Willow Creek Shift Conference - youth leaders are pioneers

I just got back today from speaking at the Willow Creek Community Church Shift Conference. It was a such an encouraging event and being among youth ministry leaders is one of the greatest joys and honor I can think of. Youth leaders to me, are the pioneers of the future church and serving youth is a holy thing to me in the major influence they have which effects youth the rest of their lives. So being amidst them is an extreme privilege.

The Shift Conference had a couple of thousand people there. I led a 3.5 intensive worshop On "Theology and Youth Ministry" and I was the main session speaker Friday to close it up.

You can read a brief overview of the main session I spoke at and see a video clip of a few moments of it over at the Leadership Journal Out of Ur blog. They reported on the event via blogging and posting video clips.

In the main session I started with sharing how I attended the very first  and second Willow Creek youth leaders conference back around 1991 or 1992. I was just entering ministry at this time and had never been to a youth leaders conference before, so I was quite nervous and wondered if I would fit in. When I got there, I was somewhat horrified to see that the youth leaders fashion hairstyle of that time was a version of the mullet. It wasn't the crazy big mullet like Joe Dirt (David Spader), but more of a tamer Christian version of the mullet. It seemed 90% of the youth leaders had one back then and I sat there getting more nervous seeing this. I was internally wrestling as I sat there thinking "Lord, I am not sure I can do this....." (if it meant getting the Christian shorter mullet haircut). But much to my relief, Bo Boshers did not have a mullet.

Bo was the leader of the student ministries at that time and is now overseeing Willow Creek Association's Student Ministry focus and was the host of the Shift Conference. I shared that it was through Bo and those first 2 conferences back around 1991, I was implanted with three things that have seriously impacted and sent me on a trajectory of ministry since then.

The foremost thing I remember Bo stressing back then was youth leaders needing to live a life of integrity and spiritual health. They used the example from 2 Chronicles 26 about King Uzziah whose "fatal flaw" caused his downfall. They stressed we are all sinful and thus we each have weaknesses that we need to admit and recognize and guard against. They also stressed the importance of accountability and having people in your life you can share with.

The second thing I shared that I remember from those first two conference was the importance of taking care of the youth that God has entrusted us with. Bo and the others stressed that we need to provide small groups, teaching and care to youth as they learn to be disciples of Jesus. And to never use them to simply reach their friends or see them get so focused up in serving or busy in youth ministry they lose their first love (Revelation 2:2-5).

The third thing I remember from back at those conferences, and what I focused on for the bulk of the main session was the critical importance of evangelism. I remember leaving Willow Creek with my heart beating for evangelism. That evangelism passion from Willow Creek carried on in my heart and I believe became a reflection of the youth ministry I was part of, then the young adult ministry and why we started Vintage Faith Church in 2004.

So don't ever underestimate how conferences can change your life. Those two at Willow certainly changed mine and gave me passion and insight I carry with me to this day.

Being at Willow and among youth leaders always reminds me that youth leaders are so much the pioneers and ones who stretch things (in a good way) in churches. Generally they are the ones on staff most engaged in culture due the nature of the role and bring a lot of healthy cultural tension on church staffs. It is a delicate dance usually with senior pastor and the youth leader, especially if the youth leader is bringing innovation and change. But we need to honor the senior leadership and that is why I always think the youth pastor needs a strong relationship with the senior pastor, not just the executive pastor. The senior pastor is usually the vision carrier for the church, so having that person fully grasp why youth leaders often see the need to change things is critical or weird tension can result.

So if you are a senior pastor or executive pastor - treat your youth leader well and don't be afraid to listen to their ideas and perspectives as crazy as they may sometimes sound. And if you are a youth leader, honor and respect those above you in authority but don't be afraid to try to be a change agent if needed. Many youth leaders plant churches understandably.

Rambling now, but what heroes youth leaders are to me. I look forward to being at one of the wonderful Youth Specialties Conferences this Fall.