three days in denver

For three days this week I enjoyed hanging out in Denver, Colorado with the good folks at Group Publishing and Simply Youth Ministry. I kept a running log of my adventures through some strategic pictures. Here's a quick glimpse at my trip.

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DAY ONE

The phrase "LIVE ANIMALS" is never a good thing to see in the overhead bin of your airplane.

Something I don't imagine I will ever do in my life: The airport shoe shine.

Everyone breathes a sigh of relief when you realize your luggage isn't lost.

I was told to bring sunglasses because Denver is bright everywhere. You be the judge... but just so you know, this is a picture of a closet inside a basement, under a mountain.

Apparently this guy used to be in the cast for Spiderman on Broadway.

Simply breathtaking landscape.

I determined not to be the first one to grab a nametag.

Free snacks - I truly enjoyed the yogurt pretzels.

Thom & Joani Shultz - two people who changed the landscape of youth ministry.

Standing behind Shane and Shane as they lead backyard worship.

Another view, behind Andy Brazelton and Jon Acuff. (pic by Tim Schmoyer)

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DAY TWO

When you wake up and have unlimited access to bacon, it's going to be a fun day.

Morning worship. Good times. Great perspective.

Box lunches? Where are we going?

Our outdoor lunch location... and a prayer walk that Rick Lawrence put together.

Rocky mountain high. Wait... oh... NOW I more clearly understand the career of John Denver.

Seriously, this food was amazing. I can't believe how well they took care of us.

Hanging out at Thom and Joani Shultz's house for some tasty desserts.

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DAY THREE

The infamous talking moose at Group Publishing.

Yes, we actually were there for a purpose... to breathe in and breathe out whatever God was sifting in us, and fold it into the Simply Youth Ministry Conference in March 2012.

There was no shortage of savory cookies.

This chair proves that creative people walk this earth. Is it a desk? Useful for disciplining kids? An art major's ottoman?

See ya, Group! Thanks for your incredible heart for God and His Church!

Security check, anyone?

Somehow I not only scored the exit row, but I was blessed to have it all to myself. Ask me sometime about the people I sat next to on the flight to Denver (it was like a Seinfeld episode). But for now, I'll end on this high note.

nywc. inspirations from general session 7

Generally speaking...

I often enjoy the closing session, mainly because it gives the opportunity for summation and send off. One thing I missed from years past was a communion opportunity, though - there was something left "dangling" in the air without it. I think it could have really pulled things together that much more.

I'm also glad Marko recognized the theme of the weekend hasn't felt like the theme of the weekend. Personally, the weird baby logo has messed with me - is it mildly blasphemous?

Inspirations from Worth Dying For...

• Never heard of this band from California before, and I think they may have been better placed on Saturday versus Monday - there was less motivation to learn their songs knowing I wouldn't be singing them again later. (Hmm - powerful insight there in itself).
  
• Yet another example this weekend of artists/speakers who came to Jesus during their teenage years. When will the Church at large realize how important it is to make this investment into this generation?
  
• While I did enjoy this band, I was again struggling with someone telling me, "Now I want to see every person in this place doing _________." There was just a little bit too much "dookie dookie" for me.
  

Inspirations from Skit Guys...

• I really enjoyed this last sketch of the Skit Guys... it's in the video below, but was well done and a great send off for youth workers.
  
  
  

Inspirations from Marko...

• If we buy into a distorted Gospel, we present a distorted Gospel to others.
• Large is the value system of our country - but perhaps small is the value system of the Gospel. (Not sure I buy into this - still struggling to process the idea)
• Ministry can't be pulled along at a pace faster than it's ready for.
• You don't need to be a hipster preacher - you don't need the skills of Francis Chan, David Crowder, or Kendall Payne. You are the equipment - three meals a day is your budget. You have Christ in you! This is the Gospel we bring to others - a Gospel of presence and a communal mission -and you have everything you need for that.
• You have everything you need to be wildly successful in YM. The stuff you think you need is a deterrent.

spreading some love

I'm guest blogging over at the new YS Blog.

Hope you can come on by!

CLICK HERE

you asked for it: nameless wisdom - pt 1

My good buddy G-Man wondered: Why some people choose to remain "Nameless." Even in the Bible there are people who do great things but not really a name.

There's a bit of an inside joke here you may not get. That said, this has to be a two-part response.

Back in 1996 when Al Gore was inventing surfing the internet a group of like-minded people got together in a thing called the "YS Listerve." This was essentially an email list that a bunch of youth pastors took part in, sponsored by the leading-edge minded folks at YouthSpecialties. The idea was that perhaps if we networked together using this new technology we could encourage each other's ministries, theology, hearts, and so on.

