Welcome to the 2007 SHIFT Conference

Well, if you're like about 1700 of us, you're in freezing cold Chicago (Barrington technically) and you're listening to Darren Whitehead talk in the first session.

If you aren't able to be here, you can be a part of our online interactive site at http://shiftnow.typepad.com.

Enjoy!

Don't just meet the parents, help them

There are a ton of resources out there about how to help parents understand and engage teens. We found a new online resource called Parenting Teens that you may want to check out. It's not written from a Christian perspective, however the issues are full of useful and insightful information on subjects like MySpace, college prep, relationships, homework, health, relationships, money, body art and on and on and on. If anything, we think it's worth checking it out. Your students parents will thank you for helping them stay in touch.

Burnout...We've all been there

We've all been there. Tired. Agitated. Finding ourselves at the end of the last rope, all while wondering where this grace that God says is in abundance is. Can you relate? Yeah. Us too. What is the cause? Why are we so close to burnout? Tim Schmoyer, a youth pastor and avid blogger recently posted about why we will burnout. Click here for 11 mentalities that will be sure to push you over the edge.

SHIFT Now!

SHIFT Now! is the online experience of the 2007 Student Ministries Leadership Conference. Designed to enhance the on-campus action, SHIFT Now! combines the best elements of the blogosphere in one interactive site. Blogging, photo sharing, extensive resources, and personal assessment tools help attendees get the most from their conference experience.

Every event in the conference has an online counterpart with speaker photos, bios, links to outside resources, and reviews of the action. Visitors can post comments on each main-stage session and breakout experience. Contests during the conference will reward the best blog entries, photos, and comments with books and other resources from our conference speakers.

Can’t attend the conference? Even if you’re visiting the conference virtually, you’ll benefit by joining the discussion and seeing pictures of all the action. On Thursday, March 1, we’ll be streaming Session Four (Technology – Get Wired, Get Connected, and Other High Tech Clichés with Judah Smith) from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. CST. Join us... visit www.shiftconference.org for the link to SHIFT Now!, which will go live on February 28.

Likely people in unlikely places

This past Friday night, ABC News Nightline did a special on the folks over at XXXChurch.com and their controversial methods of reaching out to the lost...especially those in the porn industry. Did we mention that Craig Gross, the founder of XXXchurch.com is one of our breakout speakers? (AHEM--REGISTER NOW!) Anyway, there is no doubt that their methods of reaching the lost are intentionally controversial. In fact, that's what most of the Nightline piece is about. The question we have for you is this, if a ministry like XXXChurch.com can be so forthright and controversial in reaching the lost, should you be using more methods that are unconventional and controversial to the same effect? If no, why not?

An "IM Generation"

In support of why you should be interested in services like www.mozes.com, check out this article over at about the "IM Generation." Here's a great summary quote for you to chew on in the meantime, "The panelists all agreed on one point: traditional media, from TV stations to advertisers to the print industry, really isn't in touch with the "IM generation" of tech-savvy teenagers and college students."

Mozes NOT Moses

In an constant effort to keep our pulse on ways to connect and communicate with student culture, we have found something that you've got to know about. With the increased use of text messaging the folks over at Mozes.com decided to put together a keyword based system that will allow you to collect the cell phone numbers and blast your own messages. We think the possibilities are endless. From polls to contests, to FYI about an event or breaking news, we are getting giddy in our seats just thinking of what's possible. Check out www.mozes.com for more information. Oh, and did we mention that it's free? Yeah. Go get'em tiger.