What is Yosemite Summit? It’s hard to describe. It’s not just another children’s ministry conference. It’s not just a retreat, it’s something incredibly unique and life transforming. It’s an encounter with God – an encounter with creation – an encounter with yourself – and great fellowship with other children’s pastors.
If it’s not a children’s pastor’s event – some ask me why I limit it to children’s pastors (or CM professionals). It’s a fair question. It is because I believe that there are unique challenges that we face as men in children’s ministry that only children’s pastors understand and we need each other to face and overcome them.
I’ve faced many of them (not always victoriously) and created this event as a way to share what I’ve learned and provide a safe and unique opportunity for men to come together – unplugged from both the demands of ministry and the busy pace of life (and electronics!) to face some things they may have never faced before and come away with a totally new perspective on themselves, their families and their ministries.
Yosemite Summit changes men in ways you can’t understand until you’ve been here. And it is only open to a very small group of men each year. And every year, I’ve had one or two come back – which is the highest compliment I can get, that it is a powerful event. Much of the feedback is too personal to post on this blog. Though some have shared. In these posts:
If you page through the posts on the YosemiteSummit.org blog you will find many quotes from the guys who have been on this event – and how it has impacted their life, and I will be posting more from last year in the weeks ahead. But here is one that truly blessed me from this year from a Summiteer who asked to remain nameless, but that is typical of the e-mails I receive from the guys who have joined me on this trip – but let me say first – the credit for God working on Yosemite Summit does not go to me. I start each Summit letting the guys know, I am not the leader, just the inviter, facitator and organizer – after that, I am a fellow participant with them. After all, I created this event after discovering how much I needed this myself. God is our Host, Jesus our Guest Speaker and the Holy Spirit is our Guide.
The final quote I wanted to share:
Thanks for giving me a place where I could hear the voice of God and thanks for helping me change my life. Yosemite Summit will be a major defining moment in my life, that as long as I live, I will see Yosemite Summit as the single event that allowed me to look inside my life and see what needs to change to make a difference in the lives of my wife and my kids. Indebted to you for life because Yosemite Summit made a difference that I haveneeded for so long. Living Yosemite Summit each day from here on.
- A Yosemite Summiteer, 2010
There are only 8 spots for Yosemite Summit and THREE have already been verbally spoken for, for the 2011 Summit. Registration will be openning September 1st. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of this life-changing event.
Don’t miss the Highlight Video at the end of this post!
(Remember, click any image to view larger!)
The Yosemite Summit 2010 Gang!
This year Yosemite Summit came for me in the midst of a very busy schedule, which is why I haven’t been able to do a report for over a month. In fact, had it not been for Yosemite Summit, I would not have ever slowed down! Which is exactly why Yosemite Summit exists, as I wrote about in Built in Pit Stop. Before Yosemite Summit, there were seasons in my life when I didn’t ever slow down! Yosemite Summit has taught me to slow down, in fact, it has taught me the power of stopping. Actually, Yosemite Summit played a major role in my moving my family to Colorado so I could live a state where the pace is slower and where stopping is easier… though I am still learning to apply it on a monthly basis. If you are a kidmin professional in Colorado, ask me about my Colorado Hiking Club, The Fellowship of the King!
This year’s Summit brought together seven guys from around the country. Two returned from last year, which is always encouraging. We didn’t fill the event, and I’m sure that the economy had an impact as this isn’t an inexpensive endeavor. So right up front I want those reading this who would have liked to come, that I have asked my board of directors to allow Kidology to subsidize this retreat in 2011 at a loss so that it can be more affordable. That’s right – I’m willing to lose money so that this ministry to children’s pastors can be more accessible to the men who need this retreat. So when registration opens in August, you will see a new lower cost for registration. The cost to Kidology is the same – but the cost to attend will be lower!
Yup, we had our first official meal at the Iron Door Saloon!
Every year I learn from the previous years, and this year I had us start out earlier on Sunday so we could have lunch at the historic Iron Door Saloon – a very cool restaurant. This 102 year old Saloon has a lot of fun history and a ceiling covered in one dollar bills! The secret to getting one up there, we learned, was wrapping a bill around a quarter and a thumb tack and throwing really hard. We proved terrible at it! The advantage to our early start was that we were able to get on to Yosemite early – only to be greeted by rain and at the usual “first stop” glimpse of Half Dome, it wasn’t even visible!
Because of the rain, we decided to cancel our planned hike to Inspiration Point, and just do a tour of the Valley from the inside of our van, and just hope for some dryness the next day. I hide my acute disappointment from the guys reminding myself that planning a hike on Sunday was an “extra” – we’d never hiked on Sunday the previous two years, so we weren’t really losing anything, though I had really hoped to this year, and we had worked so hard to get here early. The “planner” in me was so frustrated, but I just kept praying and asking God to help me release trying to control this event, and let Him handle the details.
After touring the Valley (something we usually don’t get to do on Sunday, so that was nice) we continued on to our goal of Tunnel View on the way to the lodge and met with another obstacle! Due to an accident, the Tunnel was closed “until further notice.” This meant the only route to our lodge was cut off! We had nothing to do, but… hike up the trail to Inspiration Point since the trail head just happens to be at Tunnel View. Since the rain was spotty, and we were stuck, we figured we had nothing better to do, and sitting in the van wasn’t what any one wanted to do, so a hiking we went!
