Where Do You Park?

I used to work for a church where one of the pastors would purposely park right next to the front door. Ok, that doesn't seem so abnormal, but let me continue. Separating the front door and the parking lot was a 90-foot long sidewalk that just so happened to be wide enough for a car to drive on or park. Every day ...no kidding... my pastor would drive his car on the sidewalk and park his car right next to the front door. Now, it wasn't the main entrance to the church, but quite a few people used that door and would have to walk around his car to enter the church. I just thought it was the oddest thing and I always wondered why he couldn't park his car in the parking lot with the rest of us.

Philippians 2:3-5 (Message) says..."Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself."

As I remember that parking story and dwell upon those verses in Philippians, I ask myself...Where do I park? I have been in youth ministry long enough to know that one of my major struggles is the Big H. HUMILITY. Humility has definitely been a rough road for me and I have spoken to many youth pastors who struggle with it as well. Often times, I too park too close and forget to think about others around me. This realization hit me hard. What right do I have for pointing my finger at my pastor who parked next to the front door, when I have so many things just like that in my life? I need to make sure I have examined myself and that I reflect a Philippians 2 way of life.

So where do you park? I know that too often in my experiences I have had a chip on my shoulder. I have tried to push my way to the top, and in the process have thought too highly of myself, thought poorly of others and have blown chances where I could have made a difference in someone's life. I know that I have parked MY car way too close to the door. I want to encourage you to keep reminding yourself to live a Philippians 2 way of life and to keep humble. If we do, we won't need to worry about parking too close.

[Jason Raitz is the Group Life Director for Elevate, Willow Creek's Junior High ministry. Jason will be leading Cups of Coffee discussions on both Thursday and Friday morning at SHIFT 2008.]

Shifting to Out of Ur

If you’re coming to Shift 2008, your experience will carry beyond the day’s sessions, breakouts and activities and onto the Out of Ur Blog, who will be hosting the online component of the conference.

We feel really lucky to be partnering with Out of Ur this way, as they’re basically focusing all of their blogging efforts for three days on what’s happening here at Shift.

Throughout the conference, you can visit Out of Ur for live blogging of the event, online discussion with other attendees, video highlights of each main session, podcasts and more.

And if you’re not able to be at Shift this year, we hope the Out of Ur blog will give you a sense of the ideas, activities, and conversations taking place here in South Barrington.

See you in two weeks. (Here or online!)

New Podcast with Bo Boshers

We've just posted the latest Shift Experience Podcast, an interview with Bo Boshers, Executive Director of Willow Creek Association Student Ministries. Bo talks about the excitement and challenge of planning a conference like Shift 2008.

To listen to the podcast, click here.

Podcast 06: Bo Boshers

Our new podcast features an interview with Bo Boshers, the Executive Director of the Willow Creek Association's Student Ministries.

Justice Hits Close to Home (Part Five)

Think of a parent or two who has really encouraged their own kid, and maybe your entire youth ministry, to be involved in service. How did they catch the vision for kingdom justice?

Sandy Liu (Pastor of Youth and Children at Chinese Bible Church of Greater Boston): One single mom and her kids used to be homeless for a short time. Based on what she shared about her experience being homeless, our church started an annual "Operation Mittens" where we collect and distribute warm mittens, hats, scarves and coats to the street homeless. Having such special people within your community makes the kingdom needs more real and visible to an insulated church.

Cari Jenkins (Founder, 11:29 Project): Through experience. One parent served on a high school house-building trip in Mexico and actually came to know the Lord that year on the trip. The next year, Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi and that parent was one of the first to initiate a plan to build homes and get involved there.

Jeff Mattesich (Associate Pastor of Children and Students at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena): They are learners—they are always asking, seeking, and changing in their pursuit of a Christ-centered life. Many times, they have a history of being involved in justice issues and they also want their kids to understand the connection between justice and maturity in Christ.

As this roundtable makes clear, fears don’t need to be the driving force behind parents’ responses to our missions and justice endeavors. When we begin to invite parents to be key partners and advocates, justice can start hitting students even closer to home.

[This blog post is the fifth and final in a series provided by Fuller Seminary's Center for Youth and Family Ministry. cyfm.net]

In Praise of Noise

While talking on my cell phone I’ll occasionally pause mid-sentence to ask the question, “Are you still there?” I have this pervading sense that my voice is disappearing into a silent void. I’ve lost the connection. Seven times out of ten, the person on the other end quickly assures me that they’re still connected. In the past, I’ve chalked it up to a cheap cell phone (which probably accounts for the other three out of ten). However, upon reading A Perfect Mess (by Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman, 2006) , I’ve learned the rationale behind the sensation of silence on the other end of the phone.

When cell phones went digital in the 1990s, engineers figured out a way to manipulate the 1s and 0s and strip out all of the background noise in cell phone conversations. Only the caller’s voice was heard. No longer would the listener have to hear the din of clattering dishes or passing cars in the background. Plus, not having to transmit all the background noise meant a cell phone battery would last longer. Brilliant!

