There’s nothing like a National Youth Workers Convention to jump-start my blogging! So, I will once again attempt to record my thoughts, observations, and notes here…should anyone be interested in reading them.
I came a day early for the pre-convention spiritual retreat, “Coming Home: An Invitation to Rest in God” led by Mark Yaconelli. This also gives me a chance to scout the lay of the land before the rest of our group comes up tomorrow.
This is the first time I’ve been to an NYWC in Atlanta that wasn’t at the World Congress Center. At first I was very disappointed in the new location of the conference, but once I got here I fell in love with it! The Atlanta Marriott Marquis is beautiful, well laid-out, and has great access to plenty of food options that are reasonably priced. In fact, I can walk from the parking garage to the hotel to the Peachtree Center Mall without ever stepping foot outside! I can see definite advantage in having the conference in the hotel! It takes 30 seconds to get up to my room!
Now…on to more weighty matters. My first day of retreat was very meaningful. The Lord has spoken to me and revealed to me some deep things about myself. We spent the day exploring the idea of “coming home,” with God being the one who is always “at home” in our lives. We are the prodigals who wonder away and need to come back home to the Father. We explored our childhood memories of home, we wrestled with the deep fears and longings of our hearts, and we laid ourselves bare to Jesus’ loving attention. I really can’t write any more on this until I have some time to sit with it.
Finally, let me say that I’m thankful the bookstore wasn’t actually open for purchasing anything. I gave it a very thorough look over, and if I could buy anything right now, I’m sure I’d blow a small fortune! There are so many great resources and books there for student ministry and personal growth. So, I’m now going to spend some time narrowing down my selections! Tomorrow is going to be great!
Youth Ministry Matters 