I was especially thankful for this new email list I could take part in with other guys in the trenches. In fact, one of my favorite things to do became on Tuesdays I would post a list of "freebies" - ideas I had been coming up with or had come across in ministry that people could use. Since so many of us seemed to be hanging onto our stuff to gain some sort of copyright symbol next to it, it seemed to make more sense.

Because the day when you crave a copyright symbol next to one of your ideas is the day you forget Who gave you idea in the first place.

This led to other guys doing regular stuff, too, like my buddy G-man and his Friday questions. As you can expect with such an untamed list at such an untamed time, though, things started off well but soon evolved into debates about speaking in tongues, predestination versus freewill, whether or not certain ministries were heretical or legitimate, how you could tell if someone was a "real Christian," and so on.

You know, stuff no one talks about anymore. But back then we did. Sometimes 50-75 emails about everything I cared about and everything I didn't would be waiting for me in my inbox. I tried breaking into the heated conversation at times, but sometimes when people make up their mind about a topic they tend to make up their mind about you... and then anything else I would post would always be filtered through a lens.

Have you ever had someone put a label on you just so they could feel more secure?

So in the midst of contributing as "Tony Myles," I started posting things under a second alias - "namelesspastor@hotmail.com," and my listed name was "Nobody Special."

I'd write about things the way I sometimes do on this blog... asking questions we shouldn't be afraid to ask (but often are), sharing thoughts that are often controversial - but not for the sake of being edgy just to be edgy but rather to simply provide a voice for the overlooked people and thoughts, and so on.

The beauty was that in using such a generic name and title as "namelesspastor" no one was able to discount my ideas and thoughts as they often would when I was Tony Myles. Instead of hearing, "Well, you're just young in ministry" or "That's because you're in the midwest and that doesn't fly around here" or "You're probably one of those _______ types" or "This is just like that one time you were closed-minded about..." or "I'm going to hit you now" - instead of all of that I'd offer a thought and put it out there, signing off with the tag "Nobody Special.

My favorite part of it all was when people started thinking I was a big name in the world of youth ministry... a minor Christian celebrity, if you will. The biggest assumption was that I was a guy named Mike Yaconelli who was (then) the big dog behind YouthSpecialties and a very amazing personality we all sort of looked up to. I even read an email on the listserve once about how a guy went up to Mike at a seminar he was at and kind of did a nod at him, saying, "I know who you are... thanks for being that anonymous Nobody Special on the listserve." Apparently Mike just winked at him, and the guy took that as "validation."

Then there was this time a bunch of the listserve people got together for a lunch at a convention. We hung out, took a picture, and even decided to "represent" Namelesspastor through an Oliver Hardy cardboard cut-out. Yeah... that's me on the right, in a picture with "me."

This went on for a while. I wrote about everything from "Whoopie Cushions, the Thing, and Hostess Cupcakes" to "Catholics and Mormons." In each post, I tried to stir up the pot... because, I reasoned, that was my right to do so" and somebody better do it, doggone it."

Hmm.

Over time my posts as "namelesspastor" began to move beyond just me. I'd allow friends of mine to vent their frustrations in ministry using that email address, which probably confused the informal guessing and investigation of who was behind all of this that much more. Nonetheless, that's how things went for quite some time.

Then one day we learned that the YS Listserve was shutting down... they were going to use this amazing new technology called "Message Boards" or something. Sounded too confusing. "These crazy people with their long hair and rock and roll music," I said, shaking my first.

So "Tony Myles" had one last email to the listserve. And while I did close it using my usual salutation of "T." I added something extra just before it.

*sigh*

Well, I don't know if I'm the only '96er still around, but it's been a great number of years following this list. I've moved around several email addresses since then, and a few churches as well (that'd be an interesting poll - how many churches have you been in since being on the list?)

I remember when there were enough people you could actually keep track of, to the monster it has become with conversations happening in thirty unique languages ("Dude..." "Bro..." "Man..." etc.)

I've been a debater who had the world figured out and would tell anyone who thought different how wrong they were; I've been a contributor who tried doing a weekly free stuff posting until I couldn't maintain it any longer; I've been a critic and ranter, with subtle attempts at misplaced humor and thought; I've been a lurker who pops out for occasional advice - to give and receive; I've been confused, and I've been fulfilled.

So in that this will be my final post to the list, I guess I wanted to say "Thanks for the memories."

