<![CDATA[Youth Ministry in the Diocese of Delaware<br /> - BLOG]]>Mon, 06 Feb 2012 19:04:59 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[ECCC at Camp McDowell in Alabama]]>Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:55:01 -0500http://www.diodelyouth.com/1/post/2012/02/eccc-at-camp-mcdowell-in-alabama.htmlECCC stands for Episcopal Camps and Conference Centers.  They have an official gathering once a year but the members of ECCC often talk online, ask one another for resources, and come up with ways to hang out.

They week is full of capital F- FUN.  But it's full of professional development too.  They bring in keynotes [Mike Schut (pronounced Skut) - Economic and Environmental Affairs Officer for the Episcopal Church and Lisa Kimball - the Director of the Center for Ministry of Teaching at VTS].  They run all kinds of workshops.  They bring in folks to provide one on one guidance from the Medical Trust and Pension Fund. They plan outings like a hike, a visit to an urban farm or Civil Rights Institute.  There's a sing along night, a game night, and a square dancing night with a live band.  We have meditations daily and celebrate the Eucharist.  And they make space and time to foster genuine relationships.  That's why it takes a week.  And for a conference of "Camp People",   I don't think it should be done any differently.

I walked into a workshop on ... well; I don't know what it was on.  I heard it was fantastic so I went to the repeat session.  I had been fighting the worst cough ever and so I walked in late as not to alert the room that I really might cough to death.  I walked into a retired Bishop waxing poetically about Jungian psychology, and shadows of the unconscious mind... what, the what?  Okay, okay - it wasn't THAT difficult to follow.  There was a lot of talk about ego and projections.  

The Bishop tells priests all the time to not take the receiving line after church all that seriously.  You aren't as good as they say you are and you aren't as horrid either.  Those comments are far more about the person making them than you.  hmmmm.  From there it turned into personal questions about specific situations and exceptionally awkward or difficult family members.

At the end I walked away clinging to the nugget that it's really important as camps and conference centers (and youth leaders) to help remind people who (and whose) they are.  (We are God's beloved.  Our identity comes from our relationship with Christ).  So my question for the Bishop was about this rising generation.  They act ridiculously entitled.  Is that because we projected awesomeness on them instead of letting them gain legitimate esteem from achievement?  No one asked him that before.  His suggestion was that healthy esteem comes from struggle and if we make it too easy - there's a pride that rises but the bad kind not the earned and warranted kind... and that's not healthy esteem.   HMMMMM.  Interesting.

Allow our youth to struggle.
     Remind them who they are. 

sounds simple.  sounds good.

more thoughts to come....

]]><![CDATA[Official Youth Presence at 2012 General Convention]]>Wed, 14 Dec 2011 11:14:07 -0500http://www.diodelyouth.com/1/post/2011/12/official-youth-presence-at-2012-general-convention.htmlDo you know or are you a high school teenager who is passionate about the Episcopal Church?

Do you know a youth, or are you 16-18 years old, interested in learning more about how the church makes decisions to join God's mission in the world?

The application and nomination process for the General Convention Official Youth Presence 2012 is now open!

Read the EpiscoYouth blog for more details, or click these direct links to the application and nomination forms.

Submission deadline is January 15, 2012.

]]><![CDATA[The Storytellers ]]>Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:28:30 -0500http://www.diodelyouth.com/1/post/2011/11/the-storytellers.htmlAKA: To Write Love On Her Arms [TWLOHA] High School Campaign

I was hoping Jamie Tworkowski was going to speak about this campaign at the National Youth Workers Convention - but alas, Youth Workers were the wrong audience AND too many Youth Workers still hadn't heard of his organization.  C'est la vie.  ANYWAY - this is a great program for High School Seniors to get in on.... check it out.

"We believe in the power of high school students, and we have witnessed the way your passion combines with compassion to create change. You have a voice that can change your community. The Storytellers High School Campaign is a stage for you. This is a chance for you to create events, sell exclusive TWLOHA bracelets, and share this story to an audience of your peers. It’s an opportunity to do something with that powerful voice of yours.

The idea is simple: invite people who are passionate about TWLOHA, who have a unique platform every day of the school year, to tell our story. We allow your creativity and genius to decide how to tell it, as we give you resources to raise awareness and funds for an organization that matters to you....

...The Storytellers is a way to speak out to your campus and say that hope and healing are real by inviting your friends, your classmates, and your teachers to participate in our story.

You are inviting them to listen to the very stories surrounding them.

You are inviting them to truly live their own stories.

You are inviting them into our story.

You are inviting them into your story."

Go here to learn how the campaign works.

