As I expected, the NYWC in Atlanta was a great experience. I am guessing I am probably the last to post about it considering we are already two days beyond it.

Aside from the three seminars I facilitated, I had the opportunity to do a bit of consulting in Atlanta. My schedule was tighter as compared to the other cities, which made connecting with friends more difficult, but I love consulting with people so I willingly welcomed it.

Most of the consulting appointments I had were with youth workers grappling with issues like leading change, reculturing, paradigm shifts, learning methods and equipping volunteers. The points of discussion within each conversation provided a fair amount of diversity made for some demanding thinking on my part. It was good to be stretched a bit and to learn more about each of the youth workers’ ministry context. It is always a good reminder to learn how distinctive church-based youth work looks throughout North America.

Although each of my consulting appointments provided diversity in one way or another, there was one rather unsettling common matter that nearly every one of the dozen or so youth workers mentioned. Most (at least 10) of the youth workers I spoke with told me that their relationship with their supervisor (most often their senior or lead pastor) was in some way fractured and in need of healing. I recall that almost all of the youth workers who shared their world with me also went to a seminar that Marko and Mark Riddle facilitated called, Expectations that Killed the Youth Worker. If nothing else, I think that particular commonality may suggest the weight the youth workers (and probably senior/lead pastors) are burdening might be real, mounting and consuming.

BTW – I heard from a number of people that Marko’s and Riddle’s seminar was really good. I am hoping they work it up into a post or an article that we can use as a resource to at least inform people and get or keep them in dialogue with one another.

Although the spoken about splintered relationships had unique nuances it seemed that they were all based around a growing misunderstanding between the supervisor and the youth worker. The misunderstanding centered on the characterizations and perceptions of what “Emergent” and “emerging” is and means and the similarities and differences between the two streams of thinking.

I have been thinking about this … If 10 out of a dozen or so youth workers are considering the need to restore the relationship with their supervisor important enough to raise it as in issue inside the boundaries of a one-hour consulting appt., then how many other youth workers are in the same or similar boat? I think I’ll take the next couple of months of traveling, training and speaking to make some more observations about this. I knew there were some conversations going on between youth worker and supervisor as I have fielded a lot of questions from both over the last 6 months or so. I didn’t have any idea, however, that it could be as widespread as I am thinking it might be… I am not a reactionary or an alarmist but I am concerned about what that state of affairs might mean for the church both in the short term and the long term. Anyway, more on that subject in the days ahead.

Leaving the airport in Atlanta on Monday I was super excited to see my family — having not seen them for 10 days — but I was also feeling a little bummed that the season of conventions was over. It has been great to meet so many like-minded youth workers from all over North America over the last couple of months. I am inspired, challenged, affirmed and blessed to be a small part of the ever-developing movement we call youth ministry.