Two more left
Last night Friday the 13 Charlotte, N.C. What a great night. Kristian ask at the end of the night “Who has felt unloved?” Wow did that transform the room. There was a lot of healing in that room.
Sitting here
JR Vassar is on stage. Conference is flying by. It has truly been a blessing seeing how we as a staff are now from when we started. We are in Pensacola right now. A little smaller crowd but they have been rocking it. OK this was just a check in.
Letter from the Road
I knew a great friend of student life was going to be at conference so I asked after it was all over, “So how did it go?” Well this is what we got. Oh yeah he was in Dallas so if you are in the area give him a shout out. Hey and if you arent too busy he’s got a great resource for Youth Ministers called YMnow so check it out.
LiveLove from the perspective of a Youth Leader and His iPhone
We signed up for LiveLove months ago. We knew the weekend would be special and we were not disappointed. The guys at Student Life hit it out of the park.
Our weekend began at our church parking lot. We loaded up at about 4:00pm and actually left on time — a small miracle in itself. We made our way to FBC Euless and enjoyed a really nice Chick-fila lunch on the grass. After our little picnic, we lined up outside the main auditorium, and ended up being one of the first groups in the room. It was awesome. Our students were excited and they were not disappointed.
The weekend was filled with one experience after another. Experiences that helped our students worship, learn, laugh and take another step closer to understanding what it looks like to be a Christian teenager living in America. Several moments stand out. However, I loved the way Francis Chan ended Friday night and started Saturday morning. On Friday, he ended his talk by painting a picture of a God being worshipped in heaven. The picture was one of extreme reverence. I loved the way he challenged the crowd to spend time thinking about God before we actually start a prayer. He began Saturday by walking out on stage with one of his daughters and simply asking the question, with his daughter in his arms, how many of you feel like your relationship with God looks like this. To me, this was extremely effective and a wonderful picture that so many students need to see and understand.
There were many other highlights … worship with Kristian Stanfil … he was amazing! He was real, transparent, passionate and intense. He really set a great example and challenged us all. We experienced technology at its highest level. The use of video, lights and audio enhanced the entire event and connected with this digital generation. The red man group kicked off Saturday and warmed us up for a wonderful morning. That was one of the most creative moments I’ve ever experienced in a student ministry event. AT2AP was effective and really connected with our students – especially the stages of a relationship skit.
I watched our students engage in each moment and I felt the Spirit of God move all weekend long.
We signed up for LiveLove weeks ago and I’m certain that parts of the weekend will live in the lives of our students for years to come. Francis Chan told the truth and our students were presented with a loving God who not only loves, but also is to be worshiped with everything we have.
Our weekend was a great experience and I’m so glad Student Life addressed this issue … if we would love the way the Bible commands us to love our world would be changed forever.
Scott
If you have a story let me know. Email it to creative@studentlife.net and put Student Life Conference in the subject line.
Next up
If you were in Houston then you may have seen me. Who is “me”? Well, I’ll let you figure that out later. It was a pretty rocking time. I did have one question to ask some of the guys. What happened during one of the songs? You guys may know what I’m talking about if you listened carefully. Here’s the story I got. Talk about inside information. Well, Kristian had asked the band to start in a different key for a certain song. They all did what was asked except one thing…Kristian forgot he asked them and well…he started a little differenet. Ah the sound of notes clashing. Well they all had a laugh and I was told that it was something with the audio that “we” needed to fix….Funny guys real funny. Anyway it was a good time had by all. Francis brought it. “Dont waste your life” I have someone else to introduce to you. Brad. Brad has been directing for the past couple of events…you saw him on stage giving out instructions and blah blah. Enough of that. Thanks Brad for the past three weeks.
1. What’s your name and your job.
Brad Barnett. Ministry Event Director
2. How long have you been working for student life.
I’ve been with Student Life for just over a year and a half.
3. If you weren’t doing this what would you be doing.
Either Collegiate Ministry or I’d like to think I’d be good at flipping houses.
4. What do you like about tour this year?
I’ve enjoyed hearing the positive feedback from youth ministers about their students connecting with this theme. Oh, and the musical has been great!
5. What is one cool thing that happened this weekend?
There was a group that stood up and cheered in Dallas every time we mentioned our mission partner countries. It’s just cool to think that this generation of teenagers is much more aware of the needs of those around the world than I was when I was in high school.
