Unleash at NewSpring.....

Today was AWESOME! I witnessed so much today that blessed my heart and continued to build my passion for Jesus and the local church. here are a couple of my thoughts from today:

• Perry rocked in out in both main sessions.
  
• Tony Morgan has posted all of the points from both sessions, so check out his detailed notes over at his blog on Session 1 and Session 2. **You will get a kick out of some of the comments rolling around over there.**
  
• It was great to be able to speak to so many student pastors from all over the country and see the passion they had to reach the students in their community. They asked some great questions during the breakout that Brad Cooper and I led.
  
• I look forward to hanging out with some Student pastors from NorthPoint Community Church, Elevation Church, Brookwood Church, Ridgestone Church, Crossroads Community Church, and many others to continue to network and learn from each other!
  
• NewSpring Volunteers ROCK! Our volunteers rocked the house today. One frequent conference attender told me that our volunteers showed more excitement, willingness to serve, and professionalism than he has ever seen at any other conference! GO NEWSPRING VOLUNTEERS!!
• I love the staff I work with! the NewSpring Staff is AWESOME!! Everyone worked hard this week to make it happen. "Teamwork makes the dreamwork!"
• Lastly, I look forward to hear some of the things that God is going to do in the lives of some of the churches that attended Unleash. It is going to be amazing!
  
  

Ridgestone Church & Unleashed....

I just got back from eating lunch with Preston Porter and his wife, along with Pudge. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to talk with him, ask him questions, he ask me questions. I love being asked questions about why we do what we do , because it always helps me continue to evaluate in my mind those same questions.

By the way, speaking of questions. That will be format for the Unleash Conference here at NewSpring Church. We have over 700 people signed up! It is going to be awesome. The breakout sessions will be in Question and Answer format. You ask questions, we will do our best to answer...by the way...by no means do we have all the answers, but we do know what God has done here at NewSpring and would love to share it with you. So, sign up...today...now! See you there!

Random Things from SHIFT Conference....

Here are some cool things from SHIFT Conference:

• Got to see Wes Wilson, Program Director for Elevate, Jr. High Ministry at Willow Creek. I met Wes at NYWC in Charlotte this past December. Awesome Guy. Look forward to hanging out with him tomorrow.
  
• Got to meet Jason Raitz, Groups Life Pastor for Elevate, Jr. High Ministry at Willow Creek. Jason and I meet in BLOGWORLD. He is very down to earth. It was great to meet him face to face after reading his blog, post on forums, and emailing back and forth. I look forward to hanging out with him and others tomorrow night for dinner.
• Got to hear Dr. Henry Cloud, author of Integrity, teach at Willow's New Community Service.
• SHOUT OUT: Willow's Association has done an AWESOME job putting together this conference. They have paid attention to the details!
  

Time to go to bed...although it has been an awesome day of learning...I am tired. Conferences tend to drain you...well, at least I get drained! PEACE!

SHIFT Session #3: Bo Boshears

Bo Boshears, Executive Director of Student Ministries for Willow Creek Association, led Session # 3: "A Student Leader's Guide to Preparing for the Long Haul"

Here are some notes:

Psalm 71:17-19: "Since my youth, o God, you have taught me, and to this dayI declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your ower to the next generation, your might to all who are to come."

3 Common Warning Signs for Youth Leaders:

1. Your Heart is Becoming to Proud:

• Youth Ministry has become so professional and so competitive.
• Focusing on this will steal your joy.
• When this happens you focus on YOURSELF and NOT God.
• Lead with humility and protect your heart.

2. You are No Longer Teachable:

• We need to stay sharp: learn, grow, increase your ministry skills.
• Ask good questions, learn from others.
• How are you doing by modeling God's Word to others?
  
• Are you modeling a checklist or a deep passion for Jesus?
• You must slow down and hear God's voice!
• Who are you allowing to mentor you?
• Philippians 4:9: How can students put into practice what they have not seen up close?(This messed me up and challenge me in who I should be mentoring within our ministry.)
  

3. Are You Losing Home Field Advantage?:

• Our ministry can't distract us from the ones we love so much.
• We should be at home a MINIMUM of 4 nights a week.
• Learn to say, "NO ONE CAN PRESSURE ME WITHOUT MY PERMISSION!"
• Being present is not just being there in physical form, but bring there in mind, body, heart, and spirit.
  

SHIFT Session #2: Donald Miller

Donald Miller led Session #2: "How to Share the Gospel Without Weirding People Out":

Here are some notes:

• Christianity is easy when it is just us, but when others come into the conversation-its something else. Why? Is it because I am ashamed?
  
• When a culture is only influenced by itself, when they do not communicate, share ideas with the outside it becomes goofier. It gets to the point where they cannot communicate.
  
• Jesus never took the time to explain the story/give the point. It was done in the story, by the story, through the story.
  
