I believe it was my 7th or 8th grade year the three-point shot was added to the basketball courts for middle-school basketball! I loved shooting downtown and now the shot from 20 feet was worth an extra point. In an attempt to avoid the bunch-ball bombing that our coaches feared, our coach issued a challenge; unless you were able to hit 5 out of 10 at practice, you wouldn’t get to shoot them in a game. On top of this challenge, he gave an added bonus. Whomever made the most during this 10 shot challenge was going to have a set play run for them during the next game, freeing that person up for a three point shot!  Connecting from long-distance became my ambition!  I won the contest (7 of 10) and nailed my long-distance beauty on an out-of-bounds play the next game!

This last weekend I got to connect from long-distance once again.  I traveled to the Simply Youth Ministry Conference (SYMC) in Chicago. Because I value these long-distance learning and networking experiences so much, I offered this or one other national conference as an incentive to our “early bird” registrants for a Youthmark Mission Venture. Most of the early-birds are heading to San Diego in the fall to the National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC put on by Youth Specialties) but one Youth Pastor (Nathan) decided that the SYMC and Chicago was for him.

I’ve posted in the past about networking and the value I sense in connecting on the local level through city, regional and area networks. But from time to time I think there are some major benefits to connection nationally. I decided to make this the subject of todays Student Ministry Stuff (SMS) post.

Connecting Nationally Provides a Refuge. Though the refuge of “being known” in your local network is huge, the respite of not being known has advantages as well. I had the opportunity to work with The Shelter at the SYMC. Three different times I met with Youth Leaders who just wanted to talk and be coached through specific issues by someone they didn’t know. Sometimes an outside source, completely separated from your context can provide such a valued view. In addition to providing this refuge, I had conversations with others who provided that sort of view for me. Guys like Doug Franklin (LeaderTreks) and Brian Cress (International Justice Mission) were a couple of the valued conversations that stood out to me (veteran guys who have forged the way). In addition I was able to connect with folk that I’ve known better on line than I had in person, taking friendships to a new level (guys like Brian Ford).

Connecting Nationally Gives Broader Training: The SYMC in particular gave me opportunity to learn at a greater depth from ministry leaders in the context of Forums and Workshops. I really like the NYWC and SYMC (and I’m sure others) because you can get some real broad-stroke training from people you wouldn’t normally hear from.  For instance, those who are not in a city where Dare-2-Share comes for their tour would benefit greatly from their training.  My first exposure to Doug Fields and Purspose Driven stuff came at a conference like this. At the NYWC in particular I have sat in on seminars that I specifically known that I would disagree with the presenter, it’s very helpful to know a different point of view rather than just be inundated with views from people who you always hear from.

Connecting Nationally Gives Great Exposure: The SYMC is pretty particular about their “vendors,” “speakers” and “talent;” choosing to only partner with those with whom they have relationship. Youth Specialties on the other hand has a literally hundreds of vendors and many more speakers and a broader stroke of artists/talent. I love the different approach that these conferences take. At YS I am exposed to other ministries in both the exhibit hall and the teaching times. Whereas at SYMC I got to know more about the practicing partners of Group Publishing (parent company of Simply). Orgs like Youthminstry360 and the already mentioned, LeaderTreks are a couple that I’m really impressed with.  One nice thing for me, I was pleasantly surprised by how many people upon meeting me said, “Oh yeah, I’ve heard of Youthmark, you guys are the ‘Mission51‘ people, right?”  How cool.  I guess we even have some exposure!

Connecting Nationally Allowed Me To Connect Nationally. Along the lines of the last point, I was able to greater network Youthmark. Besides the existing friendship I already had with many national folks at some of the previously mentioned organizations, I was able to meet leaders from many other organizations. Though some would see them as “competitors” I really feel that through the relationships built we are all on the same team. I genuinely like just about every person I meet at these conferences. One “competitor” that stood out is the parent organization of Youth Specialties (YouthWorks), I say competition in jest, YW has probably 20,000 students out on trips each summer (Youthmark is hoping for 1000); but Eric (a “high up” with YW) and I hit it off at SYMC, we spoke a number of times. As my iPhone powered up after my flight home I read on my Facebook Wall something that blessed my soul!

“Youthmark is gonna really push the youth ministry world to invest in prep and especially follow through on student short term mission experiences. Hoping they change will not suffice.”

