EVER THE ROAD GOES ON

Living the questions and trying to think theologically... and practically. Learning that these things are more synonymous than I once thought.

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Location: Dallas, TX

Friday, November 26, 2004

Youth specialties

I haven't told you anything about recruiting at Youth specialties yet. It was long and crazy but really good. Working a booth at a conference like that is nothing like attending a conference like that. I would much rather be an attendee, but that costs major moolah.

Highlights of the trip include:

1. Seeing people from all four summers of camp. I seriously lost count of how many staffers, coordinators, and youth ministers I reconnected with. There were also lots of familiar faces from my days on the youth ministry circuit in Mississippi.
2. Hanging out with Kristen Richardson. I'm her newest fan. We were the only girls on the trip, and we got to stay at the posh Omni Hotel. It was a blast.
3. Hearing Tony Jones talk about theology. Tony is a big voice within Emergent. He's currently getting his Ph. d. In theology at Princeton. He talks a lot about practical theology, and not being a huge fan of any of the theology classes I've had thus far, I can honestly say there is no one who I would rather hear talk about the subject. He super academic and very practical at the same time. He's got two books out thus far but they are both more about youth ministry than theology. I expect to see more from him as soon as he can finish his degree.
4. Hanging out with Toni Crowder. I told myself before I left for the trip that I would make a special effort to hang out with the David Crowder Band. (In case you don't know, they are the worship band at my church, the best church in world, University Baptist in Waco.) I helped her set up her table and sell some CD's and shirts. She's a fun gal.
5. Experiencing Crowder Mania. Yes, this summer taught me that these guys were more popular than I knew, but nothing prepared me for what I experienced at Youth specialties. You would think David Crowder was like Elvis Presley or something. I couldn't tell if people were really worshipping or freaking out because it was The David Crowder Band. They sang the same songs and carried themselves the same way as they would on any Sunday at UBC. The crowd went nuts when these guys came on stage. Cademon's sang right before them, and the audience response was nothing compared to Crowder's. It was a surreal experience for me. Maybe people just don't know what to do when they hear praise and worship songs that are actually good from a musical standpoint. Oops, did I just say that?

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