6. What do you like about the theme this year?
I like this theme because it forces students to consider the ramifications of their actions on the non-believing world. Students are forced to consider the link between their faith in Jesus and the love they show others as a result of this theme. The implications of students grasping this truth and living it out has the potential to change the face of Christianity in towns and schools across the U.S.
7. What is the toughest thing about being on the conference tour?
It’s a lot of fun traveling, but you don’t really get to do any sightseeing. I wish we got to sleep a little more and get out and see the town.
If you have pictures from any weekend send them into creative@studentlife.net
Jared Brown
Many of you wont know this but for the past three events you have had one of the best in the room. Jared a ministry event director has been leading the team for the Student Life Conference tour. To give you a little taste of who he is I asked him a couple of questions. Well this is what he shot back.
1. What’s your name and your job.
Jared A Brown
2. How long have you been working for student life.
This is my first year full time…. sixth year to be working though.
3. If you werent doing this what would you be doing.
I would either be trying to get my masters or trying to work for Compassion International. If I couldn’t do either of those I would try to get on with some sort of justice/missions organization
4. What do you like about tour this year?
I enjoy the theme and the opportunity to have conversations with youth and adults and to in some way lead them to a relationship with Christ or a deeper faith in Him. The theme of Live Love gives a great platform for this.
5. What is one cool thing that happened this weekend?
I was talking to a youth minister whose group sponsors 12 Compassion children. The cool thing is that they started sponsoring their first child last year at the tour. So they started sponsoring 12 more through out the year.
6. What do you like about the theme this year?
It is great to have the youth of America see the terms Christ calls them to follow. This concept of loving is taught to our youth but it seems so foreign to them and adults because our mentality is built around how can we one up everyone around us. I love the idea of 1John 3:17 that is being taught.
7. What is the toughest thing about being on the conference tour.
Leaving a team I have built relationships with after only 3 events. I don’t like that we have put all this effort into our relationships and the trust level that has been built and then it is gone and I pass them off to some one else.
On a side note. I’m looking for pictures of the student life tour. If you took pictures this year pass them on and I’ll start posting them. Send them to creative@studentlife.net
What a day
Today we had our first event for the student life tour. What a wild ride. Most if not all the elements went off without a problem. With it being the first stop there are sometimes hiccups. The team though rocked it. Kristian did an incredible job. Stuart brought it and the drama team did sweet. The musical that was written by our own Erin Moon was performed for the first time this week. You should have seen the nerves she had. OK well on to the photos. I’ll try and put up more later. If you weren’t in the room get ready. On a side note Kristian is one step closer to the full album. In the next post we will talk more about that.
What a great message
Brian I hope you don’t mind. I’m re-posting your comment. Thank you for walking with us through this.
“I really understand envying those people in the schools and those that get to spend the majority of time with the students each week. I also realize that when I do have time to spend with the students, I am usually busy doing all the church program stuff that needs to be done. I look like the dad who is always too busy to really spend time with his children who to be quite honest could care less what he’s busy doing for them, they just want to spend time with him. God posed a question to my heart a couple of days ago. “Do you really really care about these students, or do you really really care about being a great youth pastor?” I don’t know if that resonates with anyone else like it does to me, but I really feel like if I care about these students I would take the time to re-write my job description and make sure that most of my time is spent in their worlds and not mine, where I can actually “live love” with them. Many of our churches might not understand that because we’ve forgotten and neglected the power of “living love” and gotten too busy doing stuff for the church instead of being a part of the church. In the same way we are busy doing stuff for God instead of being a part of Him and letting Him love through us in a way that does far more than we could ask or imagine, greatly exceeding the work of our minds and hands in all of our programming and being culturally relevant. These all can be important in our world of ministraaaa, but none even remotely as important as being in their lives, knowing who they are and “living love” with them.
I look forward to an amazing tour. Thank you so much for being faithful. ”
Brian Hinna
And so it starts
So the team is off to Boone NC and yes its a cold one. Before they left they had to call the the trucking company to help start the truck it was -6 last night. It may have been colder than that but you get the point. They will travel all day and meet you guys up there. Drive safe. And now a little taste. Watch until about 30 seconds you’ll get a little surprise.
Live Love Loop from Student Life on Vimeo.
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