#TBT: One Insane Day in Kissimmee

Summer always gets me to thinking about my various youth ministry adventures over the years. One of my favorite summer events was always our Youth Week, which I began doing back at Springfield Friends Meeting in 1987. I have mentioned on many occasions that youth ministry often causes you to push the limits of sanity in order to increase excitement and attract students.  Over the years many of those days have occurred during the summer, especially during Youth Week. On this Throwback Thursday I want to remember one very wild and wacky day.

Tuesday, July 8th, 1997 was a part of Youth Week '97 at FUMC-Kissimmee which featured the theme It's Good To Be Alive! At the end of this particular day, I might have questioned that! We began the day by meeting at FUMC-K at 9 AM and heading over to Disney's Yacht Club Resort and the character breakfast at the Cape May Cafe (see group picture above). The all you-could-eat buffet featured every breakfast food you could imagine, including Mickey Mouse waffles. One of my favorite parts of the meal was that I could get orange juice, coffee and chocolate milk all at the same meal without paying extra.  Plus, you got to eat with Pluto, Goofy, Chip, Dale and Donald. It was a great start to the day...but it was only the beginning!

We returned to the church around 11:30 AM, where many of the youth just hung out until 1 PM and the next phase of our journey. Others joined us, and we headed to The Florida Mall for another of our famous Mall Scavenger Hunts, including the search for The Pink Panther (for an explanation, click here!). After a long afternoon of invading every store in the mall in search of the answers to trivia questions, we returned to the church around 5 PM and the students went home..for a while. In the meantime, I had more work to do to be ready for the final event of the day.

I had rented a huge, World War II era searchlight to use as part of the grand finale. After the kids went home for supper, we hauled this gigantic light out into a large pasture on the outskirts of Kissimmee and prepared for the big finish. When the crowd returned at 8 PM, we divided them into vehicles and gave them one task-find the giant searchlight. As darkness fell, the light was turned on, and you could see it for miles around. Determining where it was coming from was a bit more difficult. Our original plan had been to have worship at the site of the searchlight, but it was brutally hot and there was thunder and lightning, so as groups found the site they were sent back to the church. Some groups were able to find it fairly quickly; for others, it took a while. Once everyone made it back to home base, we had snacks and settled in for a time of worship. We finished around 10:30 PM and sent everyone home. It was an amazing day. Well over 100 students participated between the three events. The Spotlight Search was another of those weird things we did that had the whole community talking, and had our youth saying once again, "I can't believe we just did that!" And the day ended with dozens of students praising Jesus. It just doesn't get any better than that!

I don't know that any of these events, taken on their own, were particularly memorable to the youth who attended, but days like this were very important to the ministry. I miss those round-the-clock days and the wild adventures of Youth Week. I still think we could do one for youth group alumni that would just rock. My brain is already turning...

Because of Jesus,

Because of Jesus,

One Insane Day in Youth Ministry

I have mentioned on many occasions that youth ministry often causes you to push the limits of sanity in order to increase excitement and attract students.  Over the years many of those days have occurred during the summer, especially during Youth Week.  Today I want to remember one very wild and wacky day.

Tuesday, July 8th, 1997 was a part of Youth Week '97 at FUMC-Kissimmee which featured the theme It's Good To Be Alive!  At the end of this particular day, I might have questioned that!  We began the day by meeting at FUMC-K at 9 AM and heading over to Disney's Yacht Club Resort and the character breakfast at the Cape May Cafe (see group picture above).  The all you-could-eat buffet featured every breakfast food you could imagine, including Mickey Mouse waffles.  One of my favorite parts of the meal was that I could get orange juice, coffee and chocolate milk all at the same meal without paying extra.  Plus, you got to eat with Pluto, Goofy, Chip, Dale and Donald.  It was a great start to the day...but it was only the beginning!

We returned to the church around 11:30 AM, where many of the youth just hung out until 1 PM and the next phase of our journey.  Others joined us, and we headed to The Florida Mall for another of our famous Mall Scavenger Hunts, including the search for The Pink Panther (for an explanation, click here!).  After a long afternoon of invading every store in the mall in search of the answers to trivia questions, we returned to the church around 5 PM and the students went home..for a while.  In the meantime, I had more work to do to be ready for the final event of the day.

I had rented a huge, World War II era searchlight to use as part of the grand finale.  After the kids went home for supper, we hauled this gigantic light out into a large pasture on the outskirts of Kissimmee and prepared for the big finish.  When the crowd returned at 8 PM, we divided them into vehicles and gave them one task-find the giant searchlight.  As darkness fell, the light was turned on, and you could see it for miles around.  Determining where it was coming from was a bit more difficult.  Our original plan had been to have worship at the site of the searchlight, but it was brutally hot and there was thunder and lightning, so as groups found the site they were sent back to the church.  Some groups were able to find it fairly quickly; for others, it took a while.  Once everyone made it back to home base, we had snacks and settled in for a time of worship.  We finished around 10:30 PM and sent everyone home.  It was an amazing day.  Well over 100 students participated between the three events.  The Spotlight Search was another of those weird things we did that had the whole community talking, and had our youth saying once again, "I can't believe we just did that!"   And the day ended with dozens of students praising Jesus.  It just doesn't get any better than that!

I don't know that any of these events, taken on their own, were particularly memorable to the youth who attended, but days like this were very important to the ministry.  They were days that Jerry Hanbery and I looked forward to every summer.  The great Tony Campolo once wrote a book entitled The Kingdom of God Is A Party.  I hope we communicated that feeling in our ministry, and in those wild, wacky days.