Cell phone users hated the silence. The silence was abnormal and it was annoying. People loathed the sense of engaging in a conversation and having to wonder if the listener was, in fact, truly listening or were they talking to into a cellular abyss.

Cell phone companies discovered that the very background noise they had spent large amounts of time and money to successfully eradicate actually had a purpose. It created a sense of presence. And so technology companies had to figure out a way to add the background noise back in to the call. The term they use for it: “comfort noise.”

There have been many times when I’ve been in conversation with God and have posed the same question, “Are you still there?” When I’ve begged him to intervene with a student who on the verge of making a life-damaging decision… and she makes the wrong choice. Or when I stand on a frozen street corner amid teddy bears, Mylar heart balloons, slowly burning column candles and Xeroxed photos of a thirteen year old boy. A boy who, two nights before, was out playing with friends and slipped on the ice as he was running away from gang members and was bludgeoned to death. And I ask God, “Are you still there?”

I hate the silence of those moments and others like them, which some times seem to occur too often in ministry. I strain my ears to hear the comfort noise that indicates even though I can’t hear his voice; he’s still listening and still connected.

[Ginny Olson is co-director of North Park University's Center for Youth Ministry Studies in Chicago, Illinois, is the author of numerous books, including Teenage Girls: Exploring Issues Adolescent Girls Face and Strategies to Help Them, and is a breakout speaker at Shift 2008.]

New Breakout Speakers

You may have already heard it on our most recent podcast, but we're excited to have two new breakout speakers added to the SHIFT 2008 lineup.

Mark Miller, founder of The Jesus Journey, and staff member of Life Church in Wheaton, IL, will be leading a breakout entitled "True Religion: Engaging Your Teens in Global Justice". Mark is a highly creative and thoughtful individual, and is the author of the book Experiential Storytelling.

Also, we're extremely fortunate to have Doug Fields, pastor to students at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and president of Simply Youth Ministry, co-leading a point leader breakout track, "Saddleback Student Ministries: An Inside Look". Doug brings an incredible depth of experience and knowledge to the conference, and we couldn't be more happy to have him with us.

Doug's breakout (like all the other point leader track breakouts) are an incredible time for ministry directors and point leaders to gather in smaller settings (30-40 leaders) for an extended period of time (3 1/2 hrs!). What this means is more opportunity for you to talk with the breakout leaders, ask questions, and share your own ministry challenges and learnings with others.

You can sign up for either a Thursday AM or PM point leader breakout, or save money by signing up for both. For more info, click here.

The Upside and Downside of "The Usual"

You’ve seen it on TV, or in movies, right? A guy walks into a diner and says, “I’ll have The Usual.” And the person behind the counter knows just what to do. In minutes, they’ve got their “usual.”

All my life I’ve wanted to do that. But here’s my problem: I love variety. So not only do I love to go to different restaurants, coffee shops, diners…but I also seldom order the same thing twice! Makes it pretty tough to have a “usual”!
All that has changed for me recently…

I’ve been having a blast working on some writing projects these days. I’ve been getting up real early in the mornings to write, and I generally head to this great little coffee shop just a mile or two from my house. When I swing open the door, I’m greeted by name…and they often hand me “my” drink. I’m anticipated, recognized, and personally welcomed!

Do the students in your ministry feel that way, too?

I hope most of ours do. One of my biggest worries is for the student who doesn’t sense that. We make it a huge priority to get students connected to a consistent, caring adult in our ministry. We want them to know that at least one specific person is really looking forward to seeing them! No matter how many or how few students in a room, there’s gigantic value in being “anticipated”…and greeted by name.

But there’s also a snag in this concept of The Usual.

I’m not a coffee aficionado, so I’m not too picky about my java. But recently, I really felt like trying a dark roast. However, as I approached the counter, a smiling face was already handing me…The Usual. No big deal, but it made me wonder about times when “familiarity” can be less good in student ministry.

Eric always likes to talk about the Cubs, and he likes that I know his favorite players. But what if this week he’s ready to “try something different?” Maybe even subconsciously, he’s ready to talk about something deeper.

Kayla is happy-go-lucky from a great family. She likes that I joke with her every time she walks in. But what if this week, she’s just had an argument with her mom? If I’m not super dialed in, I can hand her The Usual … and miss a chance to go deeper.

Can we keep the upside of The Usual, while eluding the downside? I think so. But I can’t do it without intentionality. I can’t do it without paying attention to the whisper of God’s Spirit — the One who knows what’s going on inside that student. Often (but not often enough), before I’m around students, I’ll pray that God will give me the ability to make students feel personally welcomed but that He’ll also give me a sense of where to dig deeper in conversation … so I don’t just unthinkingly hand them The Usual!

[Scott Rubin is the director of Elevate, the junior high ministry at Willow Creek Community Church, and will be co-leading a Point Leader breakout, "Our Biggest Mistakes, and the Things We Accidentally Got Right", with Darren Whitehead at Shift 2008.]