Wall Street and Main Street are a little financially stressed right now, and it is hard to tell how much of it is real and how much it is perceived.   A few years back, we were losing diocesan office of youth ministry after diocesan office of youth ministry – -  all in a period that was tied into financial world slow-down combined with child abuse pay-outs (which were impacting the collection basket.)

As I sat listening to Obama-McCain last night, I wondered…. Will gas prices affect your annual ski trip or even the parent making the investment to drive a kid out on a Wednesday night?  Will concerns about foreclosures impact NCCYM or Stubenville conference attendance in the next year?  What role does the church play in times that are "anxious" for parents and young people.

I think that I will not watch the fluctuations  of the Dow Jones as much as I will be watching the unemployment rate and keeping my ears open about the fiscal state of my own employers…  But I will be aware that we are living in anxious times, and encourage you to do the same.