Because of Jesus,

The Youth Week Cruise: One Last Day

We've toured the world, had a lot of fun and explored our faith in new and exciting ways, but eventually every Youth Week- even an imaginary one- must come to an end.  It's Friday, our final day at sea before it all ends on Saturday morning.  But before it all ends, we have one final, amazing day and night to spend together.  Here is your schedule of events:
On-Board Activities

10 AM-  Bible Study-  Come to the Youth Room and we will explore the story of Jonah and The World's Worst Cruise.  Discover how God can use you in places and ways you would never dream of.  (SPF 75)

12 noon-  Lunch and Pool Party-  Meet at the church and we will shuttle over to Dr. Jill's house for a leisurely afternoon of poolside fun and fellowship.  Sandwiches will be served, and we will see (as we often really did back in the day) how many people we can fit in her pool- and house.  We may even sing some Karaoke to see if we can scare her neighbors!  (SPF 20)  You can be picked up at the church at 3 PM.

5 PM-  Rec Around the Clock-  Our Worldwide Cruise wraps up with our signature event.  Arrive at the church hungry and rested, because it is going to be a HUGE night!  Here we go (this schedule would both exhaust us all and break the bank, but in my imagination it is completely possible!):

• It's off to a final dinner party at Miyabi/Kyoto (who have just re-opened in time to hold a private party for their favorite group- right?)!  The rice will be piled high as we eat until we can hardly move.  But move we will, as we head for stop #2...
• We'll visit the Florida Mall for one of our infamous Scavenger Hunts, including the always embarrassing Search for the Pink Panther!  Winning team gets vintage 2003 Graceland t-shirts and a can of SPAM!
• From the mall we head over to Springfield Friends Meeting (I know it's in NC- but for this night time, distance and location do not matter- only dreams!) because it is the best place ever for playing SARDINES!  The many rooms, twisting stairwells and hidden closets make for incredible hiding places. Plus there is some chance it is haunted (The Ghost Room)! We will also work in a few games of Kick the Can in the Graveyard (which unless you were with me at New Garden or Springfield you never got to play).  And the games are just beginning...
• It's time for Midnight Disco Bowling!  A RAC staple for many years- in fact, I don't know the last time I bowled when it wasn't midnight or later!
• SLURPEE BREAK!

• We're back at the church where a huge surprise awaits us in the Chapel.  It's Real Worship, Real Late & Real Loud, featuring the David Crowder* Band!  They will blow the roof off the place, and we will get a final Save the Humans message from old friends Cathy Thacker and Darin Miller.  SPF 200 - at least!!!
• Then we are off to play Laser Tag, which always seemed so high-tech back in the '90's.  Now it is just fun to play when you know everyone in the room and get to shoot them- like we will!
• It should be around 5 AM by now, which means one very important thing- the Hot Doughnuts NOW sign is on at Krispy Kreme!  And we will make every effort to eat them all!  Breakfast is served!  YAY for exclamation points!!!
• Now that we have a good sugar rush going, there's no need to stop, right?  I said RIGHT?  If you still need help staying awake, a little 6 AM Ice Skating should take care of the trick.  If you can't wake 'em up, FREEZE 'em, I always say.  Plus there will be full-body ice sliding.  NOW you are awake...
• We wrap up the night by heading down to the Lake Toho shelter and singing a song or two and sharing in our prayer circle together.  And for anyone who remembers the last time we tried this so early in the morning, I promise no mosquitoes. After all, this is all in my imagination anyway!

And we are done.  Quite a week, huh?  I don't know about you but I am worn out.  But just like with all of the real Youth Weeks, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.  As for my original query about getting adults excited about church again, I still have no answer.  But maybe, just maybe, if we were to approach adult ministry with the same outside the box thinking it takes to draw youth to the church then our churches would be much stronger.  Adults get side-tracked by business and politics.  With youth, it's all about building relationships, and it is all about Jesus.  It's just a thought.  This blog will return to regular programming tomorrow.  Thanks for letting me live out TW3.

Because of Jesus,

Port of Call: Africa

Blessings to everyone who commented yesterday- feel free to leave more today!  It's Day 5!  Thanks for hanging in there readers, only one more day left to survive in this weird, wild, wacky fictional Youth Week!  Yesterday and today could have easily happened; I would not expect anything that rational from tomorrow's Rec Around the Clock schedule!  If none of this makes any sense to you, I suggest going back and reading That Was The Week That Wasn't.  It may not help much, but it's a start!  :)

We travelled all night while you slept, and apart from having suffered the righteous indignation of Teresa Reep Tysinger for not mentioning her in yesterday's blog (I forgot she and Cyndi were born in Hawaii) it was a safe journey!  We have arrived early this morning at the mysterious continent of Africa.  Here is what your Thursday will look like:

Port of Call:  Africa
7 AM-  You have two excursions to choose from this morning. Both are exciting, and each lets you choose a part of "Africa" to explore.  You may only choose one:

A)  Tubing on the Ichetuknee River- (You can just pretend it's the Nile) Enjoy a 3-hour ride into the deepest wilds, where you will be given a tube and thrown into a freezing cold river for a slow ride through some of the prettiest country you will ever see!  You may spot exotic wildlife in its natural habitat.  You are almost certain to see many of the natives (we call them "rednecks") screaming, hollering and drinking beer.  After floating for a couple of hours you will be relaxed and amazed at how much Africa resembles northern Florida.  A picnic lunch featuring authentic hamburgers and hot dogs from Nambibia ( I have no idea what that means) will be served, and then you can take another crack at the river.  Did I mention the river is cold?  You will return to the church around 6 PM.  (SPF 25)  Or you can choose to...

