The crew is working on a brand Simply Junior High catalog and could use your help. If you have pictures of your junior high ministry in action (serious pictures, goofy pictures of kids, pictures of adults interacting with students etc.), we want to put them in the catalog.

Please send pictures to Riley at rhall@simplyyouthministry.com

Thanks!

A few thoughts and highlights as I get ready to head home…

- Overall, the conference has been a great one. From my perspective it feels like there were lots and lots of new topics offered in seminars, the general sessions were solid and as always it was a weekend jam packed with coffees and meals with old and new friends.

- I think my only complaint (complaint feels like way too harsh a word…) is the length of the general sessions that were often THREE hours long. I find it really, really hard to stay put for that long. I typically found myself slipping in later and later each session. Last night I snuck in just in time to hear Tony Campolo. The general sessions have always been long, but for some reason they felt longer than usual this year.

- Tony Campolo: As always one of my favorite speakers because he says a bunch of stuff I don’t totally agree with, and forces me to re-think my theology, my world view and my methods of living out my faith in Christ.

- The exhibit hall was, as usual, a strange mix of publishers, camps, mission organizations, fund raising opportunities, universities etc. However, this year there seemed to be more than the usual amount of just plain weirdness.
* Hume Lake’s booth was an opportunity to ride a mechanical unicorn while people in Elves costumes cheered you on and blew soap bubbles all around you. Your prize was a fake mustache.
It was like an acid trip meets strawberry shortcake meets cotton candy meets that candy mountain cartoon on youtube.
* There was a guy dressed up in a vampire costume promoting some sort of “Bite” ministry.
* Another guy had a huge snake around his neck.

- I felt like the seminars I taught were average. My first one was a 2.5 hour introduction to middle school ministry. I tag-teamed with my friend April Diaz who is a super sharp young youth minister. It was well received but I’m realizing I’m not a great person to teach alongside because I’m long winded, go off on tangents, get out of order etc. and I’m sure it was frustrating for April at times. The second seminar was on the topic of ministering to the parents of middle shoolers. It is a subject I’ve never formally taught on and an area in our ministry that has lots and lots of holes in it, so I felt somewhat insecure in presenting the seminar, but hopefully it provided some insight and encouragement.

- I haven’t bought anything yet, so I think it’s time to make a final pass through the YS bookstore.

My life-long buddy Chris and I rolled into town early this morning and have been going non-stop ever since, although at the moment I can’t seem to find him. A few highlights and observations from day one:

- At lunch we ordered what, without doubt, were the tartest, tangiest, most bitter glasses of Lime aide ever put to lips. Delicious.

- During the opening session Mark Oestriecher said what he always says: “relax, eat a good meal, make new friends, skip sessions…do what you want to do to make the weekend a great one for yourself”. I’ve heard that for years, but this year it really sounded good. I think I’m more tired than I realize and will probably sleep, read and relax at least as much as I do “conference stuff”.

- In that spirit, I snuck out with some buddies to see Body of Lies. Good flick.

- I’m posting from a little internet cafe smack dab in the middle of the meeting hall and worship is in full swing. Feels a little awkward to be online while 3,000 others are engaging in worship (although there are three other people online next to me) so I think it’s time to sign off.

- I’m excited about NYWC in Sacramento this weekend. It is always a great time of connecting with old ministry friends and meeting new ones. I mentioned trying to grab a meal with frequenters of this blog, but my meals are all booked! But if we see each other in the hallways, be sure to say hello.

- Speakers are no longer allowed to promote their books, resources, ministries etc. in their workshops (a good policy, I happen to think…) so be sure to drop by the simply youth ministry store in the exhibit hall to check out all the newest junior high resources.

- Don’t go see American Carol. Even if you agree with the politics in the film, you will be shocked at how appallingly un-funny and offensive it is.

- Disney sent my family invitations the the High School Musical 3 premiere in LA next week. I’m not sure who’s more excited my kids or their parents! They are excited to see the movie and the stars, I’m excited to walk the red carpet and be mistaken for a star…an aging, balding star.

I’m trying to create a list of helpful resources for parents of young teens. Websites, books, newsletters etc.

If you have a favorite, would you mind sharing it?

On the hunt for small group curriculum?

I’m super excited about two brand new small group resources created specifically for junior highers.

Bible Stuff Vol. 2 video curriculum contains five video-driven lessons. Each video sets the small group leader up for some really great discussion with their students. Bible Stuff Vol. 2 focuses on God’s story.

Active Bible Studies contains 20 hands-on, experience-driven small group lessons.

- Weekend at Church was really fun and really busy. Started it off Friday by going to a high school football game, then popping into our high school ministry’s ’5th Quarter’ which was really fun. On Saturday I went to our 4:30 JH service for our 4th week of “Face of Love” and then skipped our 6:30 service to attend Mariners Church for the grand opening of their new student center. On Sunday I attended our 9:00 a.m. JH service then hustled over to our Irvine campus to be a part of their 11:00 a.m. youth program. Whew….!!

- In addition, each year our JH ministry ‘cancels’ October and replaces it with CHOCTOBER…a month of chocolate games, chocolate prizes etc. Week one was a huge success.

- Pastor Rick took a whole crew of us to see “American Carol” last night. Fun idea and really great to be out with him and a bunch of the staff…but TERRIBLE movie. The best way to describe it would be a wacky “Airplane” type movie. But in order to even have a chance at laughing at the gags one has to be really, really well versed in the Left vs. Right politics of our times. That mixed with the fact that it just wasn’t funny made for a rough ride.

- Interesting that it seemed like the media was united in calling for the “bail out” and now only a couple days later they are united in questioning if it was a good idea. I once heard that much of the media exists to first build people and stories up and then tear them down. This feels like an example of that.

- Does anybody watch “The Unit”? It is quickly becoming my favorite show.

- My wife has been laid up for over two weeks and today is her first real day up and around. She took one of the kids to school which made our morning much less hectic.

- Spending date day with Rachel by having breakfast together then taking my dad to the doctor followed by prepping for my Youth Specialties workshops. Not sure where the date in date day went!

If you are interested in downloading a free HSM3 Bible study/discussion guide to use with your students, you can get that here.

After much deliberation from our judges, the three prize winners for the HSM3 promotional stuff are:

3rd Place: “It’s the start of something old…” submitted by Rob
2nd Place: “HSM8…The 20 Year Reunion” Submitted by Chris Trent
1st Place: “The parents’ crisis intervention team realized after an initial panic that it was not Harry Potter robes on the youth pastor after all.” Submitted by matthew mcnutt

If you three will send your mailing address to me at Kurtj@saddleback.net, we will have your prizes mailed out early next week. Congratulations.

If you work with students, you understand the juggernaut that High School Musical has become! Disney Studios and Grace Hill Media asked if I would be willing to work on a project to help youth workers take advantage of the fact that virtually every kid in their youth group is going to see HSM3.