for the first time over dinner at the hotel. It was all awesome!
BONUS:Chicago, 1988- Can't leave this year off the list. It was the year I roomed with Terry Venable and got the "You're dead meat!" call from his wife Leigh Anne at 5 AM because their sick child had kept her up all night. It also featured the only speaker I ever walked out on in 18 conventions- Rev. Charles Stanley. But that is a story for another day...
I could go on, but I'll stop there. The NYWC has a special place in my heart, and I hope this has been an amazing weekend for everyone in Sacramento. I know that the leadership and the tone of the conventions have changed a great deal since 2006, but one thing will never change- the best part was always the time spent with the other participants just talking shop. These were other people who actually understood what it was like to live life as a youth pastor. My prayer is that all youth workers will feel the love and support in their lives that the NYWC always gave me. And that there's still room on the schedule to get into a little trouble... :)
In November of 2000 I attended the National Youth Workers Convention in Atlanta. This was my first convention as Youth Pastor of the Union Church of Hinsdale, and I accompanied by David Knecht. David, some of you may recall, was the head of the search committee that brought me to UC. He was a man in his forties who had built and sold a computer company, and now had lots of time on his hands. He was giving that time to serve God, and especially the youth of UC. I liked David a lot and was glad he was going to his first NYWC. Funny story- we were to stay at a Marriott in Atlanta for the convention, and when the former CEO of Marriott, who was a member at UC, found out he wanted to upgrade us to a luxury suite. I said no thanks, explaining to him that youth workers staying in a luxury suite would be the targets of many jokes and quite possibly an investigation...
As David and I flew to Atlanta, settled in to our meager accommodations (HA!) and begin to explore the NYWC, a question that had been nagging me through my first 8 months at UC came to the forefront of my mind. Why had David not applied for the job I now had? He knew the people and culture of UC that so frustrated me; he was one of them. He clearly loved Jesus, students and student ministry. At the convention he was like a kid in a toy store; everything amazed him! I recognized it in him because it had been true for me for so many years. He soaked up everything. I introduced him to many of the legends of youth ministry, and he was a little starstruck. He loved the seminars, the speakers, the music- everything! And to complete his experience, I made sure he got his first ever Chick-fil-A sandwich. David. like so many before him, was now addicted to the NYWC.
At some point during that week I had a chat with an old friend, who had knew me well and who had been in ministry a long time. I shared with him some of my frustrations, and specifically my thoughts about David being the right person for the job I currently had. As we talked, Todd reminded me that 15 years earlier I had taken a job with the New England Yearly Meeting of Friends. After a short time at that ministry I had similar feelings about Chris Jorgensen who had volunteered years with the youth there, only to see me get the job she wanted. I realized when I left NEYM that God's purpose for me there had been to prepare things for Chris. I was there 9 months, and then she got the job and served them brilliantly for many years. Like a snow plow on the highway, sometimes our ministry is just to plow the road and clear the path for someone else. John the Baptist did it for Jesus. I had done it for Chris. And now, my wise friend was saying, maybe I was at UC to get everything set up and ready for David to succeed. It was, in many ways, a hard pill to swallow. I had moved my family thousands of miles so I could be a "star." I had gone to UC to be a closer, not a set-up man. But those were my reasons. Perhaps God had a different design in mind.
And that is exactly the way things turned out. Less that a year later I left Union Church and without even forming a search committee the church gave the position to David. He served there for a number of years, doing wonderful things with the youth and the community. It is so tempting to look back on my days in Hinsdale as a failure. But it is also a wonderful thing when you know you have been used by God for His purpose. And that is my prayer on this Sabbath day- that I be open to whatever God has in mind for me next. Whatever the road that needs to be plowed, I want to be the instrument Jesus can use to get it done. I hope that you will pray along with me. Because of Jesus,
The 2013 edition of the Youth SpecialtiesNational Youth Workers Conventions (NYWC) is underway in San Diego. I still miss these great events that had a tremendous impact on my life and ministry. Most of the folks I knew and loved at YS are gone now, but they are still an important part of my past. Today I want to shout out to some of the people who made my 18 conventions so special. Some were speakers, some musicians, some artists and some just people I came to know and love. Not included here is the godfather of youth ministry, the late Mike Yaconelli- because he deserves a post of his own. In fact, he has one! I miss all these guys so much...
