Looking forward to the National Youth Ministry Conference

I'm totally stoked about the National Youth Ministry Conference coming up in a couple of weeks.

This morning I'm working from home as I try to get a couple of outlines written so that I can hand them off to volunteers to teach while I'm gone. (I'll be gone on the 24th for the Conference and then on March 9th for CIY Middle School Believe.)

I'm pumped about going to the conference for a couple of reasons... but they aren't the usual reasons for going to a conference. I've been to conferences before, but this time it's different...

First... I'm pumped because I get to see some old friends. This conference is being put on by friends... I've already got soft plans to do Skyline with Josh. That will be awesome. But it will be great to catch with Doug, Neely and Jana as well as other PDYM guys from around the country (I'm hoping that Neil will be there... as well as Vince, Joby, Danny, and others are there...). The PDYM Community is a great thing to be a part of and so even if there wasn't any conference going on, I would still show up just to see my friends.

Second... I'm taking along 3 of my volunteers. Jeff and Chris, two of my weekend leaders, and Kathy, one of my small group leaders, are going with me. I remember back in 2004 going to the PDYM Conference at Saddleback with Jackie, my wife. She had never been before. And I remember some of the conversations that we had following that conference were incredible. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity to have those kinds of conversations with some of my leaders.

Finally... I'm looking forward to the recharge. Going to a conference like this is always incredible. There is so much to think about and process. Plus, there's just an energy about being in the same room with 2000 or 3000 other youth workers that is hard to miss. I always look forward to those times of refreshing.

Josh posted this morning about the live bloggers at the conference... of which I will be one... but when he did... I started to think about why I'm so pumped!! And that's why!!!

Jim