I have not had the opportunity to post the last couple days, but for good reason. A couple months ago I was honored to be invited to a mini-conference in Rome, Georgia. It would probably be better to say that I was invited to a conversation.
About 30 years ago a group of Youth Ministry leaders (a relatively new field of ministry at the time) gathered in Colorado Springs to discuss how Youth Ministry organizations could partner together to reach all students with the Gospel. Ministries such as Young Life, Youth For Christ and other Church/Parachurch organizations were represented. Out of this meeting an umbrella movement and later an organization was formed. The National Network of Youth Ministries.
Fast forward 28 years after the official beginning of the NNYM and many of these same original leaders are still apart of the conversation. Only their conversation lately has been asking the question, “what does the future of the NNYM look like and who will carry the torch?”
As I mentioned, I was honored to have been about one of 15 Youth Ministry leaders under the age of 40 invited to a roundtable discussion with the older leaders. All told, about eight or nine of the younger guys made it and another eight or nine currently on staff with NNYM made it with a third grouping of about six to eight who are associated with NNYM and currently leading major ministries.
The conversations were rich. I believe the current leadership is doing the right thing in asking the younger generation the important questions about their role as they look for the person who will eventually take the lead (founding President, Paul Fleischman is stepping down in the near future).
I’ll post more about this in the next day or two because I came back from this meeting so enthused about some of my conversations (at the table and away). I’ll also post about the retreat facility as well and about the blessing of being with the man I asked to mentor me through this process of moving from Youth Pastor to Youthmark.
Good stuff, now it is good to be home!
Grace,
Brian
Five: Special K with Red Berries. This is probably the healthiest of the lot, and if I were doing the healthy list this one would come in ahead of some of the other healthy cereals I like (including Raisin Bran and good ol’ fashioned Oatmeal). Special K hit the jackpot by adding some freeze dried strawberries to the box. You just make the K a lot more special. In fact, I would probably just call the regular cereal “K” and now that you added the berries you can call it “Special K.”
Four: Cap’n Crunch WITH Crunch Berries. Don’t get me started on the debate of with or w/o Berries. Cap’n Crunch w/o Crunch Berries isn’t even in the top 20 cereals. The Crunch Berries are what propel this cereal into the top 5 status. Not sure why the Cap’n has messed around with peanut butter and chocolate in the past, stick to what you do best Cap’n and keep throwing in those extra crunchy sugary goodness we call Crunch Berries.
Three: Apple Cinnamon Cheerios. I am fan of all things Cheerios. They are great for all ages. Think about it, they are pretty much the first snack we give a baby when they move to any form of a solid (Cheerios melt in the mouth); they serve as a perfect companion to apple juice for PK Sunday School classes. Then they can be made into edible bracelets and necklaces for those younger elementary age classes and finally you add some fruit or some other sugary goodness (honey nut) and they become a great breakfast. The most recent discoveries in the land of Cheerios is the Apple Cinnamon, Banana Nut and Multi-Grain. I like them all! However, if I am picking one for the top 5, I easily go with the Apple Cinnamon. From this point forward you’ll see a bit of a trend, I have a knack for the sugary sweet/teamed with some Cinnamon. I know that in Romans 3 it says we all have sin, but didn’t know that I was so prone to Cinn (amon). Sorry, I am a dad and still sort of a pastor, had to get that joke in there.
Two: Cinnamon Toast Crunch. This was a shoe-in #1 about three years ago. But they pulled a late 1980’s Coca-Cola mistake and created a “new” Cinnamon Toast Crunch (one with 25% less sugar). I’m calling for “Cinnamon Toast Crunch Classic” to come out now! Let’s start the campaign! CTC (as I call it), is still great, but c’mon, you could still be reigning in the number one slot. CTC not only tastes great, but is the ideal desert cereal as well. No ice cream on hand for that 10:00 PM episode of Seinfeld? No worries, your desert is served in the form of some CTC! This cereal brings back memories of a group of guys I discipled through high school as well; about once every six-to-eight weeks was Cereal night, the star of the show was always CTC!
One: Cinnamon Life. Mikey still likes it! Thank you Mr. Quaker for keeping the formula the same. This is a cereal that debuted in the top 5 and has never fallen away. I even like your plain-jane “Life.” But adding the Cinnamon catapults all other competitors and you safely land in the #1 position! One of the nice things about Cinnamon Life–it’s great with or w/o Milk. Now, I prefer it with milk, but if you have to go without and just need a quick snack, Cinnamon Life is there for ya! It’s even good after 10 minutes and each little cracker has soaked up all the milk! Mmmmm Good.
BRIANAABY.COM 