Tic Long, who never failed to greet me with a smile; who gave me my chance to lead a seminar; who waived my fee for the the 2005 Pittsburgh convention (since I had already paid for Sacramento); and who gave me a chance to be a seminar speaker at the 2004 convention in Atlanta.
Wayne Rice, co-founder of YS with Yac and for many years the guru of all things junior high and middle school related. Plus he did a mean Frank Sinatra impression- "I did it HIS way..."
Dennis Benson, who in 1982 opened my eyes to using culture to teach, not to promote fear. "In it, not of it, wasn't that what I said?"
James Ward, who for so many years was the guy who got the convention singing, and whom I got to hang out with a few times over the years. "Ain't no rock gonna' shout in my place..."
Tony Campolo. Everything I ever heard him say moved me in some way, and I still listen to his talks and read his books on a regular basis.
Laurie Polich Short, who ideas on small groups impacted my ministires in big ways and who is now a friend on Twitter.
Dan Kimball, who in a Critical Concerns Course helped me understand what it means to move outside old models and deal with a post-modern world.
Noel and Kyle Becchetti, who through their ministry with the Center for Student Missions provided great mission experiences for my groups from 3 different churches to 3 different cities.
The great people at Interlinc, who provided me with great music, great videos, and most recently a chance to write Bible studies for youth pastors. Plus their booth in the exhibit hall was always the most fun!
Todd Temple, whom I first met in the late 1980's when he was leading events for YS (Anyone remember Grow For It?) and who later was the founder of MediaShout. He never failed to greet me warmly and sit and chat, even if I did like to remind him that he used to look like Fabio...
General Session speaker Stephen Glenn, who in Chicago in 1988 taught me the 7 questions to ask if I never wanted students to tell me anything meaningful: "Did ya? Can ya? Will ya? Won't ya? Don't ya? Can't ya? Aren't ya?" The only answers they can give are a hrumph, a grunt, a shrug or a whatever. I never forgot the lesson.
Tiger McLuen, who taught me so much about how to train the Youth Ministry Teams that I worked with...
Louie Giglio, whose I AM NOT general session message (Phoenix, 2003- I think?) not only became a theme in my teaching, but inspired me to write a song of the same name.
Rich Bundschuh, Jim Hancock, Mike Atkinson, Rich Van Pelt, Jay Delph, Duffy Robbins, Efrem Smith, Doug Fields, Jim Burns, Mark Ostreicher and so many others who always made me feel like family year after year.
Debbie Morris, whose general session talk on Forgiving the Dead Man Walking showed me a deeper grace than anything I had ever seen from another human. When my own life crashed, thinking of her words so often gave me hope that people (I already knew God would) might be able to forgive me too.
Andy Stanley, Phil Vischer, Will Willimon, Brennan Manning, Steve Taylor, Philip Yancey, Chris Hill andMike Yaconelli- general session speakers who were so good that I bought the CD (well, mostly tapes actually. I'm old...).
Curt Cloninger, Lost And Found, The Skit Guys, Ted & Lee, CPRand Geoff Moore- NYWC performers who became my friends over the years. With the exception of the The Skit Guys, I hosted all of them at my churches at least once.
Les Christie. Despite the fact that he led the same 2 seminars- Incredibly Hot Games and Dealing With Obnoxious Students- at every NYWC I ever attended, I never once sat in on one of them. It was comforting to know he was always there, and we had fun combining the 2 titles into How To Play Games With Incredibly Hot Obnoxious Students...
And finally- J. David Stone, without whom I might have never known that student ministry could be a life-long calling, and whose seminar on Creative Movement was the first one I ever attended. "Do ya, do ya, do ya wanna dance..." Thanks Dave!
These folks and so many others touched my life between 1982 and 2006 in ways it is hard to describe. They were not just just speakers and mentors to me- they were heroes! And so many of them continue in student ministry today. Thanks to all. And God bless the new leadership of the NYWC. Youth ministry is still so important...