B)  Busch Gardens, Tampa-  If the wonders of nature and cold water are not your thing, then perhaps we can interest you in a roller coaster and some wild animals!  Busch Gardens (with its African theme) features both, and you will have a day to check it all out.  Ride the Montu, Kumba and SheiKra.  Explore the animal exhibits and see the shows. Then ride those killer coasters one more time!  Lunch will be provided by Mel's Hot Dogs, a Tampa landmark located next door to the park.  You will also return around 6 PM.  There is not much spiritual value here (SPF 10) but I know some of you will be praying on those coasters...

6 PM-  Those of you who spent the day exploring will be joined by those who stayed on the ship and took naps for dinner with the Captain and his pet gorilla!  Moe's Southwest Grill will handle the catering (I know Mexico is not in Africa; but I don't care!  It's time for Moe's!), and you will learn about ways you can make a difference in the world through a presentation from Compassion International.  Plus the showers in the gym (YES!  Finally, we have a gym!  In Kissimmee we almost built one, but didn't.  In Hinsdale we almost built one, but didn't.  In Tampa, we built a perfectly good one that we couldn't use for two years- until after I was gone.  So dang straight my dream week has a gym!!!  Sorry- had to get that off my chest!) will be open for those of you who still smell like the river.  Because we are not done yet!

7 PM-  (In my best Michael Buffer impression) Let's get ready to worship!  Our Disney Video Moment comes from The Lion King.  The Drama Team will present the skit The Circle of Life, featuring the return of the world's worst Crocodile Hunter!  Then there will be awesome music and worship, featuring the great Tony Campolo delivering the message The Kingdom of God Is A Party!  And you'll have a chance to commit to serving God by serving others by sponsoring a child through Compassion International. (SPF 100).  It will be quite a night.

Sleep well, my darlings- for tomorrow we don't sleep at all!  It's time to Rec Around the Clock!

Port of Call: Hawaii

I hope some of you are enjoying this week as much as I am!  Welcome to Day 4 of my fictional ultimate Youth Week, based on a week I planned 3 different times and never got to do.  To catch up on what this is all about, go back and read That Was The Week That Wasn't.  This week is much like the movie "Inception."  If you can figure out where or when any of this is supposed to be happening, and which parts might be real and which parts are only a dream, then please-  TELL ME!  I am a bit confused... 

"Howareya, 5-O?"  It's Day 4 (Wednesday) of the the "best Youth Week ever" finds us heading to the beautiful Hawaiian islands for an amazing night of tropical fun and fellowship.  But first, we have some interesting activities to keep you busy while we are at sea.  Enjoy!

On-Board Activities
10 AM-  Meet at the church and you'll be given a team, a driver and a list of Random Acts of Kindness you can do in the name of Jesus!  The list will take you all over town, and you will document your team serving others with a digital camera.  See how many people you can make smile with simple acts of service in a two hour period.  (SPF 80)  Then gather back at the church...

12 noon- It's time for buffalo wings (courtesy of PG's) and Beach Volleyball (you didn't really think I would have a "dream church" and not have a beach volleyball court, did ya?)!  In addition to regular volleyball, there we will play some Ultimate Volleyball, with everyone on the court at one time as we seek to break our all-time record by keeping a beach ball in the air for over 150 hits.  (SPF 25)  At 1:30 PM it's time to go home and shower- but hurry back!

5 PM-  Hula Dancer Practice.  If you would like to learn to Hula, and you are willing to perform in front of a crowd, then come to the Youth Room and learn from the best!  Matthew and Brook Teoli, Elizabeth Dykes, Kim Heiter and Ben Thacker will teach the ancient Hawaiian art of Hula (OK, full disclosure- I don't know if any of those people can actually Hula dance.  But they get the job because they are the best dancers I have ever known.  Except for Ben...).  The dancers will then perform as part of our Luau!  (No SPF for this, but the bravery factor is very high!)

Port of Call:  Hawaii
6 PM-  Join us in the Youth Room for another of our world famous Luau parties!  The evening will begin with dinner featuring pulled pork, Polynesian chicken, tons of fruit and a variety of other authentic (well- we try!) island dishes! Plus there will be all the Tiki Punch you can drink!  As you eat, you can see the pictures that groups took earlier in the day as they performed Random Acts of Kindness.  Dinner will be followed by a Hula contest, a performance by our nearly-professional Hula dancers (the ones you see on the right WILL NOT be asked to perform!), a Limbo competition and Body Surfing (Remember that one?  Someone stands on my back and tries to "surf" while I attempt to throw them off.  Watch out for the big waves...).  Our Disney Video Moment wil feature Lilo and Stitch.  The Drama Team will present the skit Ohana Means Family (featuring an appearance by Elvis!), which will lead us into worship with music (Chances we open with Lahina are 100%!) and our guest speaker, Hawaiian pastor Rick Bundschuh (father of Justin "Pepe" Bundschuh of Spooky Tuesday fame).  Rick will help us Save the Humans by reminding us that church people can be a difficult bunch to get along with sometimes, as he speaks on the topic Jesus, Please Save Me From "The Christians!"  We'll close with some more music and a time of commitment.  (SPF 100)  Be sure and bring everyone you know to this great night of fun and faith!  And Happy Hump Day, everyone!

