Blogging from the NYMC.

Apparently I'm part of the "official" group of bloggers from this weekend's National Youth Ministry Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Josh Griffin has the whole list on his blog, where I previously made this short, simple statement:

Rob C
i’ll be there but no guarantees on how much blogging or twittering i’ll be doing…

In any case, I'll try to post a few things during the weekend. I'm going to be doing some behind-the-scenes type work, so I don't know how many sessions or workshops I'll be attending. In any case, I'm looking forward to the weekend, seeing a bunch of youth ministry friends, making some new connections, and seeing God do some cool stuff in people's lives.

Pizza moments.

Today I had lunch with a former student from our youth ministry who now lives up in Canada. He'd been in town for over a week but we finally were able to connect today for lunch and Starbucks.

Well, turns out that even though Carl used to live here in Cali, he'd never eaten pineapple on his pizza! So my half of today's pizza was a Maui Zaui there at Round Table, and he made sure to try a slice...his first taste of fruit on a pizza.

Yummy.

No YS = a little sadness.

I got an email today reminding me about the upcoming National Youth Workers Conference sponsored by Youth Specialties, and it made me a little sad because I won't be attending this year.

It's not a financial decision, or a schedule conflict. It's simply the career shift that happened in my life this summer. No longer a youth pastor, I can't find any way to justify attending this time around.

And that's just too bad, because it's tough to find an event for associate/worship/adult ministries people that is as much fun as a YS conference. Oh well. Life goes on, eh?

Campy moments.

We're back.

Had a great week at camp. Too tired to really post about it tonight. Maybe some posts over the weekend, and some photos too.

Sermon highlight.

We've had great sermons at camp all week (our leaders are Donnie Moore and his Radical Reality ministry team). Too many thoughts to share in writing, but I figured I'd post some highlights from one of the strongest sermons of the week. It came from Donnie Moore during the Tuesday evening service.

Sin opens the door to the enemy and gives him a foothold
You know it's spiritual warfare when:
1. My thoughts are irrational
2. It's an unsolicited thought
3. The opposition is bizarre and outrageous
Ephesians 6:10-12 key verses

1. Satan comes in disguise

• He makes the little issues big, and turns the truly big issues into little things
• Fear can captivate our hearts and destroy our future
• Worry cannot change one situation

2. Satan comes to divide

• He creates division from God's Word
• He creates division from other people
• The way you leave a relationship is the way you will enter the next one, whether it's a dating relationship, friendship, or relationship with a church
• If the enemy can divide you from your shepherd, he can cut you off from a source of being fed
• When you see division, you know the enemy is involved

3. Satan comes to destroy

• He wants to destroy the home
• He wants to destroy the church
• If he can injure your parents or leaders, he'll injure you
• Bitterness is a cancer to the soul
• Are you trapped in yesterday because of pain or unforgiveness?
• Forgiveness is NOT a feeling; it's a choice, an action
• In Genesis, Joseph had many reasons to be bitter, but God healed that hurt; the names of Joseph's children (Genesis 41) reflect this change
• Jesus had the right of justifiable unforgiveness, yet He chose to forgive while He was on the cross

Hello from camp. Truly.

Wow! It turns out they have an unsecured wireless network here at the camp facilities. Yet no cell coverage. Oh well.

The connection is slow and spotty, so I don't wanna waste energy writing too much about tonight, but we have an awesome service. If I can get a stronger connection somewhere tomorrow here on the grounds, I'll do a more complete post about it. Great time.

And got to bring a little joy to my students' eyes tonights when I surprised them with "free" bottles of water and some granola bars. That's especially good for the kids who are already outta cash. And we're here 'til Friday...

Hello from camp.

OK, technically I'm not AT camp right now. I'm sitting inside a Starbucks inside a Barnes & Noble inside the city of Chico. Got it?

I came into town for the following reasons:

1. It was super hot in my room last night and I forgot to bring a fan this week. So, I had to buy one so I can actually sleep at night.

2. I missed lunch at camp, so I needed to get some food.

3. I need more water and Snapples to carry me through Friday.

4. I had some bills to pay online, which I forgot to do before leaving town.

5. I thought it might be good to check voicemail and email early this week, because things and life are much busier right now than they normally are during camp weeks.

So that's why I'm here! Oh, and #1 and #3 and #4 would have been non-issues, but I forgot to write a LIST before coming to camp. I always write lists! But I forgot to do that this weekend. Ugh.

Camp started well. Great message last night from Donnie Moore, and great worship from their team (as always). Looking forward to yet another meaningful week of ministry here at camp.

And so far, temperatures haven't broken 100 degrees! Amen to that!

