National Youth Workers Convention - Part 1

Okay, so for two and a half days, I have been soaking in the atmosphere and rocking nature of the convention. Here are some things I have learned in St. Louis:

1) While I dress like most other youth workers, I do not have the obligatory chin forest that some male youth workers have. It's not a goatee, but rather a bearded concept like Scott Ian of Anthrax. In fact, I think Scott Ian of Anthrax is here (or his brother).

2) There are a lot of Methodists in youth ministry. Yes, 3 of out every 4 youth workers I have met are from the United Methodist Church. That is not a bad thing, just a curious fact. I did find some UCC people. They are easy to spot, even in youth worker crowds.

3) The music rocks. I have seen great bands so far: Flatfoot 56, David Crowder Band, Matt Maher, Jars of Clay, Aieysha Woods, Family Force 5. Wow, talk about some diverse music. Amazing.

4) The speakers are good. Some are amazing. Some are okay. One was a tad repetitive and boring. But, that doesn't mean I am any better. Speaking of which, this morning (Sunday morning), I ended up leading a seminar on Middle School Ministry. It wasn't organized or planned out. However, it was weird to take some youth workers through an awkward topic (What do I do to make youth ministry work?) The best speaker, and most humbling, was Zach Hunter (the 15 year old abolitionist). Yes, I learned the most from the kid. The person who represents what our ministry is all about and has inspired me to encourage the souls of these kids.

So that is just a brief glimpse into the first few days. I will blog a bit more tonight about stuff. Tune in for more - or don't - it's Sunday and you should try to enjoy it.

PS: It was Sleep Out Saturday this past Saturday (where our youth at St. Matthew raised money for homelessness programs and slept out in the cold to understand the problem). 13 kids, 4 adults, and $3,000.00. Talk about coming together to serve, but more importantly to enjoy and appreciate God's message for us - LOVE GOD and LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS AS OURSELVES).