Shift Blog

Regional Training

2008-09-02T11:00:00.004-05:00

As I've traveled around the country over the past few years, I've sensed a growing need for student ministry leaders and volunteers to gather together regionally for practical training and encouragement on reaching this generation for Christ.

We at Shift–the student ministries segment of the Willow Creek Association–have been dreaming and praying about how to meet this need, and we're so excited to invite you to our first regional training events, beginning this weekend.

Join other youth pastors and volunteer youth leaders in your area for a dynamic half day of training, designed to help you discover ways to develop a "Be With Community"–a student ministry where every leader understands and practices the value of coaching and mentoring students to become complete followers of Jesus Christ.

We'll also spend time talking about practical ways you can develop a "Be With Lifestyle"–a life centered around practical mentoring tools helping students in the spiritual formation process.

We've worked to make this training as affordable as possible, and are really pleased to offer the entire half-day of training for only $29!

The training, led by seasoned youth ministry veterans that I personally believe in from the LEAD222 network, could be just what you and your student ministry team need as you begin a new ministry season this fall.

For more info, check out the regional training section of the web site.

Did You Know Video

2008-08-15T13:12:00.009-05:00

Since the Shift conference, we've gotten a lot of questions about where to find the Did You Know 2.0 video from session one.

The video we showed at Shift was a shortened version of a media presentation created by educators Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod with design by XPlane.

You can now view the video, along with session highlights from the conference, by clicking here to go to the video section of the web site. There's also a high-resolution version available for download here.

The video is licensed by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and XPlane under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Share-Alike license. You are free to copy, distribute, remix and transmit the presentation as long as you give proper attribution to the original creators and share the resulting work under the same license. You may not use Did You Know? for commercial purposes without permission from the creators.

Francis Chan at Arise 2008 Conference

2008-07-17T14:01:00.007-05:00

Francis Chan at Arise

"A Few Minutes More" with Francis Chan after his closing session at Arise 2008

Med Packs Update

2008-07-17T13:50:00.002-05:00

Back in April, many of you who attended Shift 2008 took part in Thursday night's Bright Hope Med Pack Experience. Student ministries from across the country assembled hundreds of medical supply kits for under-resourced villages in Uganda. Recently, Bright Hope announced that the Med Packs had been delivered!

Over on Bright Hope's web site, you can read all about the delivery, as well as see photos and video of an entire town lined up to receive the packs.

Thanks to all of you who served as the hands and feet of Jesus, and helped make these medical supplies available to those who so badly needed them.

Conference Podcasts

2008-04-29T14:28:00.004-05:00

In case you didn't catch them over on Out of Ur, we've now posted the three podcasts recorded at Shift 2008 a few weeks back , including interviews with Mark Yaconelli, Mark Miller, and Drew & Jerome from Switchfoot.

Check 'em out in the Podcasts section of the site.

Podcast 09: Switchfoot

2008-04-21T19:13:00.005-05:00

An interview with band members Drew Shirley and Jerome Fontamillas, recorded a few hours before Switchfoot's Q&A session and acoustic performance at Shift 2008

Podcast 08: Mark Miller

2008-04-21T19:13:00.004-05:00

An interview with breakout presenter Mark Miller, recorded on day two of the SHIFT 2008 conference

Podcast 07: Mark Yaconelli

2008-04-21T18:00:00.004-05:00

An interview with author and speaker Mark Yaconelli immediately following his session at the Shift 2008 Conference

"Center" and Re-Centering

2008-04-18T13:31:00.004-05:00

I’m actually typing this little blog post outside. Those of you who came to Shift traveled to Chicago a week too early - it’s 71 degrees outside right now!

Even though the weather was less than desirable last week, I felt like I was able to leave behind some of the clouds that have been hovering over my heart recently. I was able to “re-center” my soul with God and my calling as a youth-worker.

The first day of sessions were crazy intense for me. And from the vibe in the room I could tell that many of you were sitting with the weight of the work that we have ahead of us. From Brian McLaren’s opening charge to live out the kingdom of God right now in this broken world – to Mark Yaconelli’s simple, honest reflections on spiritual formation in students – to Shane Claiborne’s unashamed fire for justice ... it was enough to make even the most complacent of us sit on the edge of our seats.

