So I’m writing this from a bench in St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. Be jealous. This is part two of my autumn vacation, NYWC Pittsburgh being part one. I’m here for a friend’s wedding. They wanted to get married in the Islands and so here we are. Actually, I think I’m the only one here as of right now. I’m waiting for two friends to arrive via a different flight. But we shall talk more of this adventure at a later time.

This is about NYWC… final thoughts, stories, ideas, etc. Ok, well this probably won’t be the last post on NYWC, but it will be the last one of substantial text. I have a few more videos I need to render down and then I’ll post those on Vimeo and embed them here for your viewing pleasure.

But what of NYWC, now that I’ve been home for a few days and have had time to process it all? I must say that this was a different convention for me. It felt different. Perhaps part of it is due to the economic situation in the US. There were a lot let people there than usual. The Exhibit Hall felt like it was suffering from the crappiness of the American dollar as well. There were, it seemed, far less exhibitors than normal. In all, though, YS did a great job putting on the Convention despite all the financial difficulties they must have run into.

I relaxed a lot more this year than in years past. I remember my first NYWC… Atlanta 2004. Like most n00bs, I tried to go to as much as possible and see all the sights, visit all the exhibits, talk to all the people…. and it was madness. I’ve learned to slow down… perhaps to join the “Slow Club” as referenced in Mark Yaconelli‘s General Session talk. I think I only went two one or two seminars. I did go to all the General Sessions, and I walked around the Exhibit Hall, though didn’t nearly feel the need to go talk to everyone or try to get all their free stuff. I slept a lot. A lot a lot. On the Sunday of the Convention I was charging my gear in my hotel room while on lunch. After lunch we decided to skip the seminar and go play some Rock Band in the YS Store. After that I headed back to the hotel to get my stuff and then go to the subsequent seminar. The next thing I knew, it was an hour later and I was on the bed. I love those kinds of naps. Anyway, there was a significant amount of relaxation and loafing about this year. It was exactly what I needed.

Yet, I still learned. I’ve talked before about my Critical Concern Course in a previous entry, but it seems that a lot of the Convention built on similar concepts and principles. There seemed to be a buzz about new ways to do ministry, forgetting the machine of YM of the past with all the crazy games and, basically, “babysitting,” and letting real discipleship and mentoring be the focus… doing life together and embracing the Way of Jesus. It ran through many of the General Session speakers, and especially hit home in the teaching of Francis Chan. It was topic of conversation in hallways and during free time. And it resonated loud and clear. I think, for the first time, this year I finally understood the concept that has been existent in NYWC’s of the past… that we need to “grow smaller.” It’s making me rethink what youth ministry is really about. It’s making me evaluate the things we are doing really good in The Bridge and the things that we could do better. Marko ended the Convention really well during General Session #7. He had a talk planned that he had been working on for months, and then at the last moment he felt God telling him that he needs to talk about something else. And he listened. And it was phenomenal. It wrapped everything together so well, and there was something in the way he was talking where it almost seemed it wasn’t him talking but God just speaking through him. I have the recordings of my Critical Concern, Francis Chan‘s talk, and Marko’s on mp3 waiting to be re-listened to so I can really get a grasp on what it all means.

The above video is from the group Living Illusions. They go around the country performing stunts and other acts and give stories or messages that tie into what is being done on stage. They don’t do so much magic tricks, though they do on occasion, but rather stunts. The video is of their full-view Water Torture Cell. There’s no trick to it. Kristen really has to hold her breath for that long and pick all the locks to get free from the cell. Pretty amazing.

It was a great Convention. I almost wish I could go to the Nashville one as well later in the month to take more of it in. I’ll have to wait until Cincinnati next year, though. Thanks, YS for a great weekend!