Now that you have finished reading, this is the perfect time to click the word "Comment" below and tell me your thoughts on our cruise so far! :)

Port of Call: Antarctica

Welcome to Day 3 of my fictional ultimate Youth Week, based on a week I planned 3 different times and never got to do.  To understand what I am up to, check out That Was The Week That Wasn't.  To understand me- well, good luck with that!

It's Tuesday, and we have a very special day planned for our cruisers!  It's a long day, so just jump in and hang on!

Port of Call:  Antarctica
9 AM-  We'll gather at the church and take "shuttle boats" over the coldest stop on our trip- Antarctica!  You probably knew that there would be ice and penguins and snow- you may not have known there would be totally awesome water slides as well!  That's right, we will spend the day at Disney's Blizzard Beach.  You can zoom down the Summit Plummet, float on the Cross-Country Creek, ride the Downhill Double Dipper or just hang out and catch some rays.    Blizzard Beach will rock, and you will not want to miss it!  It's going to be an awesome day, so be sure to bring your sun screen, your towel and a change of clothing because our trip to Antarctica includes one more stop.  (SPF 10)  We will get back on the shuttles at 5 PM and head over for a very special night...

5:30 PM-  Our "shuttle boats" will then take us to a restaurant hidden deep in the heart of the frozen continent- or better yet, to Planet Hollywood!  We have the third floor reserved for a private party (This ridiculous idea is one I actually explored.  We could have done it.  I would have had to sell all my possessions, both lungs and a kidney...), featuring dinner, a skit on Thawing Out Our Chilly World and a special musical guest.  The night then wraps up with our old friend Curt Cloninger performing his one-man show, Witnesses.  You'll meet characters, real and fictional, who knew Jesus when he walked on the earth.  It's fun, it's moving and it will make you want to know that same Jesus even more!  Plus there is all the fun that is Planet Hollywood!  It is going to be an amazing night.  (SPF 100)  The shuttles will return you to the church at 9 PM.  Then go home and get some sleep.  You are going to need it...

Port of Call: Australia

Happy Labor Day, and welcome to Day 2 of my fictional ultimate Youth Week, based on a week I planned 3 different times and never got to do.  Confused?  Go back and read the posts from the past 2 days.  Still confused?  Then I can't help you...

It's Monday of the Youth Week Worldwide Cruise, and we are at sea!  Enjoy the day with some great adventures during the day and our exotic location in the evening. Here's the schedule:

On-Board Activities:

9:30 AM-  Meet at the church and we will head over for our annual Putt-Putt Masters Golf Tournament at Walt Disney World's Fantasia Gardens course.  This is your chance to compete against some of the worst mini-golfers in the world, including 1998 Festival of Fools champion Adam Hill (pictured at right).  You'll play in 4-person teams with a "Best Ball Captain's Choice Scramble" format, and the winners will take home vintage 1999 "Comin' At Ya' Like a Blitz" t-shirts!  How great is that?  You can use golf words like Par, Fore and Bogey that you seldom get a chance to drop into everyday conversation.  The golfer with the lowest score will take home the coveted Purple Jacket.  Plus we will have a Hole-in-One contest and several other surprises. (SPF 10)  You can be picked up at the church at 12 noon if you need a nap after all of the excitement, or.... 

12 noon-  You can join us for The Lunch Bunch!  We'll be going to Pizza Inn for the incredible buffet (Yes- I know Pizza Inn is in High Point, NC, and this is taking place in Florida.  You still aren't getting that this is my dream week and EVERYTHING is possible!) and lots of great fellowship.  And after all, what is a cruise without food!  Be sure and try the cherry "pizzert."   We'll be done at 1:30 PM.  (SPF 25)  And then it is on to our first port of the trip...

Port of Call:  Australia
7 PM-  Our first stop on the Save the Humans worldwide cruise is the land down under!  Join us in the Youth Room and we'll play some Australian themed games (Kangaroo Hop Technicolor Stomp, anyone?) and make our very own Vegemite sandwiches. Our drama team will present a skit featuring the world's worst Crocodile Hunter, and we''ll have a Disney Video Moment with The Rescuers Down Under.  Our friends from Gatorland will stop by with some friends for us to pet, and the good people of the local Outback Steakhouse will provide some snacks for us.  And the night will end with music and worship featuring a message from all-time favorite guest speaker Duffy Robbins, entitled Real Christians:  An Endangered Species.  Bring all of your friends and come join us.  We might even throw some shrimp on the barbie...  (SPF 75) 

 Be sure and join us tomorrow as we lift anchor and head for another exciting port!

Welcome Aboard!

I hope you all are ready- it's time to launch the Youth Week that never happened!  Join us on our cruise every day this week.  For more explanation, see yesterday's post.  Be sure and click on comments at the bottom of the post to let me know which events you "plan to attend."  And remember- it's a dream week, so we can do anything I want to!      :)

"One hope, baby- only God can save the humans now..."

