Among Friends...

A week ago Johanna & I headed to Austin for a five day adventure among friends. We went to the National Youth Workers Convention held annually by Youth Specialties. This was my third straight year to go and the second year for Johanna to attend with me. NYWC is basically an extended weekend conference put on by Youth Specialties in order to train, encourage, and minister to those who daily work in the trenches of student ministry. I am a Youth Specialties fan, big time. I think that they challenge youth workers, encourage the hearts of student ministers, and faithfully exhibit the love and grace of Jesus to those of us serving God and students in the local church better than any company or organization out there. That being said, NYWC is, in my opinion, the best thing that they do.
So basically, Johanna and I got to spend the last weekend, plus a day or two, with a few thousand people who "get us." And a lot of times that is really hard to find. At these conferences YS provides tons of seminars to train youth workers in specific areas and they provide great worship times and challenging speakers who both encourage the hearts of youth workers and urge them to keep pressing on. However, for me, the greatest part of the NYWC is that it gives us a chance to be among friends. I had a few buddies that attended with me this year and for some of us it is an annual time to hang out and learn from one another. They are great guys whose friendships I deeply cherish. But it wasn't just those friends that I got to be around. I was among friends, who although I didn't know them and they didn't know me, they got me. They understand why we do what we do. They see the importance of going to a 7th grade B team football game and cheering like it was the Super Bowl. They know why you don't turn your cell phone off at 10 PM. These people understand why we do crazy things like lock-ins and spend weeks away from our families and homes sleeping on the floor on a trip with students. They get it. At NYWC you are among friends. You are with people who understand why, when the pastor or church staff doesn't support you like you want them to, and when parents complain, and when church leaders not only don't get on board the ship but try to stop the ship from leaving the port before it ever gets started, these people at NYWC, they understand why we keep loving students and ministering to them in spite of all the junk that comes with it.
And I must admit, it is always good to be among friends. I assume it is this way with any calling, ministry, and maybe even all jobs, but it seems that when people don't understand you or "get you" it sure makes a job hard. But when they do, it is so encouraging. So THANK YOU, Youth Specialties, for realizing that as youth ministers, we need the time to be among friends. We need the time to be around people who are like us and who face the same stuggles, and hurts, and joys that we do. Thank you for standing in the gap for youth pastors all across this nation and the world. I think that Jesus smiles on you guys at YS because he knows what you do for us that keeps us going.