Oct 20-22 :: Denver :: Fall Leadership Gathering for Wesleyan Youth Workers
50 or 60 youth workers from the Western area converged on the Adams Mark hotel in downtown Denver last week. It was an incredible time. The words that come to mind to describe our time together are "personal", "intimate", and "community". Unlike the National Youth Workers Convention, which had 3000+ participants, this gathering had a meaningful connectedness. Youth workers were eager to get to know each other and great about opening up their lives and struggles. In the context of small groups I was able to see and hear that God was at work in peoples' lives. It was a medicinal time for our souls as we were not responsible for the preparations of worship; we could simply worship. Highlights included: being reunited with old friends (Kory Pence, Eric Ebbinghaus, Aaron Lipman, Kelly Dongell, and others), getting to know the Dakota guys much better, connecting with my friend Rudy who lives in Denver, and Doug Swink's messages. Also, I'm more excited than ever for Logos5, the area youth convention coming up at the end of the year!

Oct 23-24 :: Northeast Wyoming :: Late Season Ascent of Cloud Peak (13,167 ft)
Brandon Bruce heard about how much fun I had climbing Cloud Peak in late September, so he talked me into going again - a really hard thing to do mind you ;-) Other than a couple minor day hikes, Brandon had never really done any backpacking or climbing of this nature. It was a highlight for me to be able to show him the ropes a bit, and it seems as though it was a great experience for him. We went prepared for winter and actually had temperatures more akin to late summer. However, there was still tons of snow, especially in the final hours of climbing. Check out a few great pictures HERE.
Here's the skinny for those of you who are in the know. Sunday we night-hiked for 5 hours, covering 10 miles. We awoke to a gorgeous view over Mistymoon Lake. Summit day was a big one. We climbed up for 7 hours covering roughly 5 miles - keep in mind this was the crazy, boulders and snow, steep section. We were back to camp in 3.5 hours and then covered the final 10 miles to the car in another 3.5 hours. Altogether we hiked 30 miles, at altitude, with packs, through snow, over boulders in roughly 19 hours of hiking time over a 27 hour period. Then we drove the 4+ hours home in the middle of the night. I say all that to get across the point that Brandon did an amazing job on his first little expedition. Given the conditions, I was pushed to my limits in the allotted time period, and he was right there with me. Way to go Brandon; what a great hike!

Oct 28 :: Rapid City Civic Center :: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Detroit Pistons
Yup, that's right. The T-Wolves and Pistons had their final pre-season game of the year in Rapid City. Why? I have no idea, but it made for a great Friday night here in South Dakota. We responded by packing out the Civic Center (8,000+); making it the biggest event at the Civic Center in ten years. It felt a little too much like a high school game as we were walking in. But once I looked over and saw that Rasheed Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, and Wally Szczserbiak were RIGHT THERE I was like a giddy little kid. We were in the bleachers, but it would have passed for one of the best seats in the house at Conseco Fieldhouse back in Indy. It was a great game too; the T-Wolves fought back and won it in the closing minute.

Oct 30-Nov 5 :: IN & KY :: IWU Chapel & Connect w/ Family & Friends
Tomorrow I head out for the homeland. Mark Schmerse and I have been asked to speak in IWU's chapel on Halloween. We're excited to be able to share a snippet of what we have learned through our around the world experiences last year. Then over the course of the next few days I'll be able to spend time with my parents as well as my two sisters and their families. I can't express how great it will be to see everyone - I'm particularly pumped to see the little ones.

Your prayers are always appreciated!

You've seen CSI a time or two, right? Somehow they manage to pull together three or four seemingly arbitrary facts and everything becomes clear. Here's my little random version of CSI: Paul Kind . . . three seemingly random facts that point to why I live where I live, right down to the exact street.

FACT #1 :: Mountain Time is the time zone to the east of Pacific and west of Central. It is so named because of the Rocky Mountains, which are a predominant geographical feature in the area.

---> I love the mountains. Yes looking at them, but even more so hiking and climbing in, around, and on them. Go figure I live in the Mountain Time Zone.

FACT #2 :: In 1986, legislation adopted milk as the official state drink of South Dakota.

---> I love milk. Have you ever done that get-to-know-you thing where everyone says their name and one thing about themselves? Well I've been known to say, "Hi. I'm Paul Kind, and I absolutely love milk. It doesn't really matter what percent, I just love it." Go figure I live in South Dakota.

FACT #3 :: There is a street in Rapid City, South Dakota named Wesleyan Blvd; it happens to have one house on it.

---> I'm Wesleyan. My parents have been in Wesleyan ministry their whole adult lives. I have been a part of Wesleyan churches my entire life. I attended a Wesleyan university. I'm now ministering in a Wesleyan church. I believe that God's grace not only redeems, but sanctifies (Some are now thinking: "What!?"). Go figure I live in the one house on Wesleyan Blvd.