The Youth Week Worldwide Cruise departs today!  You will not want to miss this fictional adventure with a different Port of Call each day, as well as many festive On-board Activities!  Plus each event will come with its own SPF rating- that's Soul Protection Factor!  The higher the number, the more spiritual the content.  Here is the schedule for Sunday:

6 PM-  All students and their families are invited to join us for the Captain's Dinner in the Fellowship Hall, featuring catering by Fat Boy's BBQ!  This is a great opportunity to meet your crew (Youth Ministry Team) as they serve you dinner.  You can also connect with passengers you may not yet know as we play some dreaded Name Games.  It's a great time to get your passports that serve as tickets for the rest of the cruise.  And did I mention it is all-you-can-eat?  Plus have your picture taken with a very special guest- and it's not Jerry!  Then be sure and stick around for an evening of entertainment.  (SPF-10)

7 PM-  We set sail and celebrate with a Bon Voyage Party!  The evening will begin with a concert from our favorite Slinky players- Lost And Found!  You'll hear Lions, Slide Girl, Baby and many other classics!  Be sure and come dressed in blue- 'cause that's what slide girls do!  A skit featuring some of your peers will follow, helping us introduce our theme and scripture for the week for the week.  Our scripture comes from 1 Thessalonians 2:8- "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel, but our very lives as well, because you have become do dear to us."  This amazing evening will wrap-up with the improvisational antics of CPR- Carl, Pete and Ringo (I know they broke up 5 years ago, but this is my dream week, so shut up!)!  You and your family and friends will become part of the show, so don't miss out on the fun.  Plus there will be prizes and surprises galore as we set sail on our week-long adventure, going worldwide to Save the Humans!  It's all over by 9:30.  Join us- and Stein Auf!  (SPF-35)  See you tomorrow!

That Was The Week That Wasn't

The real end of summer- Labor Day- is right around the corner, and I have been thinking a lot about all of the summer ministries I was involved in over the years.  Beginning in the late 1980's (see The First Youth Week) I included a Youth Week in every summer that I planned.  The week always had a theme, and always featured at least one event each day.  It most often began with something at the church on Sunday evening and ended when Rec Around the Clock finished on Saturday morning.  It was always one of my favorite weeks of the year, both in the planning and the execution.

In September of 1999 my future at FUMC-K was a bit up in the air, but I was still expecting to be there the following summer.  The year 2000.  It seemed like it should be big deal, and I began to formulate a plan to make Youth Week 2000 the most amazing ever.  We had always joked about taking a group cruise; I began thinking about a cruise themed Youth Week instead. But then life happened and I left in March of 2000.  Fast-forward to late 2004.  I was the speaker at Youth Tremors, a post-Christmas camp for students held at Quaker Lake.  My old friend Tim Vestal, who coordinated the event, used a cruise theme for the long weekend.  It reminded me of my previous plans, and upon my return to Wesley Memorial UMC I began to put together a special Youth Week for 2005.  The theme would be the 2004 Ian Eskelin song Save the Humans (you can hear it at the top) and we would "tour the world" with the message of Jesus.  I wrote scripts for skits, and we even went to the beach and made our very own Save the Humans video, which I hope to someday be able to show you.  Once again life intervened, and I left WMUMC in late May of 2005.  Again my plans went unused.  In January of 2007 I began to prepare a scaled-down (but still cruise themed) Youth Week for the students of Trinity UMC.  But due to my own sin and stupidity, my career ended in February, with the plans already in my computer.  Three times I tried, and three time I failed.  Clearly, that was the week that wasn't (TW3)!

Those of you who know me know how much I hate to give up on a good idea.  Some might refer to me as stubborn or hard-headed.  I prefer persistent- especially when it comes to the things of God!  In any case, I have decided to share TW3 with my readers over the next week.  That means this blog will be a little weird- for one week it will be fictional!  I have combined some of the original elements from FUMC-K with some of the ideas from WMUMC and TUMC (and some brand new stuff!).  What you get in the end is a killer (if outrageously expensive) dream Youth Week Worldwide Cruise as it might happen in the Orlando/Kissimmee area today.  I know it would not have been realistic, but hey- I can dream, right?  So don't get hung up on the facts- just enjoy the ride!  I will write of each day's events just like I would have in a summer brochure if we were actually doing it- so feel free to sign up for the events you like!  :)  And it's all free!!!  This little experiment is my way of taking care of some unfinished business.  For you, I hope it will remind you of the excitement of looking ahead to great youth events.  This may be even more fun now that you are an adult...

As I have planned this blog event, one question keeps popping into my somewhat mushy brain- How do we get people as excited about church as adults as we all used to be about events like this one?  All input is appreciated.  Now get excited, and tell all your friends- Youth Week 2010 begins tomorrow!

Because of Jesus,

Youth Week 1999

Just Me & the Dog, Day 3-  I got a couple of phone calls from Jerry Hanbery because he was driving from West Palm to Orlando and had lots of time to kill. Got e-mails from Lisa Kraus Spires because she was bored.  Who you gonna' call (or e-mail)?  Boredom Busters!!!  Break up your boredom today- leave a comment on this blog!  OH- I made Cheesy Hashbrown Hamburger Helper for dinner last.  Conner and I both approved...