That first day set the tone for the rest of our time together. I could feel it in the air. And I hope that you could feel it too. You and I have a very important calling on our lives. As we sang the song “Center” together on Friday morning ... I was struck once again with the reminder that we must re-center our lives on Christ every day. And in that moment, in those last hours, I felt that hundreds of us were united with Christ and his call to return to our communities and live a re-centered life.

I hope that your time with us was energizing and inspiring. I’m really looking forward to the days ahead. See ya next year.

[Brandon Grissom is worship leader at Elevate, Willow Creek's Junior High Ministry. brandongrissom.net]

Shift 2008 Recap

2008-04-15T16:56:00.004-05:00

We had a great time, how about you?

Thanks to everybody (that’s you!) who made Shift 2008 what it was.
From main sessions to breakouts, Cups of Coffee to the Thursday Night Experiences, we feel like this year’s event would truly have been different without each and every one of you there.

If you weren’t a part of Shift, check out the rundown of the event over at Out of Ur, who covered our 2 1/2 days together from start to finish.

If you were there, we’d love to hear from you. What was a highlight? Any session, speaker, idea, artist, or experience stand out?

The Shift experience is definitely continuing beyond last week (see Bo’s previous post here). Let’s keep the conversation going...

[Thanks to Gavin for the photo. Check out his amazing Shift 2008 flickr photostream here.]

Online Experience

2008-04-08T15:15:00.006-05:00

For the next 3 days, you can follow all of the happenings at the SHIFT 2008 conference over at the Out of Ur blog. April 9-11, we’ll be partnering with Out of Ur to live blog the event, post video highlights from each session, as well as a couple of podcast interviews with conference guests.

If you like the RSS sort of thing, subscribe to Out of Ur here.
Otherwise, check their blog often throughout the conference for regular updates.

Starting April 14, all things SHIFT will be back here at shiftexperience.com.

Until then, we’ll see you over at Ur...

Beyond the Conference

2008-04-08T15:10:00.004-05:00

As you can see from the new site, SHIFT is more than just a conference. It’s an identity. It’s a movement, a way of approaching student ministry.

It’s also a commitment. We’ve spent much of the last year looking at statistics showing that the majority of today’s students will leave the church–and many of them leave their faith completely–within the next 10 years. Youth ministries’ ineffectiveness in students’ spiritual transformation must stop.

As youth workers, you’ve seen the stats, you’ve heard the stories, and you’ve probably seen students from your own ministries who’ve walked away from God, and have made this problem more real to you than just a statistic. I know it has for me.

It all begs the question: Who’s going to do something about it?

At SHIFT, we’re committed to inspiring youth leaders to literally shift the future of youth ministries and to write the next 10 years of church history as a decade when an entire generation of students discover God’s amazing love through his son Jesus, and their place in His story—and in the process, change the world.

How?

First, we’re going to help you identify the shifts taking place in today’s culture, including the barriers (inside and outside of the church) that are keeping students from following God.

Next, we’re going to host experiences that explore these shifts, helping us all discover the changes needed in our own ministries to better meet the needs of the students we serve.

We’re also going to provide resources that expose student ministry leaders to the best thinking, ideas, questions, and practices being offered by those actively shaping the future of the Church and youth ministry.

And finally, we’re going to do everything we can to foster relationships that allow student ministry leaders to learn from one another, and find leadership, mentoring and coaching from experienced veteran youth leaders.

It’s going to take all of us. Really. It’s going to take student ministry leaders, churches, and families all working together to make the shifts needed to help our students become life-long followers of Jesus Christ.

It can be done. With God’s help, together, we can shift the future of student ministry.

[Bo Boshers is the Executive Director of SHIFT / Student Ministries of WCA]

Shifting the Future DVD

2008-04-08T15:07:00.006-05:00

Rapid changes in culture and technology surround us. How should these changes influence our communication and ministry? How might we connect with students today and inspire them to change the world?

We are continually searching for resources to help youth leaders navigate ministry in a shifting culture. We pulled together some of the best teachings we could find and put them on one DVD to encourage and inspire you. Sessions include:

Donald Miller – Sharing the Gospel without Wierding People Out
Dan Kimball – They Like Jesus But Not the Church
Darren Whitehead – Culture: Where It Is, Where it's Going, and What We Can Do About It
Brian McLaren – Shaped by Our Stories
Louie Giglio – Awake to My Journey

Order HERE - RETAIL: $29.99 MEMBER: $23.99

Breakout Handouts

2008-04-03T12:22:00.010-05:00

Chances are you've already received an email, or noticed the new link on the bottom left of the site, but just in case...