Thanks Eric! I am praying that this is true and that Mission51 becomes a theme for all ministries, because then, the KINGDOM wins!

If you are in youth work and have not done one of these national conferences, I would suggest you try to get to one every year or two. It’s one part refuge, one part teaching, one part exposure and whole lot of connecting! I return feeling like I just hit a fadeaway three pointer at the buzzer; ready to take on the world!  Let’s do so, together!

Grace,
Brian

I was on a conference call yesterday with a couple prominent leaders of two different humanitarian aid organizations. These men are solid believers who want to see not just physical needs met, but spiritual needs met as well. “Social Justice” has been a buzz word the last few years; and Humanitarian Aid organizations are a part of the buzz.  Some have even become polarizing among churches and individual Christistians because of the organizations practice of providing aid  (food, water, shelter, medical, etc.) or aid-plus (the Gospel, education, etc.).  We’ll return to this phone call in just a bit…

About a week ago I posted the first in a series of posts that touch on a similar theme.  Through these posts I am basically asking the question about how a youth leader, church or leadership team should go about choosing a mission trip. The first was entitled, “Their Needs vs. Our Wants.” It built a case that we should be more mindful of the “need” of a receiving area then just meeting the “wants” you have as a group.  The second was entitled “Us/Them.” This post essentially gave a little balance to the first by making the point that you can both meet needs presented to you and see discipleship/growth take place in the lives in your group.  I believe this is done through training and has little to do with your destination.

Today, we bring in this “Social Justice” aspect.  We’re just a blink of an eye away from another natural disaster, whether something happens today, next week or not for a few months, something will happen on this planet that will tug on our heart-strings.  It may not even be a natural disaster like an earthquake, hurricane or tsunami; it may be a Depravity Disaster you become aware of (sex-slavery, violence and crime-rings, neglect of children in the inner-city or rural setting, etc.).  Regardless, our hearts will break and we’ll feel a natural, Spirit-born desire to do something about it.  And we should!  Sometimes the call is for financial support; other times we’re called to action… called to go.

Even as I write this blog a “tweet” just appeared in my TweetDeck from a nationally known Pastor “find a need and meet it.”

Let me get back to that phone call with the two humanitarian aid organizations (both have national and international influence).  We (Youthmark) are specifically looking at a specific area of need,  an area I have been aware of for about the last six months and consistently been thinking about how we could be of help.  I discovered this need after the publishing deadline for our mission brochure, but am certainly adding it to the places we want to serve.  Listen to what was said of this destination during this phone call:

• “It’s not uncommon to see a 12 year old girl with all of her adult teeth already rotted out.”
• “Just last week one of the 14 year olds we work with told us she is pregnant, I wish this wasn’t just accepted as ‘normal’ here.”
• “We have women who walk to the store with completely unkempt hair, because their moms never ran a brush through their hair, they don’t know any different.”

When I asked about possibly bringing in a group or two they said:

• “We’d want you to work with the children and youth the most; we’d have to put up flyers weeks in advance, you’d have to go door to door, because nobody has Internet… but you’d get a ton of youth to show up, they have nothing going on.”
• “Some of these kids have NEVER been outside of this community.”
• “You’d be such a blessing to this community, thanks for even considering this.”

To me it almost sounds like an underdeveloped, typically labeled “Third World” country.  But it’s not.  It’s a rural suburb (if there is such a thing) outside a major US city in the sun-drenched south… very close to what others have called “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

Social Justice causes will always exist; but I’d like to see a team raised up to meet both the physical needs in this community (stuff as simple as painting, assembling park equipment, repairing hurricane damaged trailers, etc.) but then extend that aid by providing education, hope and have all of it done with the Gospel in mind!

This year’s Youthmark training is entitled Anywhere for a reason, I truly believe God is calling us to all places.  No matter where we are we’re to be a missionary showing grace and compassion and always being ready to share why!  It’s because we are recipients of that very same grace, compassion and the Gospel!

I’d love for you to spread the word about these opportunities and the others.  Ultimately we want participants trained to be missionaries ANYWHERE!  It’s all about Mission51, but let’s do the “other one” (the one week mission) really well too.  Perhaps your “other one” this year would be to Florida? That would be pretty Socially Just of you! Contact us at 800.455.1450 and find out the details.