By July of 1999 it was clear to me that things were changing at FUMC-K.  A new pastor had arrived in June.  I am sure, with the passage of time and a mellowing of hearts, that there are people who have good things to say about the pastor who arrived in June, 1999.  I am not one of those people.  A month after his arrival I was already polishing up my resume.  So the second half of the summer of '99 was very important to me.  This Youth Week, and the Last Gasp Summer Blowout (featuring Spooky Tuesday) were of great significance to me.  And looking back, Youth Week '99 was an amazing event.  The original schedule is above so I won't go through every event, but here are some of the highlights:

• I still can't believe that we had CPR, Mike Williams and Lost And Found all the same week.  Most youth pastors would be fortunate to get three acts like that in a career.  It is a testimony to the support of the church and the creativity of our Youth Ministry Team that it happened, and it made for an unbelievable week for our students.
• The Putt-Putt Masters Golf Tournament was a annual event.  We never cared who won, but we sure had big crowds and lots of fun.  Tubing the Ichetucknee River was another annual event; you can see from the calendar above that I never learned how to spell the river's name during my entire time in Kissimmee!
• I loved making Banana Splits in wallpaper trays- it was awesome and disgusting at the same time!  The use of individual bowls should be forbidden...
• Some day very soon I am going to have breakfast again at The Cape May Cafe.  It is one of my favorite meals to eat anywhere.  I especially love that I can have coffee, orange juice and chocolate milk- all I can drink of all 3- and it doesn't change the cost.  WIN!
• Doing Coffeehouse Live! at the food court of the Osceola Square Mall was my idea.  I thought it would help remind the community who we were and promote the idea that we were no ordinary youth ministry.  We wanted to take Jesus to the masses.  I think it probably would have worked, if indeed anyone has shopped at that mall!  We did not draw much of a crowd, but we still had fun.
• Eleven years later, they still use the name Rec Around the Clock for their all-night event at FUMC-K.  I have joked with Dwight, the current youth pastor, that there will be a bill forthcoming for royalties...

Our theme for that summer was taken from an Audio Adrenaline song.  We were announcing to the world that we were "Coming at ya like a BLITZ!" in the name of Jesus.  We sure gave it our best shot.  There also some pretty cool "BLITZ" t-shirts that summer.  Anybody still have one?  I would love a picture...

Because of Jesus,

Friends In the Journey

Prayer works!  Brian and Jill are headed back from Russia with a brother for Daniel!  God is good all the time...

Over the years in Kissimmee we were blessed to have some amazing speakers, musicians and artists join us for special events.  Because we had such incredible financial support from the church budget, we were able to explore options that many student ministries do not have.  I have already written of the contributions of Lost And Found and Spooky Tuesday to our ministry; today I want to remember a few more of the artists who joined us on our journey to discover more about Jesus. 

Duffy Robbins-  Duffy was and is one of the cornerstones of the National Youth Workers Convention, and I had become acquainted with him through that event.  He joined in the summer of 1996 to kick-off our Youth Week, and he was amazing.  I remember him telling a story about riding the Swamp Fox, a great old roller coaster in Myrtle Beach, when he was a kid.  Duffy's humor and deep insights into the faith-journey of teenagers made him the perfect guest speaker.  I remember being a little irritated (ego, you know!) a few years later when the same students who could not remember what I said yesterday could still remember everything Duffy said...

Sundry-  I met Danny Stephens when he was the keyboard player for the Smalltown Poets.  A couple of years later he had left that band to go into managing other bands, including a band from Atlanta called Sundry.  He gave me a call and we booked them to play the Fellowship Hall on a Sunday evening.  Sundry rocked hard, and I remember them as being pretty good.  They had just lost their guitarist, and so they had borrowed one from Skillet to fill his shoes.   They were very bold in their faith.  But what I really remember is a stunt they used where the drummer set one of his drums on fire.  It was very cool (and a complete violation of the fire code...).  The band never made it big, but we had them at FUMC-K!

CPR-  There is nothing much funnier than improv comedy when it is done well, and no one (not even Whose Line Is It Anyway?) did it better than Carl, Pete and Rodney (and then later Ringo), the improv group known as CPR.  They joined us for Youth Week '99 and neither Rodney nor Ringo were there; I have no idea who the "R" was that night, but he is pictured with Carl (Carl is on right).  They did their usual hilarious show (in the Sanctuary; the whole church family was invited), and then Carl, Pete and I drove over to Pleasure Island at Walt Disney World and I took them to the improv comedy club there.  Sitting in the crowd with professional improv guys at an improv club was one of the best nights ever.  It was hard to know who I was laughing at- the comedians on stage, or the ones sitting next to me. 

Mike Williams-  Also known as Dr. Comedy, Mike joined us during Youth Week '99 with his unique brand of prop comedy and music.  Mike use to be a writer for some famous stand-ups, but then his faith led him to sharing his story through comedy.  His songs were hysterical; The Thunder Rolls was a parody of the Garth Brooks song that told the story of a man who ate a little too much Taco Bell, and I Wish They All Could Be Southern Baptist Girls speaks for itself.  The crowd was small that night, but those who were there had a blast.

Curt Cloninger-  Yet another friend I made at the NYWC, Curt is a brilliant actor and writer whose one man shows Godviews and Witnesses are legendary.  Curt came to Kissimmee to do his Witnesses show, and once again the whole church family was there.  His performance was riveting; you laughed at Abe the Banana Man, you cried with Doubting Thomas, you were stunned by Barabbas and you celebrated the resurrection with Peter.   Between the video of that show, and seeing it live at least 4 times, I almost have it memorized myself.  Very few things have brought more depth to my own faith walk than the insights of Curt Cloninger.  If you ever have the opportunity to see him, GO!!!

These are a few of the visiting artists who had an impact on our student ministry at FUMC-K.  Those of you who were a part of those years will notice that the name of Geoff Moore is missing.  That story will get its own post at a later date.  Tomorrow, we will begin to take a look at what my lovely wife and I were up to 15 years ago this week.  You don't want to miss it.

Because of Jesus,

One Wild, Wacky Day

I mentioned yesterday that on occasion youth ministry causes you to push the limits of sanity in order to increase excitement and attract students.  Over the years many of those days have occurred during the summer, especially during Youth Week.  Today I want to remember one very wild and wacky day.