In an effort to "go green" this year, we've decided, for the first time, not to print paper copies of breakout handouts for the conference. While some speakers may choose to personally bring print handouts of their own for their breakouts, the only handouts the WCA will be making available will be in PDF format and are now available here.

Please check to see if a PDF is available for the breakout you plan on attending. If you desire a paper copy of the handout, please print it out ahead of time and bring it with you, as there will not be an opportunity to do so once on site at the conference.

We hope you'll appreciate our efforts to conserve paper and print resources, as well as make a number of the handouts available in a convenient digital form.

6 days and counting...

Where Do You Park?

2008-03-31T21:18:00.005-05:00

I used to work for a church where one of the pastors would purposely park right next to the front door. Ok, that doesn't seem so abnormal, but let me continue. Separating the front door and the parking lot was a 90-foot long sidewalk that just so happened to be wide enough for a car to drive on or park. Every day ...no kidding... my pastor would drive his car on the sidewalk and park his car right next to the front door. Now, it wasn't the main entrance to the church, but quite a few people used that door and would have to walk around his car to enter the church. I just thought it was the oddest thing and I always wondered why he couldn't park his car in the parking lot with the rest of us.

Philippians 2:3-5 (Message) says..."Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. Don't push your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. Don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself."

As I remember that parking story and dwell upon those verses in Philippians, I ask myself...Where do I park? I have been in youth ministry long enough to know that one of my major struggles is the Big H. HUMILITY. Humility has definitely been a rough road for me and I have spoken to many youth pastors who struggle with it as well. Often times, I too park too close and forget to think about others around me. This realization hit me hard. What right do I have for pointing my finger at my pastor who parked next to the front door, when I have so many things just like that in my life? I need to make sure I have examined myself and that I reflect a Philippians 2 way of life.

So where do you park? I know that too often in my experiences I have had a chip on my shoulder. I have tried to push my way to the top, and in the process have thought too highly of myself, thought poorly of others and have blown chances where I could have made a difference in someone's life. I know that I have parked MY car way too close to the door. I want to encourage you to keep reminding yourself to live a Philippians 2 way of life and to keep humble. If we do, we won't need to worry about parking too close.

[Jason Raitz is the Group Life Director for Elevate, Willow Creek's Junior High ministry. Jason will be leading Cups of Coffee discussions on both Thursday and Friday morning at SHIFT 2008.]

Shifting to Out of Ur

2008-03-26T15:22:00.002-05:00

If you’re coming to Shift 2008, your experience will carry beyond the day’s sessions, breakouts and activities and onto the Out of Ur Blog, who will be hosting the online component of the conference.

We feel really lucky to be partnering with Out of Ur this way, as they’re basically focusing all of their blogging efforts for three days on what’s happening here at Shift.

Throughout the conference, you can visit Out of Ur for live blogging of the event, online discussion with other attendees, video highlights of each main session, podcasts and more.

And if you’re not able to be at Shift this year, we hope the Out of Ur blog will give you a sense of the ideas, activities, and conversations taking place here in South Barrington.

See you in two weeks. (Here or online!)

New Podcast with Bo Boshers

2008-03-19T10:43:00.006-05:00

We've just posted the latest Shift Experience Podcast, an interview with Bo Boshers, Executive Director of Willow Creek Association Student Ministries. Bo talks about the excitement and challenge of planning a conference like Shift 2008.

To listen to the podcast, click here.

Podcast 06: Bo Boshers

2008-03-19T10:41:00.015-05:00

Our new podcast features an interview with Bo Boshers, the Executive Director of the Willow Creek Association's Student Ministries.

Justice Hits Close to Home (Part Five)

2008-03-17T17:09:00.006-05:00

Think of a parent or two who has really encouraged their own kid, and maybe your entire youth ministry, to be involved in service. How did they catch the vision for kingdom justice?

Sandy Liu (Pastor of Youth and Children at Chinese Bible Church of Greater Boston): One single mom and her kids used to be homeless for a short time. Based on what she shared about her experience being homeless, our church started an annual "Operation Mittens" where we collect and distribute warm mittens, hats, scarves and coats to the street homeless. Having such special people within your community makes the kingdom needs more real and visible to an insulated church.