This post first appeared October 23, 2010. In the early 1980's David Bills introduced me to a magazine called The Wittenburg Door. The name was a parody of the famous door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg that the great theologian Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to in 1517. I immediately fell in love with the magazine, which was edited in those early days by Mike Yaconelli. The publication was billed as "Christian satire," which made it a kind of MAD Magazine for the church. It poked fun at the church and many of the people in it, pointing out our tendency to take ourselves far too seriously. Each month they gave out the Green Weenie Award to the person who was found to be most embarrassing to the church. The issue pictured here (from 1985) was one of my favorites. In it they defended Tony Campolo from charges of heresy coming from church leaders- primarily because Tony chose to take literally the words of Jesus instead of their words. It was a great read- if you could find it.
You see, The Wittenburg Door was not only published by youth workers in those early years, it also functioned just like us. It was printed on plain paper- nothing glossy about it. And you never knew when it was coming. I subscribed for a number of years, and you could expect the January/February issue around June. Later on it was sold and became a real magazine known only as The Door. The "Wittenburg" has now been returned to the title, although I confess I haven't read an issue in many years now.
The Wittenburg Door was considered a subversive rag by many church leaders back in the day- which was one of the reasons I loved it so much. You almost felt like it should be mailed in a plain brown wrapper so no one would know you received it. But it was treasured by many youth pastors- especially the ones who were a part of the Youth Specialties family. The National Youth Workers Convention used to include a Wittenburg Door Banquet each year, with speakers and a talent show. In 1987 (click here for details) I performed and had a a blast. Upon returning home, I wrote a song parody of the Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show classic The Cover of the Rolling Stone, written by Shel Silverstein. I intended to sing it at the next banquet- but never had a chance. The banquets were dropped from the NYWC schedule.
So today I reveal to you the words of this never before sung or seen tale of youth ministry. Aside from changing one outdated reference, it's the same song I wrote in 1987. It's meant to be tongue-in-cheek; being on the cover would more likely have gotten you fired than made you rich. For everyone who has ever given of themselves in ministry with students, this song is for you! Sing along!
Well we're big-time youth workers, tryin' to serve our LORD And we're oh so very sincere We sing about Jesus and we teach about truth For three thousand dollars a year We work with Bobbys and Jills who give us all kinds of thrills But we're not sure what it's all for... 'Cause we won't get no richer 'til we see our picture On the cover of The Wittenburg Door
{Refrain} Wittenburg Door Wanna see my picture on the cover Door Have to hide the copies from my mother Door Wanna see my smilin' face On the cover of The Wittenburg Door
I've got some great volunteers who are up in their years But they do everything they can I've got a poor old gray-haired lady Drivin' our worn-out van Now it's all designed so God can blow kid's minds And to strengthen their spiritual core And they'll know who to go to when they see my photo On the cover of The Wittenburg Door
{Refrain}
We got a lot of little teenage blue-eyed groupies Who don't do a thing we say We got a Purpose Driven guru He's teachin' us a better way We got hundreds of youth who come to us for the truth Yeah they're breakin' down our doors But I'll go out of style if they don't see my smile On the cover of The Wittenburg Door
The answer to yesterday's trivia game was tricky- I have only stayed at 7 Walt Disney World resort hotels, not 11 as stated. No one got the answer without a lot of help, so we will try again soon to give away the prize! It's the time of year when my mind starts to turn to how much I miss the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Conventions. They were such an important part of my ministry through the years, and the people I encountered there changed the way I thought about and DID student ministry. Today I want to give a few shout outs to some of the people who made my 18 conventions so special. Some were speakers, some musicians, some artists and some just people I came to know and love. I miss them all!
Mike Yaconelli and Wayne Rice, the co-founders of YS, who had me hooked after attending my first NYWC in Dallas, 1982.
Tic Long, who never failed to greet me with a smile; who gave me my chance to lead a seminar; who waived my fee for the the 2005 Pittsburgh convention (since I had already paid for Sacramento); and whose work with YS makes him one of the true legends of youth ministry.
Dennis Benson, who in 1982 opened my eyes to using culture to teach, not to promote fear. "In it, not of it, wasn't that what I said?"
James Ward, who for so many years was the guy who got the convention singing, and whom I got to hang out with a few times over the years. "Ain't no rock gonna' shout in my place..."
