I think it's fair to say that there were two overwhelming themes for us over our time at youth specialties. (When I say overwhelming, let's just say I heard little else besides these two things.)
1. The job of the pastor / minister is to equip the church for service. Why aren't we as youth pastors letting students lead their own ministries and us mentor and guide them. More on this later. Waaay too much good to say in one blog. Let's just say that the "machine" quote I put on facebook comes from this mentality. Feeding the 'machine' (aka our programs, stuff that we do just to say that we're doing it, activities, just all of the stuff) just turns out pharisees. A whole lot of people who know about God and think they can follow him with what they know, rather than a whole lot of people who know God and follow Him based on what they don't know. Again, more on this later.
2. We have to do a better job at loving people. I'll be honest. Aaron and I have been saying this for years, but it was taken to a whole new level for at least me during the course of this conference. The Ted Haggard thing was by far enough to initiate it, then on the way home I read this article:
I suggest you read it. It drove home the point for me in a way I could never articulate myself.
Enjoy.
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