I might blog again Thursday, if I come back into town. We'll see.

Some leadership conference pix.

Enjoy.

They (heart) Josh.

My guys are obsessed with all things Josh Griffin right now. This morning, during our youth class (rather informal, since I didn't get home until 11PM last night and hadn't prepped during the week), they were sending Josh text messages. Here's an example.

THEM: "Hey Josh"

HIM: "Hey guys! Hey why don't you go ahead and cough right now in the middle of whatever Rob's doing."

THEM: Cough, cough

ME: "Stop poisoning my students minds"

HIM: "I just told your students to cough"

ME: "Wow, my students have joined the cult of worshiping Griff and Fields. Now they're becoming ur puppets."

HIM: "hahahahaah"

HIM: "Hey Steven, drop to the ground and pretending ur dead"

STEVEN: Falls to ground. Pretends he's dead.

ME: "Weird things r happenin to my students. Good thing I'm not like, at church or something...lol"

HIM: "Amazing. lol"

Anyway, Josh Griffin is a great guy, and I'd rather have my guys looking up to him than some idiot celebrity or some sports star who's shooting up on steroids.

Oh, and speaking of steroids...funny story...

Saturday evening, we're driving home from the greater L.A. area (we spent the day Saturday at Magic Mountain). We stop in Kettleman City, which isn't really a true city, just a collection of various gas stations and fast food joints. We walk into Chevron to buy some water and snacks, and some kid approaches Steven. He kinda mumbles something, Steven gives him a weird look and walks away, and then the kid mutters some colorful word under his breath.

I was a few feet away, so I ask this other guy what he needed -- thinking perhaps that he had a real, legit need. "Um, I'm trying to get some stogies." The dude wanted Steven to buy him cigars! Here are some funny observations on this moment:

1. Steven isn't even 18. He turned 16 in May.

2. The guy was traveling with a group from the YMCA.

3. Dude kept watching me the whole time, probably afraid I'd go tell one of his leaders. I didn't.

4. Steven actually thought the guy was asking for or offering steroids, not stogies.

5. One of our team members had no idea what the word "stogie" meant.

Fun moment out on I-5 in the middle of Nowhere, California!

And for those of you care, I did get some photos from this week's experiences. I'll probably post some later tonight once I'm home, fed, napped and rejeuvenated -- and once the pics are donwloaded.

Student leadership: Final highlights

Right now, we're sitting in a hotel room in Valencia, preparing for our final day of this leadership adventure. We'll be at Magic Mountain much of the day Saturday, and then we hit the road back to Sacramento. I know it's gonna be a fun day -- and a long one, too!

So, what are some closing highlights from the final day of this leadership trip?

1. Chats with Doug
I didn't talk with Doug Fields just today, but it was cool catching up on things and talking about ministry. It also was fun for our guys to meet him and for him to remember the "sweaty" nickname from yesterday.

2. Seeing the SYM offices
Yes, I finally got to stand inside the offices of Simply Youth Ministry... engage in a fun chat with Jack Guiso... see where Matt McGill attempted to break into the SYM podcast room... check out the actual room where the podcast is recorded... and get one last sneak peek at the SYM catalog, which should be in the mail sometime this summer. It also was fun to just hang and chat with Andy, Nadim and Natalie (and yes, we DO miss Natalie on the podcast, though Jana is a highly qualified, worthy replacement).

3. Getting a gym workout...sorta
Our hotel has a small gym with some equipment that actually works. I went down there and used the machines, but the treadmills had some real issues with the running surface; it just didn't work the way it should. But I did manage to get in some time on the stationary bike, so at least I got a workout today...sorta.

Student Leadership: Day 4

It all came to an end today, with one final session at the PDYM Student Leadership Conference -- this one built around the biblical purpose of Worship. We had some awesome time of worshiping God through music (we've had great sessions all week led by Jadon Lavik), along with some fun and games. The Taco Bell Olympics proved to be a messy but enjoyable competition this week; fortunately, I never got hit by any flying food, but plenty of people did!

