Children, Youth and a New Kind of Christianity

I spent most of last week in Washington D.C. at a one of a kind conference, Children, Youth and a New Kind of Christianity.  I have to admit, before I stumbled upon this conference I would never have considered myself a proponent of emergent Christianity.  I didn't know what it was, but I envisioned Christian rock bands and auditoriums; not the thing for me.  Yet, wandering around the internet one day, I happened upon a video by Brian McLaren about a different kind of conference for Children and Youth ministries.  What sold it for me were two of the presenters he mentioned.

John Westerhoff has been voicing new ways of looking at Christian Education for decades and was an influence on me even before I knew I was involved in Christian Education.  He planted the seeds and Ivy Beckwith provided the fertilizer.  For years and years I had taught Sunday school, being dissatisfied with the curriculum available.  I tried several approaches and adjusted everything to meet the needs of my students and myself.  Then I found the writings of Ivy Beckwith and realized I was not alone.

So...I found the means to go to D.C. with many others to experience for the first time a gathering of people from many walks of life, all exploring ways to reach the children and youth of today.  I wasn't sure what to expect from this week.  I joined Twitter and put the Facebook app on my phone so I could be a part of this event technologically as well as in person.  Over four hundred people from various walks of life, with many different backgrounds, from all over the globe, and with just as many different expectations gathered at Calvary Baptist Church.  Some of us were star-struck by one or more of the well-known personalities in attendance.  Some were hoping for all of the answers.  Some were just glad to be in conversation with others of like minds.

It became evident from the wide variety of presenters and from the tweets written, that this is far from an easy fix.  And that not everyone will agree on everything.  I have realized, however, that those of us who work in smaller membership churches have a distinct advantage.  We are the ones who have the flexibility to shape our ministries to meet the needs of the individuals we are serving.  We can nurture their imaginations, feed their faith, provide pan-generational experiences and find new ways to live out God's Kingdom on earth.

One tweeter likened this event (on the first day, even) to trying to drink from a fire hose, quite an apt description.  It would be impossible to tell all that I gleaned from this event in one post, but it is my hope that as time goes on I can share snippets.  As I float in the pool of information and inspiration that poured from the fire hose of this event and slowly gain strength from the nourishing water, I aspire to share the benefits with you.