Questions to demonstrate

This weekend I went to a conference on building leaders to reach the next generation from Kids to College. Wow wow Wubzie. I had one of those moments...I really think God may have moved my chair or something. I wanted to look around and see if it was the whole room or just me. I am going to wait and give you more info on that heart shaking later...for now here is a rundown on the weekend.

First, I didn't think I fit in this conference. Special needs ministry is growing but it doesn't really have a catagory it fits in. I did realize though I have every generation in my ministry. I have kids from preschool, elementary, junior high and high school. Plus the majority of the volunteers are college age. Then lets talk about the grandmothers who help in the ministry too. It's a roundhouse of generations. While it may not fit in a box as a traditional ministry, I seriously needed to hear the messages spoken...

It kicked off with sweet worship. There were 3 speakers with a break out session on the 4 ministries-Children's, Junior High, High School and College age. A huge time was spent fellowship-ing (business people call it networking, I call it standing around and chatting, Christians are good at that...me-not so much). This wasn't so much a how to find leaders conference but rather a reach down in the heart of leaders and stir them up kind of conference. We all need to be shaken and stirred occasionally and I think a little bit of both went on. Especially since each speaker left me with questions instead of answers.

Friday night was Kurt Harlow from Chi Alpha. He has spoken at New Life a couple of times. Very funny, funny man. He told many jokes. Talking with him later, he said there was a young man who sat in the front row and every time he laughed he wanted to tell another joke. A receptive audience is a great catapult.

Saturday morning was Jerry Cook. He is 72 years old, an author and grandfather. (OK so I might be a sucker for white haired men- they remind me of my grandfather-but he was my favorite). His passion was not weakened by age but rather his deliverance was strengthened by revelation. He ended to a standing ovation from a bunch of punk youth ministers who I'd say 75% were under the age of 30. Apparently the generation gap is way over there and we passed it up a long time ago. Passion in Christ is ageless.

Saturday afternoon we heard from Chad Veach. He is young man who pastors junior high, high school and college down in Pulayup. While he was going to college, he was a youth pastor at a church in East LA. There was a question and answer time before each message and the young man who introduced him asked him "What's it like going from gangsta to 4H?" He grew up in the foursquare church. His father is now running the foursquare district office for the northwest. My friend described his dad as the pastor to the pastors. Chad was excited to speak and made lots of inside jokes but at the heart was a passion encouraging young leaders to strive for a Godly standard (I am not talking about striving for perfection but rather striving for the ability to make God poppa-proud).

I said that each speaker left me with more questions but they are not questions in like I have to go seek the answers but rather questions I hope my actions are demonstrating.

From Chad Veach: He gave us a run down he called 10 Essentials for Leadership (Faith, Bible time, Prayer, Character, Patience, Humility, Work ethic, Honor, Love, Friends and Family). My questions at the end were Am I seeking these traits, Am I asking for them, Am I making them a priority in my life.

From Jerry Cook: 4 questions:
1. Did Jesus ask me to do this?
2. Are you leaving something for the next generations heart?
3. How many people can you ask for what is really in your heart?
4. Are you asking what Jesus asked-"Is there anything I can do for you?"

From Kurt Harlow: just one question that went to the heart of special needs ministry:
What is the assumption of every child in your ministry? (Translation: what do you know to be true about every child.)

It was a good conference and if I just had these questions and thoughts to ponder on for the coming season, it would have been a successful weekend. But in the midst of all these questions, God took a moment to turn my heart in another direction...Give me a couple more days and I think I will be able to share what that means...like I said I am not an out loud processor.