National Pastors Convention 2009 - 1

San Diego, here I come! Today I'm headed, with my friend David, to the National Pastors Convention in San Diego.  David's working in the bookstore and I'm on the main stage team.  I'm looking forward to a week of hard work, deepening friendships and ministry inspiration.  There are also three 'highlights' of the convention I'm really looking forward to:

• Meeting and hopefully chatting with AJ Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically.  I love his writing and what seems to be his ability to take himself less seriously than others do.
  
• Meeting and hopefully chatting with Andrew Marin, founder and president of the Marin Foundation --  an organization that works to build a bridge between the religious and GLBT communities.  Andrew has focused on the Evangelical Christian community while I've mostly been involved with mainliners.  I'm looking forward to a great conversation.
  
• Spending a bit of time with Ken Medema.  Ken and I have worked together on a few events over the years.  I find him to be an authentic, amazingly talented Jesus follower.  His music is one of the highlights of any event he attends.
  

I'm also mindful that this event comes just a few days after Youth Specialties (A youthworker resource company owned by Zondervan - who runs the NPC -- Youth Specialties began the NPC several years back) announced a reorganization that results in the layoffs of 40% of their staff over the next few months.  I'm sure I'll see several friends I've made over the years working with YS at youthworker conventions.  I hope I'll be able to help share God's comfort and love with my friends.

It will be somewhat bittersweet, but I'm sure there will be highlights this week -- I'll post often.

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The convention's over.

I spent the rest of the day Monday helping take down stage, pack things up and put it in trucks. There's a sadness in packing up -- but also an anticipation of what's coming next.

Just a few final highlights of the week in Charlotte

Meeting some great new friends and reconnecting with old friends serving as volunteers on the Convention Staff.

Working again with my great friends at Outside the Box Ministries and DB Production Services.

Seeing Marko, on his knees, celebrating and affirming women and men as equals in ministry. I'm overjoyed that YS has made a powerful statement these past 2+ years that gender bias has no place in ministry.

Coming home.

I've put up a "picture page" for you to look at if you wish -- be sure to look at the bottom for links to the Glenn Juggling video and the Main Stage Reveal video.

(ht to Jeff for a better picture of Marko dancing than I had!)

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Reveal
Leigh Nash's voice is haunting.
I was in the general session area while she was doing a sound check (making sure the microphones and instruments were all set up correctly) and I noticed myself an others pause and listen intently while she was singing. When she sang for the whole group the reaction was the same. Her lyrics are deep and poetic -- to be sure, but it was the music and her voice that reached deep inside me and started to unravel whatever needs unraveling.
Phil Vischer's story is soul-grabbing.
I don't know what else to say about it. His question works best, I think.

• What does it mean when you have a dream, God makes the dream happen and then the dream dies?
  

I felt like, and did, weep. I don't know exactly why.
What do I think God is revealing in all of this?
Less.
Less of what? Less of me and more of God? Less busy-ness and more time with God? Less irons in the fire and more contemplation on things more important?
I don't think so. I don't think that less means anything more than less. I don't know what it will come to mean or if it will mean anything else at all. I just believe that God is revealing less -- and I'm clueless
less.
less.

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Some fun
Jeff Johnson (the contemplative jazz artist) asked me to take a few pictures of him while he and his trio played during a powerful worship set. I, of course, obliged and think I took some pretty neat pictures during the set. But just before that part, I had one of the YS staff people and one of the comedians strike some poses in the same place that the trio was going to play. I can't show you the pictures because Jeff has the camera now (after all, it was and still is his) but I hope he enjoyed the fun too. (I also took a photo of me and the comedian together.) I saw Jeff late tonight and he said "Hi Kirk" with a smile and no mention of the pictures. He probably hasn't seen them yet . . .

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Comparisons
I've been to many of these conventions over the years. I've come to expect a certain amount of "electricity" each time I'm here.
It's not the same this time around.
This year is much more contemplative and introspective
Is that just a nice way to say 'dull'?
It would be dishonest to say completely "no", as without the rush things seem much less exciting.
It would also be dishonest to say completely "yes", since spending time not being entertained opens me up more to discern the soft whisper of God.
I'm discovering that boring is good.