Tony Campolo. Everything I ever heard him say moved me in some way, and I still listen to his talks and read his books on a regular basis.
Dan Kimball, who in a Critical Concerns Course helped me understand what it means to move outside old models and deal with a post-modern world.
Noel and Kyle Becchetti, who through their ministry with the Center for Student Missions provided great mission experiences for my groups from 3 different churches to 3 different cities.
The great people at Interlinc, who provided me with great music, great videos, and most recently a chance to write Bible studies for youth pastors. Plus their booth in the exhibit hall was always the most fun!
Todd Temple, whom I first met in the late 1980's when he was leading events for YS (Anyone remember Grow For It?) and who later was the founder of MediaShout. He never failed to greet me warmly and sit and chat, even if I did like to remind him that he used to look like Fabio...
Laurie Polich, who whose seminars on small groups were practical and awesome. She literally wrote the book on the subject.
General Session speaker Stephen Glenn, who in Chicago in 1988 taught me the 7 questions to ask if I never wanted students to tell me anything meaningful: "Did ya? Can ya? Will ya? Won't ya? Don't ya? Can't ya? Aren't ya?" The only answers they can give are a hrumph, a grunt, a shrug or a whatever. I never forgot the lesson.
Tiger McLuen, who taught me so much about how to train the Youth Ministry Teams that I worked with...
Louie Giglio, whose I AM NOT general session message (Phoenix, 2003- I think?) not only became a theme in my teaching, but inspired me to write a song of the same name.
Doug Fields, who as a seminar leader and a General Session helped us all understand what being purpose driven could mean to a student ministry. The fact that Doug is now in leadership at YS is an encouraging sign.
Rich Bundschuh, Jim Hancock, Rich Van Pelt, Jay Delph, Duffy Robbins, Efrem Smith, Jim Burns, Mark Ostreicher and so many others who always made me feel like family year after year.
Debbie Morris, whose general session talk on Forgiving the Dead Man Walking showed me a deeper grace than anything I had ever seen from another human. When my own life crashed, thinking of her words so often gave me hope that people (I already knew God would) might be able to forgive me too.
Andy Stanley, Phil Vischer, Will Willimon, Brennan Manning, Steve Taylor, Philip Yancey, Chris Hill andMike Yaconelli- general session speakers who were so good that I bought the CD (well, mostly tapes actually. I'm old...).
Curt Cloninger, Lost And Found, The Skit Guys, Ted & Lee, CPRand Geoff Moore- NYWC performers who became my friends over the years. With the exception of the The Skit Guys, I hosted all of them at my churches at least once.
Les Christie. Despite the fact that he led the same 2 seminars-Incredibly Hot Gamesand Dealing With Obnoxious Students- at every NYWC I ever attended, I never once sat in on one of them. It was comforting to know he was always there, and we had fun combining the 2 titles into How To Play Games With Incredibly Hot Obnoxious Students...
And finally- J. David Stone, without whom I might have never known that student ministry could be a life-long calling, and whose seminar on Creative Movement was the first one I ever attended. "Do ya, do ya, do ya wanna dance..." Thanks Dave!
I could go on and on and on. I know the NYWC has changed a great deal since my final one in Charlotte, 2006. Leadership has changed and so has some of the focus. It is no longer the YS of Yac, Wayne, Marko and Tic. But the impact continues to be strong. And the influence it had on my life will never be forgotten. The students I served all of those years owe much to the wonderful folks at Youth Specialties. Because of Jesus,
As I mentioned yesterday, the Youth SpecialtiesNational Youth Workers Convention is in Atlanta this week. I attended several conventions in Atlanta, but there is always one moment that stands out in my mind above all others. This is that story.
Alan & I at QLC
In the late 70's or early 80's (those years really run together in my mind!) Alan Brownshowed up at my house one day having written most of a song about a blue pick-up truck. It was the type of song where heartbreak is all around- a true parody of country music. I helped him finish it, and it became legendary around Quaker Lake Camp and NC Young Friends events. As time passed, Alan was not around those events much and I took to singing it by myself. In 1986 I sang it at New England Yearly Meeting and it killed. It seemed that people everywhere could get into this song.
