YC 2007

Actually, I was surprisingly impressed by YC. Maybe this was just a good year, but it was far better than I expected. The speakers were excellent (except for one, who was fine, but incredibly forgettable. I say that because I can't remember a thing that he said!). One of the speakers had one of the best puke stories I've ever heard. And yes, his message was good, too.

There were a few items that really stood out. The first was that on the Friday night, one of our youth (who was definitely not a Christian), prayed to receive Christ. It was really neat. He's been coming to our youth group for a while, and has been unofficially adopted by one of our families, which is good because his family has big struggles. They have loved him deeply, he has heard the gospel presented clearly (a few times), and has been welcomed by our youth. So it was a really neat thing to see him take that step. It was textbook, in a lot of ways. He was influenced by the love and actions of Christians, he met and built relationships with the required 6-7 Christians that research indicates is necessary, and he heard the gospel proclaimed a number of times. It's interesting to see that in action, instead of just reading about what it "usually takes" for someone to accept Christ.

The other two things that stood out were the Skillet concert, and the Toby Mac concert. A little too loud for this old man, but other than that, they were incredible. Some groups/individuals really have stage presence, and these were two of them. Highly recommend them to anyone!

I'm out. I have to make preparations to meet with this new Christian and start moving him towards baptism. I'm excited about what God is doing in our group. Not hordes coming to Christ, but opportunities abound to reach more, and to challenge those who are here to deepen their commitment to Christ. God is good. All the time.

Of toilets and Men

The following is from a Maclean's article by Scott Feschuk (May 28, 2007 issue), about luxury toilets produced in Japan.

"The Japan Warm Water Bidet Council (slogan: We Can't Believe We Exist Either!) says it has received 105 reports of toilets flaming or smoking since 1984, usually on account of faulty wiring. In a curious coincidence, the Japan Council for the Screaming of "Holy Crap My Ass Is On Fire!" has also received 105 reports since 1984, usually on account of an ass being on fire."

I laughed so hard that Terra actually had to pause the finale of American Idol to figure out what I was laughing about.

As to the other topic, I have just finished a book called "Why Men Hate Going to Church." It was a very interesting book, and a lot of it resonated with me (and is backed up by the kids in my youth group). A lot of it had to do with songs and sermons being aimed at women (unintentionally, perhaps, but true), as well as needing things like more humour (see the above article) and more challenges, as opposed to focusing on relationships. It was a very interesting read. Guys, do you hate going to church (or some aspects of it?) Obviously, as a pastor I don't hate it, but I can definitely see why other guys might not enjoy it. It gave me a lot to think on, especially as I think about leading these youth of mine into outreach....

Discovering Facebook

I've had a facebook account for about 2 years now. It's mostly just sat there, ignored. Then all of a sudden, in the past month or so, it's exploded to life. Suddenly I have all sorts of people inviting me to acknowledge them as friends. It's kind of weird. I've actually got into the habit of checking on it every day (more so than my blog!) Somehow it seems more personal to send messages back and forth on Facebook than it does through email. Maybe it's just because it's more interactive, or you can see pictures of others. I don't know. Either way, I'm enjoying it.