]]><![CDATA[Social Media Safe Church]]>Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:36:09 -0500http://www.diodelyouth.com/1/post/2011/11/social-media-safe-church.htmlThis document has been getting some attention and will arrive to your parish as a hard copy if you are in the Diocese of Delaware.  However, an advanced digital copy is useful too :)

Just a reminder - these are suggestions and things to consider -  not mandates.  If any of it seems unreasonable to you -   I would be more than happy to discuss why and how it was included in this document. 
]]><![CDATA[Youth Presence at General Convention]]>Thu, 03 Nov 2011 12:13:19 -0500http://www.diodelyouth.com/1/post/2011/11/youth-presence-at-general-convention.html
This is 100% copied and pasted from Bronwyn Clark Skov's Episco Youth Blog :)
The 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church will convene for seven days in Indianapolis, Indiana, (Province V,Diocese of Indianapolis) July 5-12, 2012. The Episcopal Church Welcomes You. All of you. Everyone is welcome. Really!

This summer youth, defined as sixth through 12th graders, will be participating at General Convention in three unique ways:
  1. As duly elected deputies attending with their diocesan deputation with voice and vote on the floor in the House of Deputies. Yes, some dioceses have elected teenagers as deputies and alternates, but they must be at least 16 years old to serve.
  2. As one of 18 members of the General Convention Official Youth Presence (GCOYP). Nomination and selection process begins December 1, watch for details.This is also open to 16-18 year-olds only.
  3. As visitors to General Convention attending with their youth group or family. Here's the middle school, too, option :)
It is option number three is the subject of today's blog post. The Province V Youth Ministry Network has been working creatively and quickly, collaborating with the General Convention Office and the Office for Youth Ministries, to help youth visitors understand and access General Convention. They have an excellent plan and have begun building a blog that will serve as a resource to address questions and offer suggestions about how to access General Convention more effectively and affordably for teens.

Follow them :
     on the Youth Hospitality Blog or on Facebook 


]]><![CDATA[Sticky Faith Resources]]>Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:08:47 -0500http://www.diodelyouth.com/1/post/2011/11/sticky-faith-resources.htmlKara Powell is the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute, Assistant Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Fuller Theological Seminary.  She was at last year's National Youth Workers Convention and at YS Palooza  to speak about her research.  And this fall several resources that she's co-authored about Sticky Faith were released.

Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids 

Sticky Faith, Youth Worker Edition: Practical Ideas to Nurture Long-Term Faith in Teenagers 

Sticky Faith Teen Curriculum with DVD: 10 Lessons to Nurture Faith Beyond High School

Sticky Faith is defined as 1) Faith that is both internalized and externalized, 2) Faith that is both personal and communal, and 3) Faith that is both mature and maturing.If you can't commit to reading the book (time, money, interest...) you can hear about it here.And if you're interested in learning more beyond the book there are several options here for youth leaders AND parents... pretty cool. ]]><![CDATA[Be Present. (part 1)]]>Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:10:10 -0500http://www.diodelyouth.com/1/post/2011/10/be-present-part-1.html Be Present was the theme of the Catalyst Conference I attended earlier this month.  It's an unlikely start back into this youth ministry blog and yet it's fitting.

There were a lot of speakers I wasn’t familiar with this year.  I had heard a lot of their names but that’s not the same as knowing their teaching style or resounding messages.  There’s a lot to share about what I heard… but for this post I will only touch on one weaving thread I found.

Judah Smith is the Lead Pastor at a charismatic church in Seattle.   He’s a seventh generation pastor… no pressure.  And he sports super hipster hair and clothes and his voice drips with a big-tent-revival-ish sound of ages past.  It’s an interesting mix.  I didn’t take a ton of notes on his talk.  The nuggets I did walk away with were :

1) Moses got to see the back side of God’s glory and that’s cool and all, but we’ve got Jesus – the brightness of God’s glory and the fulfillment of Divine Radiance.

2) When did Jesus become less than enough?  That’s a lie.  Jesus is more than enough.  He  is freely and willingly available to you always and forever and therefore YOU LACK NOTHING TO DO THE WORK TO WHICH GOD HAS CALLED YOU.  You don’t need the latest and greatest anything to do your ministry better.  You only need Jesus. 

The next day Priscilla Shirer spoke.  No one I was with or any of the other friends I ran into that day knew anything about her.  I have since learned that her Dad’s a famous someone, she earned her Masters in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary and that she was mentored by Zig Ziglar.  Not too shabby. She shared about the experience of reading through old journals and realizing that in every season of life she was too busy waiting for the next season to be present in the present.  She also shared about getting goggle s for her sons and realizing they were still closing their eyes underwater.  They had the tools they needed and proceeded forth unchanged.  Her message was that we have everything we need – in Jesus and that it has all been clearly shown and developed in the pages of scripture.  She went on to share the following… (which I did not get in my notes the day she spoke… only after re-listening and pausing the digital download)  I don’t know that I’d use the same descriptions as Priscilla – but these were pretty good for the 3 minutes she had to sum it all up.