Today's speaker was Taffy, who oversees the youth worship ministries at Saddleback. He's a funny, energetic, creative speaker who probably has more energy than the average high school student (but he might get beat by a typical junior-higher). Here are a few highlights from Taffy's presentation:

• When it comes to concerts, sports, big events, we make the experience about the team; yet when it comes to being in the presence of God, we think it's about US and not HIM
• It isn't worship if you're asking, "How are you going to please me?"
• What have you placed on the throne of your life -- relationships, priorities, success, identity, money, popularity?
• Mountaintop experiences are great, but when you go back home, how will you live a lifestyle of worship?
• Best biblical definition of worship can be found in Romans 12:1-2
• We're called to be deliberate, intentional, living sacrifices
• You were made for God's pleasure
• Feelings go up and down; that's a constant struggle in the area of worship
• Our faith shouldn't feed our feelings or we'll go nowhere; when our faith feeds our intellect or will, our spiritual "train" will move forward
• Your spiritual life is not a hobby
• When you live a life of worship, you're saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty," even without saying those words
• When God is everything to you, everything else will fall into place in your life
• Yes, living a life of worship will be difficult, but that's because Satan attacks those who are making a difference

Student leadership: More highlights

Here are some odds-and-ends notes from today's leadership conference. What a wild day, once again.

1. Josh, the matchmaker
Emcee extraordinaire Josh Griffin has been playing matchmaker at this leadership conference, and today (with a little encouragement from my students) he decided to turn his attention my way. He brought me forward, gave me a Starbucks gift card and then told single women in the room to find me later so I could get their numbers. So far? Zero numbers. Desperate? Nah.

2. Odors, odors in my car...
I don't know what my guys ate this week, but everyone has been afflicted with severe gas conditions. It's a guy thing, of course, but it just seems like everyone is EXTRA gassy this week...and we're not even on a missions trip.

3. That "sweaty" guy
Right now, we're using some Sunday video curriculum featuring Doug Fields. Early on, one of our students, Tyler G., made a comment that "Doug really looks sweaty in that video." On Tuesday evening, I introduced the guys to Fields and recounted Tyler's comments. After tonight's service, the guys were getting Doug to sign some books, and Doug signed Tyler's book with "Doug Fields (Sweaty)." As he walked away, Tyler G. shook Doug's hand and said, "Bye, Sweaty." So, I'm now the youth pastor who has the student who calls Fields "Sweaty." Priceless.

4. Lots of cute girls
That's what my guys are saying, anyway. Can't say I've been watching the teen crowd as closely as they have, but it is a good reminder of a reason many guys go to things like leadership conferences, youth conventions and other big youth events.

5. Steven wants to be mentioned
Good old Steven Nelson was just awakened from his sleep by Tyler Gillespie. Steven is upset that I didn't mention him earlier in this post, so now I've mentioned his name. If only he'd start blogging again...

Student Leadership: Day 3

Another full day for our team here at the PDYM Student Leadership Conference. Highlights included a morning session on the theme of ministry, a morning and afternoon filled with real-life, hands-on, student-led ministry projects, and an inspiring evening with a 15-year-old having a global impact.

MINISTRY/Erik Rees, speaker

• Only you can be you
• Ministering in your "shape" is a form of stewardship
• Learning who you're NOT is vital
• When you do what God designed you to do, the benefit is pleasure
• I must SURRENDER my life to God
• What do you listen to when the music isn't playing?
• I must SEIZE my S.H.A.P.E. from God
• Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experiences
• Are you "in" shape or "out" of shape?
• I must SERVE people for God
• Do. Try. Fail. Grow.
• As you serve others, you'll begin to see how God can use you to do incredible things
• Take one step forward to serve
• I must STRENGTHEN my life with God
• Does anyone in this world know you as well as God?
  

MINISTRY PROJECTS
Morning activities included a PB&J-making station, a station where students discovered how far spare change can help people in the Third World, a room where students wrote letters to "ignored" people and groups, and a spot for organizing used shoes that have ben donated to help homeless people.

In the afternoon, our teams all left the church campus and went out into Orange County. We were assigned the task of collecting spare change from people. The students were in charge -- totally! Basically, I was their driver, their chauffeur. Wow, did they enjoy that! Most of the time, I just sat in my car waiting for them to walk around and ask folks for spare change.

EVENING SESSION/Zach Hunter, speaker
Zach is an incredible kid. He's 15 years old. He's written a book. He speaks to crowds of thousands on the topic of freeing modern slavery victims. He motivates teens to collect spare change to help free those slaves. Tonight, Doug Fields did an interview format with Zach, keeping the service flowing well. Zach also took questions from students and adults in the crowd. Here are some highlights from his presentation and discussion:

• Loose change is underestimated, just like teenagers can be; people often don't expect much from loose change or teens
• Go find one thing you're passionate about, and research it, and live for it
• Passion is something Satan doesn't want us to have
• Tech gadgets can become an antiseptic that makes us apathetic
• So much suffering remains in the world because we're not willing to be used by God
• There's nothing I can give to God that He doesn't truly already have
• This generation is dying in a desert because of thirst for real ministry, real relationship with God
• See a need, get your passion stirred, and do something about it

Student leadership: Other highlights

Here are some odds-and-ends moments from day two of the Student Leadership Conference.