Well, there you have it clear as day.

This past weekend I had the honorable job of being the offical house-sitter for Pat & Katie Sutherland. They were off to Denver to buy all the essential "baby gear" for the upcoming lil girl - it'll be their first kid! (You should see the stroller they brought home.) My main responsibility was taking care of Abraham, their 8 foot tall Great Dane. Don't be fooled by the optical illusion of the picture, he's the tallest dog I've ever seen. When you sit at the dinner table, you have to tilt your head back to look him in the eye. A special bonus amongst my stringent job expectations was the ability to maximize the usage of their TiVo. Have you TiVo-ed? Why not? I found the weekend "away" to be a relaxing retreat. Thanks Sutherlands!
***Fun Trivia: Can you think of any famous Great Dane's?...Answers at the bottom.***

In recent PK news, my 98 Honda Accord rolled over the 100,000 mile mark within the last month. I've only put on the last eight grand or so. She still cooks along like she's in the prime of her life. If I put a human age on the car, I'd say it's about 32 years old. Most of the best miles are still to come.



And here's where I spend a good chunk of my waking hours. This is a shot of my desk space from the doorway. You'll notice the wall map that was gifted to me by Heath Koth while planning the around the world trip, the multiple monitor setup on my laptop, and the L-shaped desk I picked up at Office Depot for $65. Sorry about the mess; I'm a youth pastor ;-)

***A couple famous Great Dane's: Scooby-Doo & Marmaduke.***

Have you ever been moved by a film? As if something deep within you was stirred up?

Sit in that memory for a moment. Recall the emotion (pain? joy? loss? meaning? justice?).

For me it was when the crazy tapestry that is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was woven together to convey a piece of the mystery that is a loving relationship. Clementine and Joel broke through to a point of realizing that love means loving ALL of someone. And simultaneously I was realizing that love means loving ALL of someone.

For me it was the scene in the middle of The Constant Gardener. The moment when Justin yells out to Tess and each of us, “They all need help!” At that moment I was feeling the conviction; I was being compelled to action.

Movies, at their best, convey humanity at their best . . . and worst. Films give us fresh lenses into the crazy world that we find ourselves in. I believe that movies often give us a glimpse of the transcendent, in the midst of the commonplace.

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I have a positive view of creation. I agree with God when He said that it is “good” (Gen 1:25). No, “very good” (Gen 1:31). I believe that God is redeeming creation just as He is redeeming humanity. The fingerprints of God are in and through all of creation. That’s why awe and wonder come bursting through in some of the most unlikely of places: a waterfall appreciated in Montana, an act of selfless love in a slum of Bombay, or a young girl who chooses life in a Houston abortion clinic. I don’t have a category for secular space. Every inch of this place is sacred. I believe God designed creation to exude the Creator, and I think He did a good job.

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So how many times have you been stirred while watching a movie? Were you stirred by the movie, or were you stirred by Someone beyond the movie? When you experienced pain, maybe you were empathizing with the pain that God feels at the sight of injustice and suffering. When you were filled with joy, maybe your spirit was resonating with the true life that God desires for each of us. Check this out, films are an invaluable resource for faith and life. They aid us in understanding humanity (others and ourselves) and the world we live in. They reveal the transcendent in the midst of the commonplace.

Here’s my problem: I’m trying to write in one post what I should have spread out over roughly 5 or 10 blogs. But here goes . . .

The National Youth Workers Convention is a massive event put on by Youth Specialties, typically three times a year. This year they’re in Sacramento, Nashville, and Pittsburgh. I just got back this week from the Sacramento extravaganza. There were 3400 youth workers there! That in and of itself is raw material for a lot of energy, conversation, encouragement, networking, etc. Now add on top of that the packed schedule (we’re talking 7am to midnight) of general sessions, seminar series, late night options, concerts, the prayer labyrinth, One-Life experience, the exhibit hall, small group meetings, etc. Let me breakdown for you the experience by giving an overview and then the impacts in my life.

Overview:
// The General Session experiences – These worship gatherings on steroids were usually over two hours long. The lead worshipers were the Chris Tomlin band and the David Crowder band for a couple days each. The communicators were Mark Yaconelli, Doug Fields, Steve Fitzhugh, Louie Giglio, Ted Dekker, Sue Thomas, and Mark Oestreicher. Artists (i.e. Mike Lewis the Jesus Painter), comedians, and musicians (i.e. Steven Curtis Chapman and Shane & Shane) were woven into many of the sessions as well.

// Small Group A – Since I was going to the convention alone I signed up to be part of a small group. My hunch is that less than 1% of convention attendees did this. They were missing out! There were five people in small group “A” that really added to my experience. It was a Methodist couple from Phoenix, a Presbyterian from Idaho, a Lutheran from Seattle, and another gal from near Sacramento. Every day over a meal we would tell stories, laugh, and discuss. Basically we were integrating what we were learning and having a blast at the same time!