Genesis  - the breath of life
Exodus –  the Passover lamb
Leviticus -  the great High Priest
Numbers – fire by night
Deuteronomy – Israel’s God
Joshua – salvation’s choice
Judges – Israel’s guard
Ruth – your kinsman redeemer
1 & 2 Samuel – trusted prophet
1 & 2 Kings and 1 &2 Chronicles - sovereign
Ezra – true and faithful scribe
Nehemiah – rebuilder of walls and people
Esther - courage
Job – timeless redeemer
Psalms – morning song
Proverbs - wisdom
Ecclesiastes – time & season
Song of Songs – lover’s dream
Isaiah – Prince of peace
Jeremiah – weeping prophet
Lamentations – cry for Israel
Ezekiel – call from sin
Daniel – stranger in the fire
Hosea – forever faithful
Joel – spirit’s power
Amos – strong arms that carry
Obadiah – Lord, our savior
Jonah – great missionary
Micah – promise of peace
Nahum – strength & shield
Habakkuk & Zephaniah – brings revival
Haggai – restores that which was once lost
Zechariah – our fount
Malachi – the son of righteousness rising with healing in his wings

and that’s just the Old Testament. 
Wait 400 years  and flip over and few pages

Matthew, Mark, Luke & John - He's not only God, He is also your Messiah
Acts – reigning fire from Heaven
Romans – grace of God
1 & 2 Corinthians – power of love
Galatians -  freedom from the curse of sin
Ephesians – glorious treasure
Philippians – servant’s heart
Colossians – God in the trinity
1 & 2 Thessalonians – calling King
1 & 2 Timothy, Titus and Philemon – mediator and faithful pastor
Hebrews – everlasting courage
James – one who heals the sick
1 & 2 Peter – faithful shepherd
1,2 & 3 John and Jude – lover coming for his bride
Revelation – when it’s all said and done He was, is and will always be the first, the last, the beginning and the end.

 Amen.  Amen.  Amen.

Maybe this is news to you.  Maybe it's an encouragement.  Maybe it's a nudge or reminder.  
No matter... perhaps you, like me, need to spend some time just being present with these thoughts.  


May it be half the blessing to you it still is to me.

]]><![CDATA[Strange Day.]]>Tue, 03 May 2011 23:40:17 -0500http://www.diodelyouth.com/1/post/2011/05/strange-day.htmlI started writing this post late May 1st.... and hesitated to post it.  I'm kind of a chicken when it comes to drawing definitive lines in sand.... SO, I waited.  I re-read it. I deleted some lines.  And I'm alright with this line.  It's a little scattered, and maybe a little left field - but I promise it comes back home :)

Good Shepherd Episcopal Church is technically a church plant here in DE.  In a strange turn of events, as they were in the works to start meeting in a movie theatre everything changed and they were afforded the opportunity to meet in a funeral home.  Affectionately - I often hear people correct that statement.  "It's a Life Celebration Center."I worshiped with them this morning for Youth Sunday.  The Gospel reading was about doubting Thomas and so the students shared. quite honestly, about times they had doubted.  They did a great job. 

It's an interesting incongruity that they weekly celebrate life abundantly that comes from Christ alone in the same space where so many other people come to grips with grief.
But there's a beauty in it as well.  Save for the tombstones out back in the parking lot - you couldn't really tell this was a Life Celebration Center.  The church itself has pews - and there's clearly a divider wall that can split the room into two - but it easily passes for a church.

May 1st will be known for a while as the day Bin Laden's death was announced.  In 1945, may 1st was the day Hitler's death was announced.  That's really strange to me.  I was also reminded today that May 1st is Yom Ha-Shoah, or Holocaust Remembrance Day.  Services all over the country today  remembered the lives taken from some six million people only a few decades ago....

Twitter and Facebook are saturated in celebratory USA chants and jokes.  Lots of strange jokes.  I read one status on Facebook that read, "I'm conflicted..."  and I must concur. 

I am relieved that he's gone.  I'm not sure I can call it "justice."  It looks and feels a lot more like revenge.

I am proud to be an American and I am very grateful for the brave work of our service men and women.  But the war is not over.  His network of followers are still out there.  Our soldiers are not returning home yet.  And most sadly -  everyone we lost on 9/11 and since then at the hand of war, are still gone.  His death does not repair that.  His death doesn't help anyone still mourning, lonely, angry or broken-hearted.  There's an empty shallow promise floating around out there that it might.  They hype is also promising that this death will somehow unify us as a nation the way 9/11 did.  What an ugly lie. 