1. No dinner with Josh
The great Josh Griffin was going to have dinner with us. Really, he was. But then he had to back out. This is the second straight conference I've attempted to buy him a meal, and it's the second straight conference when he's been unable to join me for food. Interesting...

2. Students drive my car
Yes, two of my students drove my car. Not at the same time, of course. Steven and Tyler G. each took a spin in my car -- a manual, stick-shift transmission. Tyler had driven a stick shift once, and Steven never had before. Let's just say that it was, um, an interesting experience. My car was crying. Seriously, the guys did fine -- but we also did the driving in a near-empty parking lot this evening.

3. You don't like Chick-Fil-A?
Neither Steven nor Tyler G. enjoyed their chicken sandwiches from Chick-Fil-A at lunch today. So, Tyler B. and I got extra food. Mmmmmm...

4. Dinner and games
We ate dinner at Dave & Buster's over at the Irvine Spectrum. We had some decent food, and then played some fun arcade games. Dave & Busters is something like a grown-up John's Incredible Pizza Co., which is a more exciting version of Chuck-E-Cheese. Great time.

Student leadership: Day 2

Great second day here at the Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry Student Leadership Conference. Today's sessions covered three of the biblical purposes for the church: evangelism, fellowship and discipleship. Here are a few highlights from the main messages today:

EVANGELISM/Jeff Maguire, speaker

• Good deeds are as important to evangelism as the words we speak
• Evangelism happens in the context of our whole lives
• A good deed is anything connected to what we do or live that reflects the image and glory of God
• Our intended purpose is to reflect the image of God into the world
• Christians can choose to condemn the world, copy the world, or create good

FELLOWSHIP/Video + Doug Fields, speaker

• Growth happens through friendships filled with trust, acceptance, investment and concern
• It never stops with you; someone invested in you, so you should turn around and invest in someone else
• "Fellowship" is a deep but abused word in the Church
• We're better together
• True fellowship happens when we KNOW each other, SHOW each other when we're headed to trouble, and GROW together in our relationships with Jesus Christ
• Fellowship should be intentional
• What would it be like to REALLY be known?
  

DISCIPLESHIP/Matt McGill, speaker

• The idea of discipleship really means having a friendship with God
• To be friends with God is to become like Him
• A friend of God delights in beauty
• Do we love what God loves?
• A friend of God is driven by compassion
• Compassion is a reflex that responds to others; it can be a slow reflex or a well-developed one
• What moves you and grabs your attention?
• A friend of God discovers the truth
• To get a new perspective means admitting your last perspective was wrong
• If you don't look back and see foolishness and mistakes in your past, then you're probably not growing spiritually

Great start to leadership conference.

I'm spending this week down in Orange County with a group of guys for a student leadership conference sponsored by Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry. The conference kicked off Tuesday evening with a great first session: dynamic worship with Jadon Lavik, some hilarious games (and banter) from Josh Griffin and Allison Hibbard, and a strong, inspiring message from Doug Fields.

Doug encouraged the students (and us adult leaders, too) to be the kinds of leaders who stop, learn to be quiet and make a connection -- three priorities that can help us refuel spiritually. Some other memorable statements:

• Leaders can't lead effectively when they're spiritually empty
• Each of us has a soul that needs to be refilled
• Silence is an essential ingredient for spiritual growth
• God won't fight the noise and distractions in our lives; we must make that choice
  

There are apparently around 750 student leaders here, from all over the country. Heard about some folks from as far away as North Carolina, maybe even further. We simply hopped in the car and drove 9 hours to get here (some meals and pit stops along the way, of course).

Wish we could have brought a larger group to the conference. I didn't have an adult female leader/chaperone to join us, so I only invited guys next year. It would be great to bring back a larger team next summer.

United Outreach Video.

Here's the video we created for the final service of our outreach event last week. We're doing a modified version for our students tonight. Enjoy.

Incredible outreach week.

Wow, what an awesome six days we just had. Our youth ministry teamed up with 2 other churches for our United outreach week, and we saw God do an incredible work in our students' lives.

I'm pretty exhausted from the full week of ministry, community service, prayer, nighttime services and deep fellowship. So for now, I'll throw up a few pics for you to look through. If I have enough energy later today, I'll return with some stories and highlights from our week.

Outreach week begins.

This afternoon, we begin a weeklong outreach with 2 other nearby churches. It promises to be an awesome time as we do community service projects, worship God and reach out to our neighbors.

I'm going to attempt to blog during the week, but we have very full days planned. So if you don't see much from me over the next few days, you'll read plenty of stuff over the weekend!