Tuesday, July 8th, 1997 was a part of Youth Week '97, which featured the theme It's Good To Be Alive!  At the end of the day, I might have questioned that!  We began the day by meeting at FUMC-K at 9 AM and heading over to Disney's Yacht Club Resort and the character breakfast at the Cape May Cafe (see group picture above).  The all you-could-eat buffet featured every breakfast food you could imagine, including Mickey Mouse waffles.  One of my favorite parts of the meal was that I could get orange juice, coffee and chocolate milk all at the same meal without paying extra.  Plus, you got to eat with Pluto, Goofy, Donald and Minnie.  It was a great start to the day...but only the beginning!

We returned to the church around 11:30 AM, where many of the youth just hung out until 1 PM and the next phase of our journey.  Others joined us, and we headed to The Florida Mall for another of our famous Mall Scavenger Hunts, including the search for The Pink Panther (for an explanation, click here!).  After a long afternoon of invading every store in the mall in search of the answers to trivia questions, we returned to the church around 5 PM and the students went home..for a while.  In the meantime, I had more work to do to be ready for the final event of the day.

I had rented a huge, World War II era searchlight to use as part of the grand finale.  After the kids went home for supper, we hauled this gigantic light out into a large pasture on the outskirts of Kissimmee and prepared for the big finish.  When the crowd returned at 8 PM, we divided them into vehicles and gave them one task- find the giant searchlight.  As darkness fell, the light was turned on, and you could see it for miles around.  Determining where it was coming from was a bit more difficult.  Our original plan had been to have worship at the site of the searchlight, but it was brutally hot and there was thunder and lightning, so as groups found the site they were sent back to the church.  Some were able to find it fairly quickly; for others, it took a while.  Once everyone made it back to home base, we had snacks and settled in for a time of worship.  We finished around 10:30 PM and sent everyone home.  It was an amazing day.  Well over 100 students participated between the three events.  The Spotlight Search was another of those weird things we did that had the whole community talking, and had our youth saying once again, "I can't believe we just did that!"   And the day ended with dozens of students praising Jesus.  It just doesn't get any better than that!

I don't know that any of these events were particularly memorable to the youth who attended, but days like this were very important to the ministry.  They were days that Jerry Hanbery and I looked forward to every summer.  The great Tony Campolo once wrote a book entitled The Kingdom of God Is A Party.  I hope we communicated that feeling in our ministry, and in those wild, wacky days.

Because of Jesus,

Come As You Are

One of the things that excited me the most about moving to Kissimmee in April of 1994 was the knowledge that there was a little more to do in the Kissimmee/Orlando/Lake Buena Vista area than there had been in the Piedmont Triad of NC (note the sarcasm).  I immediately began to think of ways to spice up my annual Youth Week, and in particular its signature event Rec Around the Clock.  In the years that followed this first FUMC-K Youth Week (August 1-6, 1994) this became a spectacular event.  But the first one was not too shabby either...

Our theme for the week was Come As You Are, and we focused our evening sessions on understanding that Jesus gives everyone a "come as you are" invitation to join the family of God.  We began the week with a Leadership Luncheon, at which myself, Rev. John Willis and several other staff members served lunch to the youth and led a discussion about being leaders.  We gathered again that evening for our first session and a seek and find (and shoot with dart guns!) game called Night of the Assassin.  The week was off to a great start!

Day 2 featured UMYF Night with the Osceola Astros.  The Astros were the class A farm team of the Houston Astros baseball team, and I had arranged for us to have specially priced tickets, special seating, and for one of our youth to get to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.  My memory tells me that Lauren Carr, then just a rising 6th grade student, got to throw out the pitch...but I have been wrong before!  In any case, it was a fun night and served to let the whole community know that the youth ministry of FUMC-K was back in business!

The first Putt Putt Masters Golf Tournament was held on Day 3, and after our second session that evening we used wallpaper trays and built the world's largest banana splits.  Both of these events would become a regular part of our programs.  Day 4 found us tubing on the Ichetucknee River, a cold spring river just north of Gainesville, FL.  For years I referred to it as the "Itchnituknee River."    Tubing the slow floating river through some beautiful forests and freezing your buns off was a wonderful way to spend a day with good friends.

And finally, Friday night brought us to Rec Around the Clock.  I know we went roller skating and to a movie;  beyond that I just remember that we were out all night and had a blast!  The crowds were pretty good all that week, and the buzz about our student ministry was starting to build.  We were trying to follow Jim Rayburn's old guideline that "it is a sin to bore a student withe the Gospel."  By keeping Jesus at the center of what we did, and being willing to get a little crazy with our programming, we faced the future with great excitement.

Because of Jesus,

Summertime!

It seems like everyone, including those of us in Florida, seem to to be having an exceptionally cold winter this year.  To warm up our thoughts (hey, it's a start!) I thought today's blog would feature a look back at the summer themes we used in the youth ministry at Springfield Friends Meeting from 1988-93.  We arrived too late for the summer of '86, didn't have a theme until '88, and left in April of 1994.  Here's what we were up to way back when:

1988-  This was the year of the first Summer Ministries Brochure, featuring the little cartoon surfer dude on the cover  (Click the link above to see the dude).  Our summer theme was There's Always Room For One More as we continued our efforts to reach out into our community.  This summer featured the first Youth Week, a trip to the Betsy B, a trip to Atlanta to see the Braves play, as well as Rec-Room on Wednesday nights and YFYF (Young Friends Youth Fellowship) on Sundays.