Thanks for the challenges and the challengers; thanks for helping me to grow when I was wrong and for growing when you were wrong, too.

Thanks for giving me your phone number when I needed it and for remaining "Nameless" when it didn't matter.

Thanks for sitting at your computer and answering emails for problems you weren't directly involved in. Thanks for getting on your knees and getting directly involved in anyway.

Thanks for helping me organize a road trip for my students with service projects in your neck of the woods (Brad... Christy... Matt... and the other guy I can't remember who didn't mind that we smelled bad). Thanks for letting me sleep on the floor while my pregnant wife slept comfortably. Thanks for feeding us, clothing us, and serving Jesus as you did.

Thanks for being a dork. Thanks for being a friend. Thanks for being a jerk. Thanks for being an example. Thanks for being my "Jerry, Elaine, George, Kramer," and on occasion, my "Newman."

Thanks for getting excited for movies I was excited about. Thanks for labeling your sports posts accordingly so I could delete them (since I couldn't tell you anything about any football team since the '85 Bears won the Superbowl and basketball wise since Michael Jordan left the Bulls). Thanks for those times you remembered to "snip" your posts, and for apologizing when you didn't.

Thanks for reminding me about how hard ministry is. Thanks for sharing stories of how rewarding it's been. Thanks for helping me hate and appreciate small churches, medium churches, larges churches, and parachurches. Thanks for being different than me so that I might see a different side of God's face.

Thanks for telling me when your baby was born and for letting me share about mine. Thanks for confessing the roller coaster of being single, married, divorced, and remarried. Thanks for sharing when you failed in ministry, and when sin got the better of you. Thanks for helping me pray you on to victory in Christ.

Thanks for exactly 7,308,992.5 posts about tongues.

Actually, nevermind that one.

Thanks for helping me realize what denominationalism was and wasn't about. Thanks for helping me realize what youth ministry was and wasn't. Thanks for showing me how right I was theologically and how much of an ignoramus I've been with the Bible.

Thanks for being the Church to me.

Nobody Special,

T.

A guy named Michael Coredetti who had been very annoyed by my posts as "namelesspastor" sent back a reply, "I knew it." That was fun.

Here's the crazy part, though.

Apparently on this new YS Message Board that replaced the listserve a guy named "Namelesspastor" started posting. When I learned of it, I was mad... after all, it was my idea... my great scheme... my cool angle... my copyright symbol.

Aw... dang.

Anyway, this new fellow was trying to keep up the spirit of the old stuff I was putting out there. He was the Brandon Routh Superman to the Christopher Reeve Superman... and I had to admit, it actually was fun to watch. I had a successor, which meant my efforts would live on.

Then one day this new guy finally "fess"ed up to who he was... granted, I already knew him and had recently hung out with him. His name was G-Man.

Full circle... see beginning of this post.

Then one day this newer new technology came out called "Blogs." Soon I learned about another piece of my legacy... Nameless Youth Pastors. Then these guys asked me to come on board and post with them... humbling.

Full circle again.

So why do some people remain "nameless?" Perhaps because when we can't see the face we're more inclined to listen to the voice.

Then again, I have been posting this blog in full disclosure, so... maybe there's more value in knowing the person and his/her developing story.

What do you think?

you asked for it: crazy memory

Brian asked about my craziest youth ministry memory.

Wow... that's like asking me to tell you who my favorite kid is.

Arnold, from Different Strokes.

Really, I don't know that I have a favorite.

There are things I've been through with teens that I can't believe I actually allowed to happen. "Power dumping" is a phrase that comes to mind, and that's about all I can tell you about that.

Then there are those stories about life change that make it all worthwhile... again, very difficult to pick one kid over another.

Throw in some road trips involving smelly vans with missing cheeseburgers, stops at White Castle, more stops at White Castle, and even more stops at White Castle, and there really are some cool things to look back on.

So let me share a memory that perhaps sums up all the other ones.

Back in 2000 when Fear Factor was still an original show, our student ministry did what a lot of others hadn't yet done but soon would - sponsor a "Fear Factor" night. Granted, you can only go so far in being crazy with this stuff because of liability issues. Nonetheless, the cream of the crop event at the end of the night involved a hot tub that we filled with powdered milk, then added water, and dropped some sardines and pig's feet into for kids to go bobbing.

I know, I know... the theology of this is outstanding, isn't it?

So the night went well, a girl named Toria "won," and we had a lot to clean up.

Here's the fun part.

The hot tub was there because we used it for baptisms on a semi-regular basis.

Do you know where this is going?