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I listened intently to Tony Campolo tonight (For almost the whole time he spoke. I did spend just a little bit of time petting and playing with an adorable little dog who just happened to be greeting people backstage)
Tony made lots of points --but here's just a little of what I remember
God has been at work in the world for a long, long time -- We never can take God somewhere where God is not.
We have been raised in a culture of fear
As pastors and teachers, our job is to challenge others to share Jesus' hope and love in the world.
All of need to remember that Jesus has a heart for the outcast and the marginalized. Our hearts must be there too.
Tony has such a heart for Jesus. He has such a heart for justice. He challenges me hold on to hope -- even when I get tired of it.

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Some quick reactions with no promise to ever elaborate:
Late Night Thursday -- Leeland gave me the chills and Starfield made me want to smile -- which I did.
Late late night Thursday -- I had a delightful (I can't think of any other way to describe it) conversation with a Grandmother who is not an attender of the convention. I got to see her wonderful children and grandchildren (in pictures) and heard that she is so happy to be around here with these people who are offering love, care and kindness at every turn.
Friday General Session. Leeland . . . chills; Starfield . . . Smile; Jared Hall (Illusionist) . . . deep "Try to figure it out" thoughts; Kenda Dean . . . What an amazing servant of God. She challenged me to listen differently as she encouraged all of us to trust that God has not stopped speaking (Or if I were to put it in a way that rings a bell with me -- God is Still Speaking) and that we need to listen, of course, but also to encourage and teach others that they can listen and hear too! (She put the focus on youth -- I simply took a step in my mind to include everyone.)

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Things got rolling today! I saw a whole of youthworkers arriving (I have no idea how many -- many.) and I also saw a whole bunch of grey sling packs! (That's the registration welcome thing that everyone gets.) It is really fun to walk around the convention center and around town and automatically have a way to begin a conversation. ("Hey! Nice pack -- where'd you get it?)
I was waiting in line for lunch and Jeff walked up right behind me and said the magic phrase! He's the first winner of a fun yet goofy prize. Three more to go!
I got to have lunch with Jeff and learn more about him and about the ministry he's involved in now and what's coming - hopefully - in the future. It's great to be able to be at a huge convention and have it feel small when you get to spend time simply talking to people.
Tonight is the welcome reception (free stuff in the exhibit hall!) and a late-night concert with Starfield and Leeland.
I think I'll be staying up late.

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Watching the convention hall be transformed into a place of excitement and worship continues to be incredible. Being exhausted and refreshed already is also a little bit scary. I feel just a bit like I need to unwind from all the beginning unwinding! Tomorrow over 2000 youthworkers from all over the world will arrive and the place is going to be electric. I love to see the looks of wonder, awe, fear, happiness, relief and anticipation in the looks of everyone attending. Tomorrow is going to be a great day!

While I'm unwinding from the unwinding, I've been playing my new guitar. I got it from a place in Idaho called Musicians Storehouse. I got a great price on a very playable, amazingly good-sounding for the money guitar. And it's so bright! (And even better, they sent it to me at the hotel in Charlotte so I didn't have to carry it with me!)

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I remembered one of the other reasons I keep coming to these conventions today:
Reconnecting with friends I've come to love and trust so much. We share our news of the year. We share exciting things and things that make our stomachs turn. And we all offer unconditional love and support to one another. This strange community of youthworkers who are so filled with Jesus love just fills me with hope and trust for God's continued care and guidance.
I got to see some of what the convention is going to look like today. It's going to be another amazing, spirit-filled and rejuvenating experience. I'm looking forward to what comes into the light over the next several days.

Here's just a little fun thing. If you're one of the first 4 people who come up to me at the convention and say something like, "Hi Kirk. Where's my present?" I'll give you a goofy yet very fun present. (If I don't have it with me at the moment I promise to get it to you as soon as possible.)
I'll post the winners (if anyone wins) as soon as there are any winners (that was a horrible sentence!)

