I've spent the last couple of days helping out and meeting people at the youth specialties' national youth workers conference here in nashville. I think there are over 4,000 people here. it's sheer coincidence that its on while I'm here. since I wasn't registered, I borrowed an exhibitor's tag and helped the team in the displays area. youth ministry in the US is clearly BIG business, and the array of mission tour operators, t-shirt and web design companies, christian univeisities and numerous publishers made me feel rather ill after a while.
it's given me the chance to meet a number of people, including Terry Carty who runs the Youth Worker Movement, with 4000 members (go join - its free and you get discount stuff!), and Ed Trimmer who teaches youth ministry at Huntingdon College (among other things!), a Methodist College in Alabama. and buy a few more books. damn. that's the last time!
Plus I got to sign the volume of "The Way of Pilgrimage" that I authored...
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I spent this morning with Robin Pippin and Sandy Miller from The Upper Room. (I'm staying next door at their "Pathways House"). We had a long conversation about resourcing the spiritual practices of young people, the positive and negative impact and possibilities of electronic media to assist with this, and electronic publishing and Web 2.0 in general. We also talked about how Devo'Zine and The Way of Pilgrimage series are going. They have just released a DVD to introduce the latter to leaders and groups and its very good overall. I think I'll use some bits at NCYC. I've been writing for both of these resources, the former for about 10 years, so I have a strong interest in this particular approach to resourcing youth spirituality. I also talked about what my interests and projects.
We did a quick tour of the Upper Room facilities and I found the bookshop that I will have to avoid (posted another box of books back home today!). Then a quick visit to the Guitar Centre where I picked up an Electro Harmonix Stereo Polyphase pedal (and played a few Martins), lunch at a Caribbean cafe, and then Sandy dropped me downtown.
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just to backtrack, I didnt mention that on monday night dan led a men's bible study at his house. it was a small turnout - three other guys - one from the ex-prisoners program and two who don't go to church. an interesting evening! we often think that people will come to church and then join a bible study. dan approaches it the other way round. he knows that there a people who moght want to talk about God, the Bible and the meaning of life and not feel welcome or comfortable in Sunday worship. so he just invites people whom he gets to know in the community.
tuesday was a cultural and religious experience. i went to a 6 am breakfast with dan and carl, his 'overseer'. carl had been the pastor at krall's church when we first visited. the mennonite churches in the area are looking at joining the larger US Mennonite Conference. We had a broad discussion about church union, homosexuality, team ministry, and supervision of ministers, all before 7.30 am!!!
then dan and joyce we went driving for the day, and along the way had long discussions about growing disciples, since they feel that their church has stalled. it was good to be able to offer some clues and ask some questions.
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