Yes, for the next 3 or 4 baptisms, whenever someone would go down into the water they would always come up and notice that there were some sardines floating around (that had gotten stuck in the jets of the hot tub).

Um... that about sums up all my other "crazy" experiences in youth ministry.

I don't know if that made me a cool youth pastor or a dumb one...

but I know as a lead pastor I'd hire me as a youth pastor...

so there.

teenagers and faith

Some good downloads to the timely question of the "Where Youth Ministry Must Go" discussion in Grand Rapids, Michigan: http://grts.cornerstone.edu/resources/tpoints

Also, Time Magazine hit a whammy on this one about the Bible being able to be taught in school "in the right context": http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1601845,00.html

youth ministry in the news

Great piece on the CBS News tonight... check it out (especially the video with Marko).

Technology Transforms Gospel For Teens

culture wars

My friend Steve Argue is one of many voices responding to an article by Ron Luce in Youthworker Journal. The whole thing can be found here, including the passionate Luce sharing his take on how youth need to be willing to boldy proclaim a battlecry by opposing things in culture that are violent, sexy, and vulgar (paraphrasing his words).

Some of Steve's thoughts:

"I wonder if the true battle that Christians face today is the struggle with our own lost identity and us trying to recapture a gospel by force, by power, and by protest. The way of Jesus is meek, loving, quiet, and subversive. His revolution (if we must use this term) is one of love, healing, reconciliation, and forgiveness.

The greatest casualties may be within our own communities where divorce is higher than the national average, sexual addiction is prevalent, abuse is reported, church splits happen regularly, and a younger generation is leaving the institutional church in search of something real. Maybe we need to look at our own faith communities before we start critiquing others."

Now stay with me... this may initiially sound inappropriately critical.

I am a bit put off by Ron Luce's stuff and approach, too. I've often been worn down by interns from Acquire the Fire calling me up and telling me why I absolutely *have to* bring my kids to their next conference. I'm sorry... I just don't buy into it. I think ministry is less about using a loud show to convince people to just "live it louder" and more about having a living relationship with Jesus Christ that causes people of all spiritual backgrounds (or lack thereof) to ask questions about the authenticity of your journey.

Granted, that hypocritically comes from a guy like me has done both... loud show and all.

Still with me?

All that said, I think there is a place for Ron Luce's approach in the kingdom. Perhaps Steve Argue feels that way, too, so hear me out on this... I don't like Luce's approach, nor do I see a whole lot of longevity in it if that's all that happens in a kid's life. I mean, a teenager can only stay fired up in his/her faith for so long before he/she needs the next fix, conference, youth group night, big event... whatever.

In short, we need to move away from trying to convince people to circle the wagoms by using loud arguments that play on our fears.

Wait...

did I just try to convince you of that?

Ah... there's the rub.

See the problem?

So let me ask a question instead - what would it look like to allow our lives, ministries, and churches to be an overflow of love that journeys with people and speaks into them in both soft and penetrating ways as the Holy Spirit leads?

Someone needs to stoke the flame... shouldn't it be Him?

Maybe that in itself is a role Luce's ministry is serving... the fire he's acquired may honestly be God-breathed, so I'm going to go ahead and believe the best about the motives of his heart. Maybe God is using it overtly and subvesively - after all, he's saying such hot stuff that the rest of us are going, "Ouch! I don't know if that's the way to go so maybe we should go this other way instead." In an ironic way he might be helping bring about a new revolution in student ministry by inadvertantly pushing away from the old approach.

Biblically speaking, we find in the Gospels both the tender John the Disciple as well as the abrasive John the Baptist. Apparently both had a ministry in the kingdom, even if we tend to like one over the other. Jesus commended both... didn't he?

All I know is thanks to Mr. Luce and Mr. Argue, the flame is a little hotter today for me.

But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice. (Philippians 1:18)

issues in youth ministry

I had the chance to be one of twenty voices into an online discussion on "Issues in Youth Ministry: What needs to change?" The series is now live, including some recent thoughts of mine. Here are my answers:

What do you see as some of the main issues youth ministry is struggling with today?

The big issues as I see it is professional youth pastors and senior pastors looking for job security. As the culture continues to change, the local church is struggling to define its role in a way that is static and marketable. Let’s be honest, a lot of what we do is try to convince people that our cause is worth giving money and time to. When the world changes in a way that we can’t address or accurately explain, we pull inward a little bit more and separate our kingdom off (whether it is the youth ministry for a youth worker or the whole church for the senior pastor). Consequently, our methodology becomes about preserving our thing instead of being willing to undergo an entire DNA change that may shrink our organization and leave us with less committed followers.