At the 1987 National Youth Workers Convention in Atlanta there was going to be a "talent show" at the annual Wittenburg Door Banquet. I had brought my guitar with me, and at some point Terry Venable, Ray Luther and I decided we would audition for the banquet and sing Blue Pick-Up Truck. The three of us had never performed the song together before, but we woould be bound together by history. Ray would follow me as Youth Pastor at Springfield Friends Meeting, and they would follow Terry as Senior Pastor. He is still Pastor there today. Ray was by far the best singer of the group; I knew the verses; Terry was there for moral support! We auditioned under the name The Country Quakers. They let us sing part of the song and then told us we would get a call letting us know if we were in. The call came, and we would make our debut in front of 800 or so youth workers.
The Wittenburg Door Banquet was a wild affair each year, and 1987 was no different. We were sharing a table with some Mennonites who were wearing hotel shower caps. People dressed crazy, acted crazy and had lots of fun, all without the benefit of alcohol! Wayne Rice did his Sinatra impression ("I did it His way...") and Mike Yaconelli made fun of everyone. Before we knew it, it was our time to take the stage, one of the final acts of the night.
I introduced the song in my usual way- "How many of you like country music?" After the cheer went up in response, I would say, "Well then you will hate this..." We got a good laugh and started the song. The first verse and chorus passed with some laughter, but we had no indication of what was about to happen. People began to clap along with the music. After the second verse, as we started the chorus again, I jokingly yelled out, "Sing it if you know it!" To our shock, they did! The place was now rocking, and we were really getting into it. Everyone in the room was standing and clapping along. The room itself was pretty dark, with candles on every table. Sometime during the final verse we noticed that someone at one of the front tables was standing in a chair and waving a candle. Others began to copy him, until he and some of the crowd were actually on the tables singing and waving candles. We couldn't really see at the time, but when the lights came up we discovered it was Tony Campolo, world renowned speaker and teacher, who had been our biggest fan! We received a huge standing ovation, and Wayne Rice told me he thought we might be the biggest hit in the history of the banquet. Tic Long, who selected the acts for the night, told us later he had chosen us because he thought we would get booed off the stage; we were supposed to have been the "Gong Show" act of the night! I just hate that this was before the days of video phones; I would love to have a tape of it all. But trust me, the song is EPIC! I will consider recording the song to publish here on the blog- if enough of you request it! :)
The next day we were full blown celebrities. Everyone wanted to say hi and offer congratulations. Yohann Anderson wanted to publish the song. Tony himself stopped me in the hall to tell me how much fun it had been for him. The Wittenburg Door Banquet changed and then was discontinued, so that was my one and only bit of NYWC fame. It was also the one and only performance of The Country Quakers. Always leave 'em wanting more, right?
In honor of the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention beginning today in Atlanta, I am sharing this vintage post (with a few changes) that originally appeared here October 15, 2009. Blessings to all of my friends who are attending this week- do something wild & crazy for me!
1982 was a very pivotal year in my life and in my ministry. Somewhere along the road of this most interesting year, David Stone (see Influences: J. David Stone) suggested to me that I attend the Youth Specialties National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC). I knew ofYouth Specialties (YS) from their series of Ideas books and a few other youth ministry resources, which were really just starting to be published at the time. I had never heard of the NYWC, and neither had anyone else I knew, but David made it sound like a place that I needed to be, and he was leading some of the workshops. So I made plans to go by myself to Dallas in November of 1982. I was 23 and venturing out on my own, and I had my doubts. It turned out to be a very good decision plus I came home with awesome belt buckle seen above. Thanks Wayne Rice!
The NYWC in 1982 was not the same beast it is today. Dallas was the only location, and there were only around 800 of us there, compared to the thousands they draw to multiple locations today. It was held in a hotel ballroom with very limited sound equipment and no big screens or projectors. And it was wilder- MUCH wilder! Those were the days when YSwas a stand alone company, not yet a part of the Zondervan (or any other) conglomerate, and they were much bigger risk takers. I was clueless as to what to expect, but the opening general session told me all I needed to know- this would not be like any other "church" event I had ever atended! Mike Yaconelli and Wayne Rice, the two head-honchos of YS, did a welcome and orientation, during which they roasted many of the denominations represented at the convention. The barbs went something like this:
How many Southern Baptists does it take to change a light bulb? Just one- and it doesn't even matter if the light bulb needs changing!
