When I started this blog, I wanted to talk about the things I learned in

youth ministry, not necessarily my political views. What I’ve wanted to

do is wonder out loud and see what people think.

I have to say that my theological views on one hand are orthodox and on

the other hand, can be rather radical, maybe in a nontraditional way.

Since I got back from the National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC) last

month, I have been reading the book, Mike Yaconelli//Collected Writings.

For those of you who don’t know Mike Yaconelli, he is a veteran of youth

ministry and the co-founder of Youth Specialties.

I got to see Mike talk at the convention when it was in Pittsburgh two

years ago. He definitely makes you think about the things and traditions

that you follow in the church. Not that they are bad, but that they

aren’t the things that make you a Christian. Being a Christian is your

relationship that you have with Jesus. The tradition and ritual can get

you there, but it isn’t the relationship. I see that I am getting away

from what I was talking about.

Okay, so I’ve been reading Mike Yaconelli. So my thing that I try to do

is create relationships with the kids. Trying not to be judgmental

about the things they do, but point out what the bible says and be

supportive without condoning. It was put best today by Rev. Naile in his

sermon today.

He was preaching on the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11). We all

have our baggage that we would prefer not to talk about, but we need to

lay down our stones when it comes to others. By the way, not that Rev.

Naile wasn’t doing a bad job before, but his preaching has moved up

another notch (at least in my estimation) since he came back from his

pastor exchange to England.

I’ve also been listening to and reading some of the things that Rob

Bell, the teaching pastor at Mars Hill Church in Grandville, MI, has put

out as well. His talk at the NYWC about how Truth is everywhere in the

world even outside of what we call Christian and that we need to

communicate to the youth that the things that they are challenged with

as being truth have some truth in it. It is our job to prepare them to

sort it out and claim the Truth as theirs, because if they are in the

body of Christ then it is theirs and ours.