Cari Jenkins (Founder, 11:29 Project): Through experience. One parent served on a high school house-building trip in Mexico and actually came to know the Lord that year on the trip. The next year, Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana and Mississippi and that parent was one of the first to initiate a plan to build homes and get involved there.

Jeff Mattesich (Associate Pastor of Children and Students at Lake Avenue Church in Pasadena): They are learners—they are always asking, seeking, and changing in their pursuit of a Christ-centered life. Many times, they have a history of being involved in justice issues and they also want their kids to understand the connection between justice and maturity in Christ.

As this roundtable makes clear, fears don’t need to be the driving force behind parents’ responses to our missions and justice endeavors. When we begin to invite parents to be key partners and advocates, justice can start hitting students even closer to home.

[This blog post is the fifth and final in a series provided by Fuller Seminary's Center for Youth and Family Ministry. cyfm.net]

In Praise of Noise

2008-03-10T11:38:00.005-05:00

While talking on my cell phone I’ll occasionally pause mid-sentence to ask the question, “Are you still there?” I have this pervading sense that my voice is disappearing into a silent void. I’ve lost the connection. Seven times out of ten, the person on the other end quickly assures me that they’re still connected. In the past, I’ve chalked it up to a cheap cell phone (which probably accounts for the other three out of ten). However, upon reading A Perfect Mess (by Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman, 2006) , I’ve learned the rationale behind the sensation of silence on the other end of the phone.

When cell phones went digital in the 1990s, engineers figured out a way to manipulate the 1s and 0s and strip out all of the background noise in cell phone conversations. Only the caller’s voice was heard. No longer would the listener have to hear the din of clattering dishes or passing cars in the background. Plus, not having to transmit all the background noise meant a cell phone battery would last longer. Brilliant!

Cell phone users hated the silence. The silence was abnormal and it was annoying. People loathed the sense of engaging in a conversation and having to wonder if the listener was, in fact, truly listening or were they talking to into a cellular abyss.

Cell phone companies discovered that the very background noise they had spent large amounts of time and money to successfully eradicate actually had a purpose. It created a sense of presence. And so technology companies had to figure out a way to add the background noise back in to the call. The term they use for it: “comfort noise.”

There have been many times when I’ve been in conversation with God and have posed the same question, “Are you still there?” When I’ve begged him to intervene with a student who on the verge of making a life-damaging decision… and she makes the wrong choice. Or when I stand on a frozen street corner amid teddy bears, Mylar heart balloons, slowly burning column candles and Xeroxed photos of a thirteen year old boy. A boy who, two nights before, was out playing with friends and slipped on the ice as he was running away from gang members and was bludgeoned to death. And I ask God, “Are you still there?”

I hate the silence of those moments and others like them, which some times seem to occur too often in ministry. I strain my ears to hear the comfort noise that indicates even though I can’t hear his voice; he’s still listening and still connected.

[Ginny Olson is co-director of North Park University's Center for Youth Ministry Studies in Chicago, Illinois, is the author of numerous books, including Teenage Girls: Exploring Issues Adolescent Girls Face and Strategies to Help Them, and is a breakout speaker at Shift 2008.]

New Breakout Speakers

2008-03-05T19:44:00.007-06:00

You may have already heard it on our most recent podcast, but we're excited to have two new breakout speakers added to the SHIFT 2008 lineup.

Mark Miller, founder of The Jesus Journey, and staff member of Life Church in Wheaton, IL, will be leading a breakout entitled "True Religion: Engaging Your Teens in Global Justice". Mark is a highly creative and thoughtful individual, and is the author of the book Experiential Storytelling.

Also, we're extremely fortunate to have Doug Fields, pastor to students at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, and president of Simply Youth Ministry, co-leading a point leader breakout track, "Saddleback Student Ministries: An Inside Look". Doug brings an incredible depth of experience and knowledge to the conference, and we couldn't be more happy to have him with us.

Doug's breakout (like all the other point leader track breakouts) are an incredible time for ministry directors and point leaders to gather in smaller settings (30-40 leaders) for an extended period of time (3 1/2 hrs!). What this means is more opportunity for you to talk with the breakout leaders, ask questions, and share your own ministry challenges and learnings with others.

You can sign up for either a Thursday AM or PM point leader breakout, or save money by signing up for both. For more info, click here.