• The human heart desires a story.
• Erosion of values has caused the story to decline.
• Never underestimate your role in the story.
• Evangelism in a nutshell is: inviting people into a better story.
• "Write every day, line by line, page by page, hour by hour. Do this despite fear. For above all else, beyond imagination and skill, what the world asks of you is courage, courage to risk rejection, ridicule and failure. As you follow the quest for stories told with meaning and beauty, study thoughtfully but write boldly. Then, like the hero of the fable, your dance will dazzle the world.” - Robert McKee

SHIFT Session #1: Darren Whitehead

Darren Whitehead kicked off the SHIFT Conference. He is the Director of Student Impact, the High School Ministry at Willow Creek Community Church.

Here are some thoughts from his talk titled, "Where It Is, Where It's Going, and What We Can Do About It":

Churches are now irrelevant to mainstream culture, similar to the cultural phenomena called cultural freeze.

Gospel is timeless but our methods and strategies are time-sensitive.

Not just youth culture but the entire world has changed. We live in World 2.0 and we can't do Youth Ministry in World 1.0, church for kids grown up in a church environment.

Here are some specific SHIFTS that they have implemented at Willow Creek:

1. Less Leader Generated Content to More User Generated Content.

• They are looking for less professional and more PERSONAL.
• They want to interact and participate.
• Teenagers are the experts on teen culture.
  

2. Less Travel Agent to More Tour Guide.

• Don't tell them where to go, but go WITH them. Walk with them in life.

3. Less Imitation to More Imagination

• We've created a co-dependent spoon fed culture that is spiritually malnourished, starving themselves, but getting fed once a week.
• We have to stop limiting what following/serving Jesus looks like. We must free them in their personality to be themselves and who God called them to be.
  

SHIFT CONFERENCE DAY 1....

Willow Creek is amazing. I am sitting in the auditorium right now and it looks great! Darren Whitehead and Donald Miller hit it hard. I will not post my thoughts until tonight, but feel free to read what they are talking about over at the SHIFT ONLINE EXPERIENCE. This is a great addition to the conference, especially for those who want to check out from afar! PEACE!!

Jet Plane.....

I am sitting in the Knoxville, TN Airport waiting to board a plane to take us to Chicago, IL for the SHIFT Conference put on by Willow Creek. I am looking forward to hanging out with the rest of the Student Ministry Team while we are in Chicago, learning from so many other people. Continue to pray for us as we travel, also pray that we learn a lot and have the time to continue to dream while we are here.

Anyway, it is quite boring in airports! Long lines of seats, long lines of people waiting to board the plane, people laying on the floor sleeping, people reading magazines, people acting like they are praying, but actually sleeping, etc. Sort of boring! Here is what I mean:

SHIFT CONFERENCE TEASER.....

Excited about....

I am really excited about two things that are headed our way!

1. UNLEASHED Conference - NewSpring Church, March 15th. Please go to Perry's blog to check out this thoughts and excitement about UNLEASHED at this link. I am excited because it will be formatted in a way that will welcome questions, discussion, and not just lectures. I am also excited because I will have the opportunity to lead the roundtable on Student Ministry with Brad Cooper, our High School Pastor. It will be a whole lot of fun! Hope to see you there!
   
2. PUDGEHUCKABY.COM - Pudge is getting back in blogging after a hiatus. Should be interesting to see what in the world he write about. Especially since his first post on Monday, January 29th, will be titled, “How to Bore Kids to Hell at Church…”. Be sure to check out, add it to your feeds, whatever you want. He asked me not to mention that be begged me to put this post up! So, don't mention it to him! ;)
   

SHIFT.....

Well, I am registered for SHIFT: Student Ministries Leadership Conference at Willow Creek on Feb. 28-March 2. I am really excited about going up to Willow Creek and checking it out. I have heard a lot of great things from the people up there. From thier line up should be a great conference, but be sure to check out some of the breakout sessions.

I look forward to hearing from Scott Rubin from Willow Creek, Kurt Johnston from Saddleback, Andy Tilly from LiveChurch.tv, and many others. It should be an awesome time to learn and think through some of the things that we have been processing from some time.

I look forward to Brad, the new High School Pastor, going as well. This should be a great time for Brad and I to get to know each other better since he just joined the team at the beginning of January. We haven't mush of an opportunity to get to know each other except for many meetings that we have been in. Also Lindsay, my assistant; and Meredith, Brad's assistant, will be attending with us as well.

This past December at the NYWC in Charlotte, NC, I was able to meet Wes Wilson, who is the program Director for Elevate, the Jr High Ministry at Willow Creek. Sandy and I had a great time sitting and talking with him. He has got a huge passion for Jesus and for Middle School students. I look forward to catching up with him and see how things are going in his world.

Anyways, if you are planning on attending, drop a comment!

NYWC 2006 Update

Lots of great stuff at the convention yesterday. Listened to Tony Campolo in the second general session. Was not sure about him, but was actually very thought provoking. Her are some thoughts from the session:

• Because we have the cure (Jesus) for the sickness/illness (sin) in all of us that it should create an INTENSE responsibility to take the cure to everyone!
• Our obligation is to instill a passion in young people to win people to Christ.
• We need to care about those that are spit upon and uncared for. We need to care for the oppressed!
• God's call is DANGEROUS!!
  
