mark yaconelli is leading the first general session for this years NYWC. it is my first time to meet him and to see him live. he is his fathers son. he started talking about affirmation.
mark started by telling us that we just need to see the kids. i think back onto all of the girls i've been with in the last 10 years and didn't see and it is a bit surreal. but, then he said that if we just take time to see the kid how amazing it can be to watch the compassion come out of us. i believe in this and that the mere concept can transcend cultures. so the way i see it is once i figure out what breaks me and i mean really breaks me i can start to really see people again. i've often been moved by whatever was driving my passion at that moment but not by what breaks me. if i can figure that part out the seeing and compassion will follow.
Friday, September 30, 2005
it's opening day
it's friday morning/afternoonish and things are really starting to pick up. i have so many pictures to share but i'm afraid it will take up too much room but will put up as many as possible.
on tuesday i managed to get an hour long nap in and then was off to dinner with the entire store volunteer team. some of the things that happened. David and Jay made me laugh so hard that i started to cry. i taught our entire table how to make fart noises with a flexi straw using your armpit. it was a huge hit with all of the jr high leaders. david was presented with a birthday icecream cup and we all (yes there was at least 20 of us) stood on our chairs in the middle of the restaurant and sang happy birthday. (don't tell but it really wasn't his birthday at all)
wednesday was crazy we were up early and finishing everything. it is amazing to see the nothiness of an arena come to be a place of worship. it was a lot of work and the ys staff and volunteers do something like i've never seen before. i hope that anyone reading this will get a feel for the convention through the photos.
thursday was probably the longest day of the convention and it officially didn't even start then. but it was a day that registration, the store, critical concern courses, and the exhibit hall all opened. the part of the day is long is the "madness sale" this is the only time attendees can come into the store and buy ys product for 30% off or more and if you've ever done youth work you know that money is always and issue so anytime you can find a good deal you take advantage of it.
on tuesday i managed to get an hour long nap in and then was off to dinner with the entire store volunteer team. some of the things that happened. David and Jay made me laugh so hard that i started to cry. i taught our entire table how to make fart noises with a flexi straw using your armpit. it was a huge hit with all of the jr high leaders. david was presented with a birthday icecream cup and we all (yes there was at least 20 of us) stood on our chairs in the middle of the restaurant and sang happy birthday. (don't tell but it really wasn't his birthday at all)
wednesday was crazy we were up early and finishing everything. it is amazing to see the nothiness of an arena come to be a place of worship. it was a lot of work and the ys staff and volunteers do something like i've never seen before. i hope that anyone reading this will get a feel for the convention through the photos.
thursday was probably the longest day of the convention and it officially didn't even start then. but it was a day that registration, the store, critical concern courses, and the exhibit hall all opened. the part of the day is long is the "madness sale" this is the only time attendees can come into the store and buy ys product for 30% off or more and if you've ever done youth work you know that money is always and issue so anytime you can find a good deal you take advantage of it.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
the longest day ever
well i've made it to sacramento safe after a long day at the airports and on the plane. i was up at 3:30 am EST (so really 12:30 am in sacramento) and finally made it here at 11:30 am pacific. i was excited to get to my hotel and head over to the convention center.
for anyone who has never seen a NYWC and watched the volunteers set-up with place it is amazing. the exhibitors hall and the store had already been built and youth workers were busily folding t-shirts. the beauty of this experience is that these people work hard and most of them take a week of vacation to come and serve thousands of youth workers. I've included a couple of pictures for your enjoyment. One is of jen howver building chairs for the DCLA booth (the sad part is she has some sweet roller skates on that i didn't catch), one is of her honey jay who is the ys publisher and has the watz up homey look on his face. but, seriously the funniest one that i've got so far is the trampoline in the middle of the store (the theme this year is "jump")
well i'm off to get some rest before i head out to dinner with the ys staff and volunteers.
the withward movement
so i've struggled with going to mars hill for a couple of years now but still haven't found someplace that i was learning like i did there. one of my problems was the fact that no matter how involved i got i still sat in a room of 3,000 strangers every week. but, what actually happened was i withdrew from the people and church that loved me. it wasn't until after a recent spiritual retreat that god began speaking to me and saying stop fighting the institution and just find the church.
well i don't know that i have the answers or that i'm even close to them yet but i have gone back for the last two weeks with tasha and jody and it's been good. this weekend particularly was amazing. rob taught from Ephesians and about "the new man = new humanity" and how as new humanity we are all aware of what we have in common with each other. rob is going through this teaching on direction and this weeks was on "withward" and that being withward was that no one can live life alone. i had no idea that while i walked away from the institution i also walked away from community.
well i don't know that i have the answers or that i'm even close to them yet but i have gone back for the last two weeks with tasha and jody and it's been good. this weekend particularly was amazing. rob taught from Ephesians and about "the new man = new humanity" and how as new humanity we are all aware of what we have in common with each other. rob is going through this teaching on direction and this weeks was on "withward" and that being withward was that no one can live life alone. i had no idea that while i walked away from the institution i also walked away from community.
Friday, September 23, 2005
the life of traveling
i will be leaving next tuesday for sacramento where i'll be hanging out with all of my ys friends and 3400 youth workers. i can't imagine life getting any better than being with people who devote their lives to being with kids. i'll be out there for a week and then on the 4th i'll head to atlanta for 4 days of rest and relaxation or working my hiney off at another convention. this one is going to be killer since it will be with 8500 church leaders who just love people and love our product. it is kinda scary since this is a new venture for me. i pressed doug (our new pres) to let us have a huge showing at the event and we are so please pray! then i'll come home for 3 days and head out to pittsburgh to hang out with ys again and even more youth workers.
i'll try to blog daily and keep everyone up-to-date on my latest and greatest but until then please pray for safe travels, that hearts will be touch, and that i can do a great service for my company.
i'll try to blog daily and keep everyone up-to-date on my latest and greatest but until then please pray for safe travels, that hearts will be touch, and that i can do a great service for my company.
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