I wonder what ministry would look like if we didn’t care if we lost our jobs or not.

What do you see as some of the main issues youth ministry is responding to effectively?

In many ways youth ministry is attempting to address the same issues that the adult church may be after, but the amazing thing is that there is more of a willingness to experiment. My own experience is that whatever happened in youth ministry ten years ago and is still “working” is eventually accepted into the adult body. I’m not sure how much of that plays into my earlier answer regarding job security, but it seems as though the “arrogant faith” of youth pastors (and I mean that in the best way possible) collides well with the “cautious spirituality” of adults (and I mean that in best way possible, too). Bottom line… we need each other.

In what ways does youth ministry need to change?

We are still in many ways a content/model driven group and feel the need to control the show. I wonder what it would be like if instead of “hogging the ball” away from students we became sideline coaches and never tried to be the quarterback. Students need to be IN ministry and not just the recipient of it. Until we become content being discontent we will never give them the opportunity they are waiting for us to give them.

Unfortunately, the church at large needs to grasp this concept so that youth workers are given the opportunity to do so.

weekend fun: youth ministry chuckles

There are some chuckle-full videos I came across through a youth ministry conference promotion. A few are listed below - whether you've ever worked with students or not I think you'll like them. The last one is my favorite, but be sure you play that one last. Enjoy!

someone you don't know... and yet you might

I found out that a young man whom I haven't spoken with in a few years passed away this weekend. It was from a brain aneurism that hit him Saturday morning without any warning or medical history in this genre. By Saturday night, this literally healthy and highly athletic 18-year old kid's body died.

His name was Dustyn Mogdis... although he has a new name now. He graduated from Belding High School in 2005 with a 4.0 (even though he had ADHD), played football, worked at Clarion, and was saving up money to move out on his own as well as attend college in the fall. He lived with his dad Scott and stepmom Kim, and has two brothers - Jeff and Shaun.

And he l-o-v-e-d Jesus Christ.

I remember when I was his youth pastor (at the church I currently interim teach at) that this middle school kid and his brothers would come in every week because he hitched a ride with one of our volunteer leaders. (Side note - if you have ever been a volunteer youth worker, thank you.) He came from the downside of life with a lot of things against him... simple economic background, middle child, ADHD, and so on. Not to mention he was about to do what most high school boys do to prove their identity - go out for football.

Only he thought much deeper than finding his identity in sports. We'd talk after our youth programs... he'd ask questions, and I'd do my best to answer them. One Wednesday night we stood by the part of the multi-purpose room that has an open window into the kitchen. With his eyes darting all over the place as he was deep in thought and consideration, Dustyn knew that receiving Jesus to be his Savior and Lord just had to be done. So we prayed together and celebrated like it was 1999 (even though it was actually 2001). I reached into the kitchen and gave him a free candy bar and Bible of his own.

Soon after that, Dustyn wanted to go public with his faith and so he signed up for a baptism service. He invited every family member and friend he could think of... and they came. He asked me to be the one to baptize him, and I happily and humbly did. When he came up from the water the cheers were deafening... it was like someone spiking the football in the endzone during the Super Bowl, only better.

He received a cross necklace that night from his family. In every picture he ever took for school he purposefully would have it dangling out as a statement of faith.

Time moved on, and without going into too many details I eventually left this church. It was abrupt and awkward for everyone, especially the students. It's hard enough for adults when a pastor leaves, but it's even harder on students... especially ones you're close to. For many teenagers a youth pastor is their incarnational link to God - "always there." They expect to be the ones to graduate and leave him or her behind (which some teens do with God, too). When it's the other way around and the youth worker leaves, they don't take being alone very well... sometimes they even interpret it to mean God has abandoned them, too (or "maybe he never really was there to be counted on in the first place").

The church brought in a couple of guys to lead the ministry after I left. They were great guys, but somewhere in the shuffle... Dustyn and his brothers stopped coming. Pretty soon the momentum continued and it became a long break away. Ironically, I also found out from Dustyn's girlfriend that he wanted to go back and was planning on attending somewhere today.

Then his body died... yesterday.

Although he lives on.

Amazingly, though, he was also an organ donor.

As of today he has not only joined God in heaven but has also helped five more people extend their life on earth. Even though you may not know Dustyn, you may know one of these people. And so maybe you know Dustyn after all. Five lives all around the state and country.

Perhaps you and I will run into one of those people...
perhaps you and I will share Jesus with them.

Please be in prayer for the Mogdis family and friends.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)