Youthworkers Workshop at Lake Champion

It is always a special treat to go to Young Life’s Lake Champion. I have not been there since I moved on from Young Life in 2006. I was glad to see a number of new buildings and updates. Being there brought back fond memories of helping middle and high schoolers have the best time of their life while discussing the big questions about life. (In the photo above, these are some of the young people I escorted to the camp with a volunteer in 2003. I am 2nd from the right.) Many of the young people I took are now adults who remind me regularly via facebook that they will never forget the experience or our relationship.

Michael and Maria Westbrook were with Young Life when I started in 1999. They have also moved on but continue to maintain a relationship with the campground through their church and youth ministry organization. Michael, Maria along with countless others mentored a small group of area directors that worked in cities as far north as Massachusetts, as far south as Virginia and has far west as Delaware. I was an Area Director in Wilmington, DE for 7 years,

Michael And Maria host an annual weekend for churches and their youth. They asked me to bring my family and do a workshop for some youthworkers.

Here is a summary of the workshop:

  1. Culture shapes our perception and enhances our differences.
  2. Compare Jesus’ day with 2015. Look at the striking similarities (For example, prostitution was legal in 20 A.D. In 2015, pornography is legal.)
  3. How we perceive Jesus, God and the church is impacted by what kind of culture we come from and inhabit.
  4. Give a definition of culture. Where does culture come from? (Gen.2:15-20)
  5. Culture is neutral yet its expression has moral consequences.
  6. List youth assets. Where do adults misunderstand youth because of culture?
  7. How can you develop a ‘Timothy’ if you dont have some understanding of youth culture?
  8. Do you study the culture you are trying to reach? (Acts 17:16)
  9. What traits do you see in youth culture that are positive and negative?
  10. Tools for engaging youth culture.
  11. Use persuasive speech like Peter did that demands a response (Acts 2:14).
  12. Use parables like Jesus did make them think and seek out truth.
  13. Youth will show you how to impact them. The Holy Spirit will show you how to impact them.