Hanging Out

Ok I had an interesting talk with someone the other day. She was upset because we ran a youth event that was simply a games night. There was nothing else - simply games and quite silly games at that. The youth came laughed, played silly games, and went home. This lady was a upset because we didn't pray at the end or beginning of the night. What was amazed me was the reason we had a games night was because we had just finished 40 days of community. 40 days of looking at the importance of community and friendship. Generally each term we start and finish the term with social events - last week we did a good old fashioned photo shot. Again - there was no prayer, no worship, no sermon - simply a social games night. Ok then my thought. Isn't it funny how we see some things as "Spiritual" and some not. We would all say that we value friendship, community and things like that. We would say that God wants it and enjoys it when we share in it. Yet some argue that when we have a night that doesn't involve the three spiritual events of prayer, worship and a message then these nights are seen as pointless and not "spiritual" enough. Now I'm really into prayer, worship and teaching, but what if fellowship and hanging out having fun is just as "spiritual"?

Maybe if we are going to say community is important we need to realise that fun community events are important for their own benefit - even if we don't pray at the end?
Maybe in fact the wider Church needs to learn from the kids and youth here and simply have some nights where it is not monologue based prayer, worship and a message - but rather get together just to laugh and have fun?
Just some thoughts

Til next time
D

Kids Camp

I have just spent the last week at a Kids Camp. Just down the road from where I live is a camp that each holidays has about 90 kids attend cmap for a week. As well as the kids there are the leaders and the L.I.Ts (Leaders In Training). It was a great time - my job was to speak to the L.I.T's. I have attended the camps before but only for a day - as many of the Branded members go down as leaders.....here are a few things that will stay with me from camp.

• Camping: I remember once reading that as youth leaders sometimes the success that can occur at one camp can make as wonder why we bother with all those other programmes that we put on. Sure there is the after camp "high" and then the coming back to earth which at times can involve a bit of thump. But no-one can deny that in the week I just spent real friendships were formed, fun was had and some real commitments to God made.
• Worship: Seeing the young kids worship was something else. The worship was lead by a couple of guys from a band called "Barak Zamer". The cool thing was that they didn;t simply do it by themselves but worked with some of the younger kids and got them involved as well. On the final night Barak Zamer played a new song called "Hurray For Harry" about one of the band members 4 month old son that had died - real powerful song.
• Youth Leadership: USA Speaker Rob Bell presents the case that most of the disciples were probably only teenagers. At this camp with the LIT I was looking at the life of Peter the disciple (although Peter was probably older) which of course had me looking at the disciples themselves. Do we sell the youth short in terms of leadership? Sure the culture and maturity of teenagers in Jesus day (when in fact teenagers didn't exist the whole term and concept of teenagers is very new) and our day may be different. But read the gospels and look at the disciples as teenagers and it can be quite challenging. At this camp most of the leaders were teenagers and it was great to0 see them responding to the responsibility they had been given. Maybe Teenagers are not the Church Leaders of tomorrow? Maybe we need to heed their voice of leadership today?

Anyhow that's all for now

Later

D