In year-ending fashion, we are reviewing the top eight posts of the year.

This and the next post ran one day after another.  It’s a personal moment of pride for me, but then a brief look into where I think we are going…

Thursday, 10 July, 2008
ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE
(All right, at the complete risk of being perceived as self-serving, here’s a story ~)
   Recently, Marko, dropped word of the acknowledgements that he was placing in his next book.  Part of it reads like this: ‘When I was incubating these ideas for a general session talk at the National Youth Workers Convention in the fall of 2007, I posted some questions on my blog. A handful of youth workers were especially helpful in helping me with words to describe what I was thinking about Youth Ministry 3.0. Particular thanks go to D. Scott Miller, Adam Lehman, Len Evans, Gordon Weir, Tammy Klassen, Bob Carlton, Tash McGill, Mark Riddle, Robin Dugall, Daniel So, etc., etc. 
    This has not been an uncommon practice of Marko’s. . . Our local LifeTeen’ers came back from the June LifeTeen Training Convention noting that he had called me out by name related to his sensibility of the role of “communion” in the future of youth ministry. OK, fair enough, play the Catholic card in front of the Catholic folk, but he did the same recently in a sermon at the Journey Community Church in La Mesa, CA (podcast here; name drop occurs after the 24:00 minute mark.)  Marko has been consistent in his acknowledgment.
    How cool is that? 
    Anyway, here’s my life lessons learned through this:  1) I am humbled by Marko’s generosity of gratitude as well as challenged to maintain that attitude in my own life;  2) I am compelled to continue to contribute to the conversations regarding our future ministry with young people (so, that blog ain’t going away anytime soon); and 3) I must find ways to celebrate the blessings and contributions that so very many others provide that nurture and sustain my ministry.

       If you would like to review some of Marko’s thoughts as well as my own, check out the April 2008 series on Youth Ministry Next.  Meanwhile, there is still more immediately following. . COMMUNION: PRELUDE
    Marko starts his presentation by re-telling the fairy tale of the Ugly Duckling. When I speak of the stuff of young people’s need for affinity and the role of “communion” in our future, I start with this clip from Rent. This almost Taize-like rendition of Will I evokes each person’s deepest fears or disconnects: loss of worth, loneliness, that it just may never get better.  We who live with faith and hope and love are haunted by this in others. . . and as we will see (tomorrow) have something more to say.