Pentecostals, the hotel pool is NOT available for mass baptisms!
Episcopalians should note that hotel bar closes at midnight...
There will be an all-night meeting of the Committee of Methodists in room 806 to determine if that committee needs to meet again tomorrow!
Sorry, Lutherans, but the revolving restaurant at the top of the hotel is NOT available for a potluck supper on Saturday night...
They then did a "roll call" of denominations, and I was surprised to find out that there were a few other Quakers in attendance, all from Iowa, including my future friend Tom Klaus. There were not, however, enough of us to qualify for an insult from the stage!
The next few days were among the most exciting, draining and educational of my life. The workshops were amazing, with people like Yac, David Stone, Dennis Benson,Tony Campolo and Jim Burns opening my eyes to what student ministry could truly be. Tony led a workshop called Issues that Divide the Church, and focused on the sacraments, abortion and homosexuality. As you can see, we have made SOOOOO much progress over the last 27 years! Jim Burns 2-part Advanced Youth Ministry seminar became the basis of almost everything I did for the next 10 years (I finally got to thank Jim in Pittsburgh in 2005!). In those days, the general session speakers YS chose were there to challenge you to think. No matter your theology or your politics, there would be at least one main speaker who would really tick you off! The whole thing was like drinking from a fire hose- totally overwhelming! And then there was The Wittenburg Door banquet. The Wittenburg Door was a magazine published by YS that featured satirical humor, generally making fun of the excesses of the church. It's now just The Door and YS let it go years ago, but at the time it was quite a thorn in the side of the mainstream church. For their banquet in 1982, the speaker was Dick Gregory, the radical, outspoken African-American comedian who was not known for his religious views or church language. He held nothing back as he spoke about our responsibility as Christ-followers to feed the world and take care of the broken and outcasts. It was amazing, and I was among those who gave him a standing ovation. Many had walked out far before the end. My eyes were opened in a whole new way for about the 34th time that weekend!
It was also at this event that I met James Ward for the first time. James was a featured musician at the convention, who came out looking like James Taylor- a skinny white guy in a white shirt and loose tie. He say down at his piano and began to play, and JT disappeared and Stevie Wonder popped out! He was incredible, and our paths would cross a number of times over the years. His album Good Advice remains one of my very favorite contemporary christian recordings, even if it is on a cassette tape! I also met and got to play guitar with Yohann Anderson (just YO to his friends!), the founder of Songs & Creations. The Songs & Creations song book was the standard for youth group singing from the 1970's until the praise and worship movement of the 90's, and YO was the man behind gathering so many great songs in one place. He led all the group singing at the NYWC until praise bands were discovered...
It would be 5 years before I returned to the NYWC (an event I would eventually attend 15 times, and speak at once) but the lasting impact of that first time would be difficult to overstate. The lessons I learned and the connections I made would last the length of my ministry and beyond. You will read many more NYWC stories as time goes by; you will hear some of these names again as well. I returned to New Garden Friends Meeting more fired up than any $100 a month part-time youth leader ought to be, ready to make the student ministry there all it could be. How could I not be excited, with the words of the greatest speaker I have ever heard, Tony Campolo, still ringing in my ears: "You are thinking the world is too big, and one person can't change it. Well you CAN change it! YOU can make a difference!" I was certainly going to try...
I first became aware of James Ward at the 1982 National Youth Workers Convention, when this James Taylor looking dude took the main stage and absolutely blew us away with piano playing and soulful voice. Later on, he would would do concerts for us at North Carolina Yearly Meeting sessions and at Youthquake '91 in Vermont. For many years he served as the musical director for Youth Specialties at the NYWC. But the most important thing James ever did for me was teach me to rap...