// Seminars – I attended four of these. Duffy Robbins on How to Study the Bible. Duffy Robbins and Tony Jones in dialogue on Postmodernism and what it means for the church. Paul Diaz on forming a stellar volunteer team. And Chap Clark gave a sociological look at the state of today’s teenager: Hurt.

// Late Night Options – I attended an open discussion with Tony Jones on Postmodern theology. I was a part of the Comedy Night which was a blast. Sunday night I went to the Starfield and Third Day concert.

// Resources – This is a huge part of the NYWC. The YS store sells all kinds of resources for youth workers. They have an entire hall (picture half of a Wal-Mart) filled with hundreds of booths all available to you. These booths are made up of publishers, media programs, service ministries, missions opportunities, etc. Youth Specialties is a big supporter of the One Life Revolution, so as a part of the exhibit hall was the One Life Experience. It was powerful. It was about 20 minutes of walking through life from the vantage point of a 6 year old African kid who loses his parents to AIDS. An mp3 player and a well designed maze made this really come to life! Makes you want to do something!

// Lunch with Tony Jones – That’s right. It worked out that I was able to grab lunch with him on his first official day as national director of Emergent. There were four of us altogether with Andrew Seley and John from Zondervan Publishing rounding out the group. It was basically four social guys sitting at a table jabbering about faith and life in today’s world. Our interests and passions seemed to align in significant ways. I suppose what made this time special was the way it felt so normal; I felt like I had known these guys longer than an hour.

Key takeaways:
// Doug Fields encouraged us to declare war on busyness in our lives. He cited busyness as the cause for a lot of train wrecks in ministry, and they don’t have to happen! He marked hurry, clutter, addiction to speed, and especially the inability to say “No” to good things as leading to a lack of depth, spiritual emptiness, exhaustion, and damaged families. Sometimes as Christians we tend to wear the façade while on the inside it’s getting uglier each week.
I’m 6 or 8 weeks into my ministry position. I could already see the beginning signs of what Doug was talking about. His talk was powerfully impacting for me; I now have my radar up on this issue. He emboldened and encouraged me to say “No” when needed. As a kid starting out in all this, I think I will look back down the road and thank Doug big-time for this talk.

// Louie Giglio asked the question: “Are you a consumer in worship, or are you a consumee?”
Consumer ----> Consumee
What’s in it for me ----> What’s in it for you God
What do I get ----> What can I give
About style ----> About sacrifice
Enjoyable ----> Costly
About songs ----> About actions
Feels good ----> Hurts good
Segmented ----> Life thing
About trends ----> About transformation

He said, “Worship is me in His hands. Worship is my life in God’s plans.” We tend to complicate it, but it is simply a radical response to an unbelievable divine intervention. Questions to ask: Is there any transformation going on here? Are we changed? Chiseled? Molded? Broken?
Louis spoke the truth and brought me back to what worship is all about, my life in God’s hands. Whenever I begin to drift I hope to come back to this reality.

// Chap Clarks’s “Hurt: Inside the World of the American Teenager”
I’m sorry I can’t reproduce this one for you. It is un-summarizable. I encourage you to pick up his book; I know I will be. This talk was incredible. It was as though lights were going off in my head one after the other as he unpacked youth culture. Things like what drives them to do what they do? Why do they form certain friendships? What’s their perception of adults and leaders in their lives? What is our role as youth workers in teens’ lives?

// Paul Diaz: Training Volunteers for Effective Ministry
Effective volunteers bring health, unity, growth and excitement to the ministry. There are no shortcuts to having healthy staff; it is a continual long-term endeavor. A key question to ask yourself: do volunteers engage in ministry for you or with you? Strive for “with you”. It’s not your ministry anyway, it’s God’s. A true leader should be a servant, humble, and have the right perspective (doing ministry with volunteers).
Establish a process for people becoming leaders. He suggests, “Invitation, Observation, Application, Assimilation, and Duplication.” Evaluate at every step of the way.
Prayer, training, and accountability will be essential for an on-going healthy team. Age, clothes, and coolness factor are not key indicators of a great volunteer. Instead look to develop character, integrity, love, commitment, caring, and willingness to invest in the lives of your leaders.

// Both free and purchased, I went home with a sizeable stack of books, videos, albums, and other resources. For example, one book I picked up is called Experiential Youth Ministry by John Losey. Last night I incorporated one of his creative activities into our youth gathering. Another example is that I picked up a CD with 700 worship images on it. I am loving it! The creativity possibilities are off the charts now when it comes to using images.

// Encouragement and inspiration are ubiquitous at these conventions. Although I was sad to leave the hype, the truth is I’m pumped to ride the wave of excitement into effective and lasting impact through youth ministry. As each week goes by I’m getting to know my kids better and better. I love what I do.