1989-  The theme for the summer and for Youth Week was Come As You Are, using the song of the same name by Peter Wolf.  This was the first time I produced a cassette tape advertising Youth Week, using music, interviews with youth, and very goofy stuff.  I especially remember Todd Farlow rapping his lines and beat-boxing his way through his entire part!  This was also the year that ventriloquist and impressionist Freddie Pierce performed as part of Youth Week.  We went back to Atlanta and the Betsy B; we collected over 200 cans of tuna to help feed the homeless of High Point; and we adopted our first child through Compassion International.  Rec-Room and YFYF also continued, as they did every summer.  This was also the summer of the very first Kyoto's Night.  A red-letter date for sure!

1990-  The theme was One Particular Harbor, and it was quite the summer!  We began working at lunch on Fridays at Our Father's Table, the feeding program of High Point Urban Ministries.  We started three new ministries that would last (under various names) for as long as I did youth work- Girl's Night Out, Dudes Night Out and Magic Middles. This was also the year that saw the birth of our new lock-in we called Rec Around the Clock.   We also had our first Chain of Prayer to kick-off the summer, travelled to Walt Disney World for a second time, and went back to Atlanta.  Our summer concluded with a Luau at Quaker Lake.   A great summer.

1991-  The theme for the summer was Hearts On Fire, and for Youth Week we went with Go West, Young Man.  Our Summer Safari took us back to Myrtle Beach.  The Student Spotlight arrived on the Youth Group Hotline.  The Putt-Putt Masters Golf Tournament made its first appearance, as did the One On One ministry.  We saw the Braves play again and continued the other events and ministries that had worked so well in summers past.

1992- We called it our Psycho Summer, with a Youth Week theme of Carry the Torch (it was an Olympic year!).  For the first time, the little cartoon dude we had named Zed was not on the cover of the summer brochure.  The big new event was our Schoolzout Blowout trip, as we once again went to Atlanta but this time included Six Flags in the adventure.  We went back to Myrtle Beach,  and ended the season with a last gasp event skiing and swimming at High Rock Lake.

1993-  Our summer theme was JAM!- Jesus and Me!  We added a Servant Week to the schedule, went to see the Braves again, and headed back to WDW for the best trip ever!  This summer also saw the birth of the SNAC program- Sunday Night After Church, which extended YFYF on certain nights.  The amazing part is we were still doing all of the other stuff from past summers as well.  And why did I subject myself to this madness every summer?  Why did we do so many outrageous events and trips?  Why did we keep adding new things each year?  One answer:  Relationships, relationships, relationships!  They connected me to the youth, the youth to each other, and most importantly (I say that a lot about this) all of us to Jesus!  And I loved every minute of it...

Because of Jesus,

The Mr. Curious Show

Congratulations to Cheryl Deal Meadows for remembering that Disney Dollars were the item you could buy for a dollar and yet still have a dollar when you when done (see yesterday's posting).  She also knew that Yensid was Disney backwards, but no one remembered who he was.  Yensid was the unspoken name of the chief sorcerer in The Sorcerer's Apprentice segment of Fantasia.  I told you our questions were tough!  As for today's post, there is nothing curious about what Holly Harward, Jill Gilbreth, Allison Rees and Beth Brown are up to in the picture above.  This was normal in the youth ministries of Springfield Friends Meeting in the early '90's!  But we did find ways to amuse ourselves...

The scavenger hunts were not the only weird events we did at the mall.  On July 30, 1991, as a part of Youth Week, we took our video camera and headed out to film The Mr. Curious Show.  Our youth would wander the mall with my camera, going in stores and stopping "people on the street" to ask them questions, beginning each query with the phrase "Mr. Curious want to know."About 20 youth showed up for the afternoon event, including Beth, Jill, Holly, Stacy Gilbreth, Ben Moran, Steven McGrath, Danny McCorquodale, Jennifer Wood, Mary Mercadante and Natalie Whitaker.  The show got off to a rousing start when Ben showed told us what color underwear he had on (blue) and Beth shanked (yanked the umbros off of) Steven- who seemed totally bewildered at what had just happened to him.  At a bed store Stacy asked a sales clerk the strangest thing she had ever seen in the store, and the lady responded that she guessed it was people jumping up and down on the beds.  Jill asked if she could jump on the beds, the clerk said sure, and so Jill did.  In a jewelry store Mary asked a sales lady what kind of deodorant she was wearing.  It was Arrid Extra Dry.  In Victoria's Secret Steven posed the question, asking about the largest bra they sold.  It was 38DD.  We travelled to Spencer's Gifts, where Mandy asked a clerk about the oddest question she had ever been asked.  The lady responded with an answer that made everyone blush, and then gave details no one needed to know!  At the Record Bar, a music store, someone asked the clerk who was better- Mozart or Beethoven?  They answer was way too long and way too detailed to mention.  We also encountered a woman who was practicing riding escalators to get over her fear of them.  It was quite an afternoon.

The Mr. Curious Show was like many of the things we did as part of our youth programs- goofy and silly, but never quite up to the expectations I had when I thought of the idea.  But you know what?  It never really mattered.  When we were together, we always had fun, and we always spread the joy.  Looking back at the video, it is amazing to see the smiles on the faces of the unsuspecting people who faced our camera.  Plus we ate ice cream.  You know it can't be a bad day when you get Baskin-Robbins...