I had already passed my 30th birthday in 1990 when I started to get serious about memorizing scripture (for really the first time since my childhood). Among the things I wanted to commit to memory were all of the books of the bible. In 1985, James had written a rap called The Holy Books, and I decided to use it to help me with my memorization. It worked like a charm. To this day if I need to locate a particular book of the bible in my mind, watch my lips. You may see them move as I silently rap my way through the Old and New Testaments. I used to perform the rap on occasion, only to prove that I could really do it! :)
In July of 2010 I put together a little video of the song and posted it to YouTube as a teaching aid for anyone trying to learn the Holy Books. As that video approaches 10,000 views, I thought I would share it with my blog readers for the first time. It is cheesy. It's silly. But it works. And I can promise you from personal experience- learn this song and you'll never forget the books of the bible again! Enjoy, and have a blessed day!
Today's youth ministry artifact is a compact disc. You know you are getting old when a CD is an artifact...
I first attended the Youth SpecialtiesNational Youth Workers Convention in 1982. I didn't return again until 1987, but from that point on I was a regular attendee until my final NYWC in 2006. And from '87 on, I always hoped that someday I could achieve the fame and status necessary to be asked to lead one of the seminars at the convention. (OK- full disclosure. My REAL dream was to be a General Session speaker on the main stage, but I had not written a book and had no significant "story" to tell in those days. Then my life fell apart, I lost my ministry- and now I have an awesome story to tell! Ironic, huh? So Mark Matlock & Tic Long, if you're listening, I'm ready!) Every few years I would mention to Yac or Tic that I had some ideas for seminars, but it just never worked out. Then shortly after attending the 2003 NYWC in Phoenix, I sent Tic an e-mail suggesting a couple of ideas for new seminars. My first choice was a pre-event seminar teaching newcomers how to make the most of the NYWC itself. My second idea was called Pagan Eye for the Christian Guy, a take-off on a popular TV show of the time. Much to my surprise, Tic wrote back almost immediately asking me to do the Pagan Eye seminar in Atlanta, 2004. I was thrilled. It was a dream come true. I was going to get paid to attend the NYWC. This was big time. Too awesome...
I had a blast putting the seminar together and preparing the PowerPoint presentation. I had sat through dozens of these things; I knew what was needed to engage the audience and what sort of content they would be looking for. It would be practical, hands on stuff to help youth pastors reach out more effectively in their communities. But right from the start I began to realize that being asked to do this had nothing to do with status or fame. I was not any smarter or more well-known in 2004 than I had been any previous year. My seminar would take place on the final morning of the event, which any veteran NYWC attender can tell you is a throw away session because everyone is packing before attending the final event in the Big Room. I was going to be driving to the NYWC with some of the folks from Wesley Memorial UMC- Tampa, and I would be staying with them as well. No private room or fancy perks ("Is this the Ted Danson jet? I want the Ted Danson jet!"). I did get a "Speaker" name tag (see top) and this did garner me some attention as I walked around the convention. I quickly realized that I had become (for a few days) what I had often joked about- I was a Minor Christian Celebrity. I was getting my 15 minutes of fame- except that no one outside the world of student ministry would ever know or care. All of those thoughts certainly kept me humble as my peers expressed their excitement over my new found status and their envy over the fact that I could go into the "Speakers Lounge."
The seminar went very well. I actually had a pretty good crowd, and after some issues getting my laptop to talk to their projector, it went smoothly. The evaluations from the participants were quite kind, and I had hopes of being asked back someday. My later personal failures made that scenario highly unlikely. But that really didn't matter. The lesson I remember every time I look at or listen to the CD recorded in my seminar that day is this: It was the day-in, day-out relationships built with students over all of those years of ministry that brought me any status or fame that I ever achieved. And all of the glory for that goes to Jesus! Being a Minor Christian Celebrity is not all it is cracked up to be. It was a bit of a ego rush, and the CD is a great artifact. But the big deal is simply being a Youth Pastor. Take it from someone who lost that privilege; it is one of the greatest honors you can ever receive in life. Remember to be thankful for whatever ministry God has given you, and do it with passion. The only "Famous One" is Jesus...
OH...autographed copies of the CD are available from the gift shop. There's nothing wrong with a little bit of fame... :-)
I was digging through some boxes the other day looking for something completely different when I came across this...