Grace,
Brian

Several days ago I introduced the topic of Us/Them in my post “Their Needs vs. Our Wants.”  In it I essentially ask the question of youth leaders and churches: should we look to do mission trips to areas that best serve our purposes and meet what we want next for our group, or should we plan a trip by responding to needs that have been presented?

It’s something that I’ve certainly been wrestling with at Youthmark and it has influenced the way we market our Youthmark Mission Ventures to churches here in the states.  On one hand I fully recognize that a Youth Pastor really should be assessing his/her youth ministry and considering what it will take to get them moving forward. The “cool” factor of going to a “destination” may get more participants involved (and on that path).  This was certainly a major consideration I had when I was a Youth Pastor.

In 1998 I pitched a mission trip concept to our church elders.  Knowing that my students were not confident (nor active) in sharing their faith, the concept of taking a “mission trip” seemed a little silly.  I really wanted my students to be missionaries at home before we took them “over there” to do missions.  So, my choices were: (A) do a “service” trip; one that emphasized working with our hands or (B) properly prepare and train our students to be missionaries wherever God may have us go.  Because I decided on the latter and then designed a discipleship program to train and equip the students I knew that our “destination” should be one that had the “cool” factor as well.  I simply wanted as many students trained and equipped for mission at home and I’d use the mission trip as the motivating factor!  IT WORKED!

We ended up taking five teams of with about 12 people each to five rural communities.  In most of these communities we did some sort of children’s ministry by day (VBS), service projects in the afternoon and then Youth Outreach at the local ball field/park at night.  Youth came out of the woodwork in these rural communities!  Our students became bold in their sharing, were blessed by meeting practical physical needs and gained great experience by serving the children as well.  Because we had 5 teams, the trip itself served as a great training ground for my volunteers as well; because I could only be in one place I learned to trust my leadership with the other four towns served.

My motivation was certainly what I wanted for our group! I wanted to see them grown in their “at home” witness by training them for an “over there” trip.  But we did it with wisdom.  There was no language barrier, there weren’t the huge financial burdens  yet there was still the “destination” motivations.  Our students returned with a passion for their lost friends at home.  Students began boldly proclaiming Christ… at home!

This summer Youthmark has some trips to similar “destination” places.  Let me tell you about “Their Needs.”

Alaska: We’ve now served in 7 different locations in Alaska.  Each has unique needs.  Let me relay some “facts” from last year about one of these places:

• Before the Trip: The Pastor was hesitant about a team coming, he said, “we have 3-4 youth we ever see, so don’t come with expectations that a lot of teens will be reached.”
• After the Trip: The Pastor was praising God for the work done through our Youthmark team. “There was one night we had about 50 people at the beach Brian, several students trusted in Christ, it was nothing short of a miracle!”

Hawaii: The most common statement I hear when I announce we have “Hawaii” as a mission location is, “Oooh, I bet that’s tough (sarcasm)? Sign me up, I’ll do a mission to Hawaii!”  Well, the bottom line, we’ve had ONE team “sign up” and go to Hawaii so far.  Unfortunately, church leadership teams, parents and others don’t see Hawaii as anything other than a “vacation” destination.

Let me tell you about Anahola.  Anahola is where we served two years ago.  1200 people call this village home (most are native Hawaiians).  In the 10 months before our team arrived the community experienced three teen suicides.  It has been the toughest place I have ever been to in terms of a mission trip.  There are true NEEDS in this place, the biggest need is the Gospel to be presented so that the people can know the grace of God is present!  They need hope!

In addition to the great ministry, our teams got to experience some awesome “stuff” in both states (typically with the teens we ministered with/to). Meeting the needs of a community and the wants for your group is entirely possible.  Maybe you know of a group still considering what to do this summer?  It may not be Alaska or Hawaii they are looking for; perhaps a different state so they can save on flights; or perhaps Canada, Mexico or Costa Rica? Additionally, you may know of teams simply looking to enhance their training for a mission. Youthmark would love to help equip them for Mission51– not just the mission, but the 51 weeks beyond the mission as well. Please have them contact us at 800.455.1450 and we can talk specifics (or pass on the brochure here)!

Consider passing this post on to Youth Leaders, Pastors and churches you think of that could/should consider partnering with Youthmark!

Grace,
Brian