I can't imagine the film clips of people gathered in the streets singing Na Na Na Na, Hey Hey Hey and the likes speak of anything to people outside our borders than our ignorance and conceit.  The interviews with widows and widowers ecstatic that he's in Hell - a justice no court could have brought upon him - wow.  What bold statements.  Bold and dark and disturbing.

Then I read this blog about Holocaust Remembrance Day... my favorite bit reads... " Perhaps one of the greatest lessons to be learned from one of our darkest chapters is that your life matters. The entire cannon of our existence can boil down to the fact that the thoughts in your head and the dreams that you swear could be real make you sacred. The foundational crime of the Holocaust was that people, human beings, were forced to accept the lie that they were somehow less than human. Today is a rally cry for the human spirit. Today is a starting point, where we can vow to not let discomfort stand in the way of affirming one another. A day where we can celebrate that this world is a different and better place for the simple fact that you call it home, and where we dance to the unheard rhythm of your heartbeat.  Take time today to find ways to validate this in one another." 

{{BIG SIGH}}... Surely someone, at some time, believed these things for Osama and Hitler too... what happened?  Yup.  I'm conflicted. 

So I'll end with the famously mashed up quote that's been floating around on Facebook and Twitter. 
I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. (thoughts from Jessica Dovey as her FB Status, followed by variations of this quote....)"Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.  Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction." MLK Jr. 
]]><![CDATA[So Fresh & So Clean...]]>Tue, 03 May 2011 22:55:51 -0500http://www.diodelyouth.com/1/post/2011/05/so-fresh-so-clean.htmlI was talking with some other leaders about "fresh expression" styles of worship...

Then I visited the Diocesan Church Plant last weekend for Youth Sunday....

Then I read a blog about someone's visit to two new Lutheran faith communities....

And that blog directed my attention to this post from Andrew Jones that kind of frames ten general paths/themes/styles that lots of fresh expressions are taking.  Which one(s) do you identify with?  Which one(s) seems the most appealing to you?
]]><![CDATA[Soul Surfer]]>Wed, 13 Apr 2011 01:01:38 -0500http://www.diodelyouth.com/1/post/2011/04/soul-surfer.htmlI tend to be pretty rough on "Christian" films.  And lets be honest - they usually deserve it.  Their production, special effects and talent are generally... noticeably lower quality and lower budget.  The scripts tend to be a heavy handed and teeter on a line of using lots of "Christian-ese" talk for their expected audience while trying to sneak in the "sinner's prayer" in a strange attempt to save people.  It always frustrates me that they prioritize that over simply  telling a good story well...

HOWEVER... I was familiar with Bethany Hamiliton's life before this movie.  I actually found out about the movie by following her on twitter (@bethanyhamilton).  And then Youth Specialties was really plugging for it at the Youth Worker's Convention and YSPalooza.   I wanted to be excited and yet I was hesitant.  Then I saw the trailer on tv - and it looked awesome. 

There are a heap familiar faces in this movie - Helen Hunt, Dennis Quaid, AnnaSophia Robb, Craig T Nelson, Carrie Underwood, Kevin Sorbo.... that was cool. 

There are a few moments in the movie when the CGI is really obvious... but they're forgivable.  The water shots are beautiful - inside the waves, under water, the silhouettes, the night surfing shots.... And it really looks like members of the cast actually learned how to surf. 

They do talk about faith in this movie - in really natural and sincere ways.  The family goes to church. Bethany goes to youth group and on a mission trip. The family gives thanks before a meal.  Two specific Bible verses are quoted.  And when they are all rushing to the ER - a few of them pray. None of it felt contrived or pushy... and it gives you the impression they are all just how the story actually went.

Without ruining the movie for you, they took care to not gloss over the struggles.  It would have been really easy to make that part of the story really short or to make Bethany and her family look extra saintly.  The journey they all had to take is difficult and they didn't cover that up.  Thankfully, they don't drag you into utter despair either.   Some critics wrote that it was a little too Disney, or a little too simplified... and I mean, they had a lot to say in 2 hours, but I disagree with them.

You may want to take tissues... I found myself tearing up  a lot and full fledged crying more than once.  I'm a bit of a cry baby.  It's not even really sad... okay, maybe I'm just a baby and you won't need tissues at all. 

I really liked this movie.  It's a TRUE story of over coming incredible odds.  Did you know Bethany lost more than half of her blood in the attack??!!  Her surviving was a miracle.  Her comeback in professional surfing and the things she attributes finding her strength and inspiration from - simply beautiful. 



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