It's my admission ticket for the 1982 Wittenburg Door Banquet, which in those days was the "big finish" to the Youth SpecialtiesNational Youth Workers Convention. That Dallas convention changed my life and ministry in so many ways (you can read more here), but it was the Door banquet that just blew me away. The speaker for the evening was Dick Gregory, a radical African-American activist and comedian. His speech that evening was a bit controversial. It was the the 1982 equivalent of Rob Bell reading from his new book and punctuating his theology with "F-Bombs." In reality it probably wasn't that bad, but in my memory nearly half the audience got up and left- and this was an event we paid extra to be at! I was a 23 year old radical Quaker youth pastor, so he was right up my alley. But I will never forget how strange it felt to me to realize that even in a room full of people who were so much like me- youth pastors who loved Jesus and wanted to bring students into relationship with Him- that we had so many differences. Nearly 30 years have passed, and the debates may have changed- but they still rage on.
So how do we get past all of the "mess" that sometimes accompanies ministry and focus on what we are here for- connecting students to each other, to caring adults and most importantly to Jesus? A wise man once said that history wouldn't repeat itself so often if we would just listen the first time. Though I am no longer an active youth pastor, I still have a great affinity for the great work so many of you are doing, and I want to help. I hope that you will join me on Saturdays for the next few weeks as we dig into a little student ministry history, exploring some of the things that got us where are and seeing if we are learning from our past. There is much to discover. I look forward to looking back together. :)
In November of 2000 I attended the National Youth Workers Convention in Atlanta. This was my first convention as Youth Pastor of the Union Church of Hinsdale, and I accompanied by David Knecht. David, you may recall, was the head of the search committee that brought me to UC. He was a man in his forties who had built and sold a computer company, and now had lots of time on his hands. He was giving that time to serve God, and especially the youth of UC. I liked David a lot and was glad he was going to his first NYWC. Funny story- we were to stay at a Marriott in Atlanta for the convention, and when the former CEO of Marriott, who was a member at UC, found out he wanted to upgrade us to a luxury suite. I said no thanks, explaining to him that youth workers staying in a luxury suite would be the targets of many jokes and quite possibly an investigation...
As David and I flew to Atlanta, settled in to our meager accommodations (HA!) and begin to explore the NYWC, a question that had been nagging me through my first 8 months at UC came to the forefront of my mind. Why had David not applied for the job I now had? He knew the people and culture of UC that so frustrated me; he was one of them. He clearly loved Jesus, students and student ministry. At the convention he was like a kid in a toy store; everything amazed him! I recognized it in him because it had been true for me for so many years. He soaked up everything. I introduced him to many of the legends of youth ministry, and he was a little starstruck. He loved the seminars, the speakers, the music- everything! And to complete his experience, I made sure he got his first ever Chick-fil-A sandwich. David. like so many before him, was now addicted to the NYWC.
At some point during that week I had a chat with an old friend, who had known me a long time and who had been in ministry a long time. I shared with him some of my frustrations, and specifically my thoughts about David being the right person for the job I currently had. As we talked, Todd reminded me that 15 years earlier I had taken a job with the New England Yearly Meeting of Friends. After a short time at that ministry I had similar feelings about Chris Jorgensen who had volunteered years with the youth there, only to see me get the job she wanted. I realized when I left NEYM that God's purpose for me there had been to prepare things for Chris. I was there 9 months, and then she got the job and served them brilliantly for many years. Like an offensive lineman in football, sometimes our ministry is just to plow the road for someone else. John the Baptist did it for Jesus. I had done it for Chris. And now, my friend was saying, maybe I was at UC to get everything set up and ready for David to succeed. It was, in many ways, a hard pill to swallow. I had moved my family thousands of miles so I could be a "star." I had gone to UC to be a "savior," not a set-up man. But those were my reasons. Perhaps God had a different design in mind.
We left Atlanta to fly back to Chicago for Thanksgiving, and my prayers had now changed. I just wanted to be used. No more dreams of glory. If I was there to plant the tree instead of harvest the fruit, so be it- I just wanted to serve God. I was going to work just as hard as I had been, but now I had a new direction. If I was indeed there to plow the road, then I was going to keep cutting a wide path for Jesus.
Jesus- the only hope for me is you...and You alone!