The Upside and Downside of "The Usual"

2008-03-03T19:54:00.004-06:00

You’ve seen it on TV, or in movies, right? A guy walks into a diner and says, “I’ll have The Usual.” And the person behind the counter knows just what to do. In minutes, they’ve got their “usual.”

All my life I’ve wanted to do that. But here’s my problem: I love variety. So not only do I love to go to different restaurants, coffee shops, diners…but I also seldom order the same thing twice! Makes it pretty tough to have a “usual”!
All that has changed for me recently…

I’ve been having a blast working on some writing projects these days. I’ve been getting up real early in the mornings to write, and I generally head to this great little coffee shop just a mile or two from my house. When I swing open the door, I’m greeted by name…and they often hand me “my” drink. I’m anticipated, recognized, and personally welcomed!

Do the students in your ministry feel that way, too?

I hope most of ours do. One of my biggest worries is for the student who doesn’t sense that. We make it a huge priority to get students connected to a consistent, caring adult in our ministry. We want them to know that at least one specific person is really looking forward to seeing them! No matter how many or how few students in a room, there’s gigantic value in being “anticipated”…and greeted by name.

But there’s also a snag in this concept of The Usual.

I’m not a coffee aficionado, so I’m not too picky about my java. But recently, I really felt like trying a dark roast. However, as I approached the counter, a smiling face was already handing me…The Usual. No big deal, but it made me wonder about times when “familiarity” can be less good in student ministry.

Eric always likes to talk about the Cubs, and he likes that I know his favorite players. But what if this week he’s ready to “try something different?” Maybe even subconsciously, he’s ready to talk about something deeper.

Kayla is happy-go-lucky from a great family. She likes that I joke with her every time she walks in. But what if this week, she’s just had an argument with her mom? If I’m not super dialed in, I can hand her The Usual … and miss a chance to go deeper.

Can we keep the upside of The Usual, while eluding the downside? I think so. But I can’t do it without intentionality. I can’t do it without paying attention to the whisper of God’s Spirit — the One who knows what’s going on inside that student. Often (but not often enough), before I’m around students, I’ll pray that God will give me the ability to make students feel personally welcomed but that He’ll also give me a sense of where to dig deeper in conversation … so I don’t just unthinkingly hand them The Usual!

[Scott Rubin is the director of Elevate, the junior high ministry at Willow Creek Community Church, and will be co-leading a Point Leader breakout, "Our Biggest Mistakes, and the Things We Accidentally Got Right", with Darren Whitehead at Shift 2008.]

Take the Hermeneutics Quiz!

2008-02-29T10:20:00.002-06:00

by Mark Novelli

Last month, we blogged about Scot McKnight’s Hermenuetics Quiz in Leadership Journal. The quiz is now available to take online.

This tool is designed to help Church leaders in diagnosing their own blind spots with Scripture. It is comprised or 20 questions and at the end your score is plotted on a hermeneutic scale ranging from Conservative (20-52), Moderate (53-65), and Progressive (66 or higher).

Leadership Journal’s blog Our of Ur has posted Hermeneutics Quiz scores and thoughts from Dan Kimball, John Ortberg and others!

The online version is available here.

We are excited that Scot McKnight will be joining us in a few weeks at the SHIFT conference to challenge our thinking even deeper!

Podcast 05: Greg Hawkins

2008-02-27T21:56:00.003-06:00

Our most recent podcast features an interview with Greg Hawkins, Executive Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, and author of the recent book Reveal.

Greg Hawkins Podcast

2008-02-27T20:58:00.007-06:00

"We've all seen the the statistics of how many students fall away from the church and God, and I just don't want that to happen. So if we can take the Reveal insights and bring it to folks earlier in their lives...it's probably one of the more important things I could do with my life."

So says Greg Hawkins in the latest installment of the Shift Experience Podcast. Greg is the Executive Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church and author of the groundbreaking research study and book Reveal.

The extensive research Greg and his team have done has led to some incredibly surprising learnings about how people - including students - grow spiritually. In the interview, Greg talks about some of the implications he believes the research has for student ministries, and those who lead them.

Greg will be speaking at Shift 2008 in a Featured Breakout, as well as an extended Point Leader Breakout, in which he'll dive even deeper into the Reveal research, and lead a discussion with 40-50 ministry point leaders about what the learnings mean for their own churches and ministries.