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This is so peaceful already.

• It was an early morning.
• I had an extraordinarily easy flight out of O'Hare into Charlotte.
• Getting out of the airport included a great ride to the Charlotte Westin with a friendly driver and great gentleman who works for IBM.
• The rooms at the Westin are wonderful and I had a chance to start doing what I come to these conventions for -- unwinding.

(Here's the perfect opportunity for me to say "And grow closer to Jesus." That sounds so fake, tho. I think that unwinding invites and trusts that God is going to continue to do what God does and that I'll be a little more receptive to it.)
Of course, unwinding leads to hunger so I went off in search of food that youth leaders can afford to eat.
I found it up and down Tryon street. I counted at least 4 street cart hot dog vendors in a 5 block walk of Tryon -- my favorite being Mattie's Vending at the corner of Tryon and Trade. (I hope she has a great week of sales!)
I also found an Eckerd's Pharmacy -- in case any of you are looking for a place to buy ibuprofen :) It's on Tryon too.
I walked a little further past Mattie's during dinner time and found a delicious Asian cuisine place. Tin Tin Box and Noodles is open for lunch and dinner, (the hot dog stands close after lunch) has fresh, great-tasting dishes, doesn't cost much and has plasma TV's upstairs!
I'm sure, of course, that there are some high-filutin' restaurants around too -- but I like the open-air, strike-up-a-conversation-with-people kind of place instead. I also like to eat without spending all the money I brought on the first day!

NYWC

I'm off to the National Youthworkers Convention in Charlotte, NC tomorrow morning. Youth Specialties has been supporting youthworkers with these conventions, training days and more books and other resources than I can count. I've been part of the conventions for the past 12 years -- and every year I experience an oasis where I am encouraged and where God's presence is completely evident. I'm looking forward to this year as a time to unwind and to let God do what God is gonna do (as if I had a choice in the matter!) I've also learned over the years that the people who put on this convention are the genuine article. They really do care about youthworkers and spend an incredible amount of effort to be sure that everyone who attends has a chance to be encouraged and to be appreciated for what they do. Most of all, I believe they want to see youthworkers be able to move forward in their walk of faith. These people (The YS team) just ooze Jesus' love.

I'll be "blogging the convention" all week. Hopefully I'll be able to share some things I've experienced.
My flight is tomorrow at 6:45 am.

15 minutes

Yesterday this blog was featured in the Youth Specialties YS update for 3.22.06. For the day, web traffic here was 17x what it normally is. (Almost nobody usually goes here -- so there's still nothing to clog up blogspot.com's servers!) But for a day at least, I had a popular blog.

My wife said, "Please don't steal the songs and sell them like they were yours." (I say "Feel free to download and listen though!")

Speaking of songs, (WOW! What a great segue!) yesterday morning I recorded Mary Had a Little Lamb and Pop! Goes the Weasel. I learned the lyrics to Mary from a pre-school teacher and did my own research to find the most common lyrics for Pop! I actually recorded Mary in the morning and in the evening before I got a version that wasn't too terrible.

I also got to finish watching Walkout -- a new HBO film based on the 1968 East L.A. student protests. There's a line in the movie that says something like "If it isn't written in the history books, it didn't happen." I'm glad that this movie finally happened, because I don't think that most people know that these protests happened. I know I didn't. Sure, the movie isn't blockbuster or Oscar material, but it tells a story that gripped and moved me. I'm sure it will be on DVD before year's end for anyone who doesn't have HBO.

Viva la Raza!

Twinkie Stone

Today I was at a youth minister training event. Part of the fun included a quiz to see what women understand about 'man things' and what men understand about 'woman things'. At one point we saw a picture of a pumice stone with the question, "What is this and what is it for?" The men answered correctly, but after we had answered, a man sitting just to the side of me said,
"I thought it was a Twinkie!"

The women ended up winning the contest.