• We do not take God where He is not, but we meet Him where He is already working.
• Always do what's right and leave the end result to God.
• Every students should come out of our group and be able to feel the needs and pain of those around them.
• He closed with this question: "Are you failing your young people because there is a lack of spiritual depth n your life?"

Session closed with us singing accapella, "spirit of the Living God fall fresh on us." Very moving. Then got a viewing of the new NOOMA video, BREATHE. Very powerful!!

Not to mention all the sessions that we attended. To close the night, I attended a Middle School Ministry Lab with some fellow middle school workers to discuss issues problems and share the "wins" in ministry.

Off to general Session #3 with Philip Yancey and worship lead by Starfield.

NYWC - National Youth Workers Convention 2006 Charlotte, NC

Ok, I am on my second day of the convention. The over arching theme that I am hearing so far is ..... that you MUST take careful consideration of who your volunteers are and how you INVITE them into ministry.

• What is the process?
• Is it clear?
• Do they know the expectations?
• How are you going to care for them?
• How are you going to train them?

I am already starting to process and evaluate our overall student ministry and how we do this! I am excited about this process and what will come of it! Volunteer leaders are ESSENTIAL!!!

HUGE shout out to Katie Edwards, Director of Student ministry Volunteers at Saddleback Church, for taking the time to talk to us and answer our many questions about the volunteer process at Saddleback. YOU ROCK!!! Thanks for the insight and your willingness to share your passion to enable your leaders!!

Yesterday and NYWC.....

Yesterday, my friend, Jaime Salmon asked me this simple question. "Alden, what happened on October 26, 2006?" I thought for a moment and said, "I am not sure, but that day sounds really familiar to me." His response: "Well, it should because that this the last time you posted on your blog!"

Jaime, thanks for reminding me of my slackness and inability to faithfully post. I appreciate the encouragement from you! HAHAHAHA! I am just kidding!

Today is the beginning of the NYWC (National Youth Worker's Convention) here in Charlotte. Sandy Gibbes and myself are hear to refresh, learn, unwind, and have a lot of fun. I have been praying that God would really teach me something new in this time away from my normal routine.

This morning I read in Hebrews 12:1-13, which it takes about discipline and receiving it from God. Well, I am not sure if what that means for this conference, but in my life may I always receive discipline in the LOVE that God gives it. Not with a complaining, whining heart!

Pray for us today as we are participating in some early seminars (Sandy: Starting Right in Your First Two Years of Ministry by Doug Fields and Kurt Johnston & Alden: Marriage and ministry by Jim & Cathy Burns). I will post some insights and info later as the conference rolls through the weekend!!

CATALYST 2006: Marcus Buckingham...

(I know that I have been really behind in getting up some notes from Catalyst. I have been really busy...last 2 weeks I have spoken 10+ times, lots of planning with the Middle School Ministry, and much more!)

Here are some notes from the session with Marcus Buckingham at Catalyst 2006:

• In all great teams they have:
  
• A GREAT Manager (How long you stay, how well you succeed, how well you do your job depends on your manager.)
• What is the job of the manager?
  
• To turn one person's talent into performance.
• The best managers are able to see the growth in a person and IT keeps you going!
• People are always a work in progress.
• One thing I know about GREAT Managers:
• They find out what is UNIQUE about each person and capitalize on it.
• This is a great challenge of managing people.
• 3 Myths that you have been taught and believe:
• As you grow, your personality changes
• TRUTH: As you grow, you become more and more of who you really are!
  
• You will grow the most in your area of weaknesses
• TRUTH: You will grow the most in your strengths, in that an area of your GREATEST strength!
  
• The team need the most of you is to chip in
• TRUTH: The team needs you to focus on your strengths and give it to the team. If each person does this you will have a well rounded team!
• "And the day came when the risk it took to remain in the bud, became greater than the day it took to blossom."

I enjoyed listening to Marcus Buckingham. He did a good job talking about playing to your strengths, but I really enjoyed learning about managing people. That is something that I have been trying to read an study more. Good information. I think that I will read some of his books:

• Now, Discover Your Strengths
• The One Thing You Need to Know: ... About Great Managing, Great Leading, and Sustained Individual Success
• First, Break All the Rules: What the World's Greatest Managers Do Differently

I have already acquired the first two listed. If anyone would like to get me the third, just let me know. Leave a comment!!! Have a great one!

Think about this.....

Andy Stanley opened the Catalyst Conference with this quote from scripture:

"The Most High God is Sovereign over the kingdoms of man and does with them as He wishes."

This should liberate and free us from fear. God is sovereign, He has placed you in the place of leadership for a reason...Lead like it!!

Andy commented that, our leadership:

• Is A Gift
• Is Temporary
  
• Will be held Accountable

Great leadership advice!

CATALYST 2006

I just returned from Catalyst Conference 2006. It was an awesome! Over the next couple of days, I am going to post some of the comments that hit me the hardest. Check back soon! Now, I am going to tell my wife all about it! PEACE OUT!!