And God was in it! The rain cleared, and we had a spectacular hike that we probably would not have done had the tunnel been open, due to the rain, and the views where spectacular… as were the rainbows:
Yosemite Valley with an El Capitan Sized Rainbow
I have told the guys every year, that each year God does something unique to make each Yosemite Summit special – and already, even before we reached the lodge, He was doing it! We were getting rainbows as tall as El Capitan! And in the waterfall of Brideveil Falls:
Brideviel Falls with Rainbow
It was truly one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen – to see such splendor with my own eyes on display, like God was just painting on the canvas of his Earth. As I have said a thousand times… Yosemite is where God shows off, and He was doing it on this day! And here’s the amazing thing. After God gives us this amazing hike to Inspiration Point and the spectacular rainbows on the way down, the Tunnel is open again and there is no sign of any back log. It’s like God closed it so we would do the hike. (Granted, there is a lot more going on in God’s economy than just our little retreat, I’m aware of that, but He worked sovereignly through whatever else was going on, to help make our retreat even better.)
Summiteers Ready for the Mist Trail to Nevada Falls
Due to unseasonably cold weather and snow, this was the first Summit where Glacier Point Road was closed. That meant no upper Yosemite hikes – a bummer, but it also meant some new trails we’ve not tackled before, and I was excited about that. But we started out with the classic favorite of Yosemite, the Mist Trail. However, if you know Yosemite, you know “Mist” is an understatement!
The Guys at the Top of Nevada Falls
This is a hefty hike, but well worth it! But don’t worry wives, we never do anything dangerous or risky!
Scott attempting a short cut
This next picture has a funny story to it. From the top, I thought it was a huge solid boulder. I went out on it, sat down, and planned to do my devotional reading. Due to the view, I asked fellow Summiteer Brent to take my picture, which he did. And then he said, “I’m not leaving until you get off that rock.” I honestly thought to myself, ‘What’s his problem? It’s just a rock, so what if its near the water? Now I can’t read here.” But got off the rock for his (wimpy) peace of mind. It wasn’t until I was going through his photos later and saw this and asked him, “Was this when you said you wouldn’t leave until I got off that rock?” Funny thing, perspective!
Me Standing on Diving Board?
But now I am faced yet again with the challenge of “reporting” on Yosemite Summit? How do I describe this event to those who were not there? How can I give you a taste through words or pictures of something you need to experience to truly understand?
Brent relaxing by Merced River
How does one describe sitting and relaxing by a river – that feeling of all your worries, all your responsibilities, all your to-do and must-have-dones just flowing down stream? One of my favorite moments of Yosemite Summit is on Saturday evening when I say to all the guys “Your Fired.” I get to be Donald Trump for a moment and release them from their ministry. I give them permission for the next several days to no longer be a pastor. They are invited to just be a child of God. A husband. A dad. And nothing more.
Pat leaning on a rock leaning on The Rock
You might be able to imagine what it’s like to not DO your job for a few days… but at Yosemite Summit, you are challenged to not even think about it – to not talk about it – to not even pray about. To completely release it as though you are no longer a children’s pastor. because as far as God is concerned, you aren’t for those days. He just wants YOU.
Scott feeding the wild life
The squirrels are nuts in the public eating areas! We had fun feeding them. You might remember the video from my sabbatical of them climbing up on me as I feed them!
Travis makes a friend
These little guys are fearless! I was having fun getting pictures of the squirrels with the other guys… but I made a tragic mistake in doing so! I left my sole cookie unattended! We pack light for these hikes, so I packed only ONE cookie for the entire day, and I am still holding a grudge against the squirrel that grabbed my ENTIRE GIANT COOKIE and ran off with it!
The EVIL Squirrel that STOLE my Cookie!
But the hike must go on! After the Mist Trail, we still had a forecast of a huge storm heading into Yosemite, so on the next day, we did something new, I gave each of the guys a “Free Day” in the Valley. Some did Mirror Lake (especially those who were new to Yosemite) and I attempted Upper Yosemite Falls, with proved to be the most difficult hike I’ve ever done. Due to the difficulty and stopping so often for photography, I didn’t make it to the top, but I made it to the last spot you can see the falls – after that hikers told me there was little to see for another hour and I knew I wouldn’t make it there, and back down by our meeting time, so I chose a slow descent so I could enjoy it. Pat and Travis, however, made it not only to Upper Yosemite Falls, but beyond to Yosemite Point! So I promised here in the report to declare them the Highest and Fastest Yosemite Summit Hikers in Yosemite Summit History! That is a climb of 2625 feet in one day! Pretty amazing! Everyone seemed to enjoy the freedom of the second day, so I think we will definitely do that again.
The highlight for me is always spotting bears! The first year, it was something of a God Thing as I was looking for a bear the entire trip, as you can read about in this post: A Prayer Bearly Answered
Yosemite Brown Bear (technically a black bear)
Last year, we saw a bear, but it wasn’t nearly as exciting, since it was digging through the garbage at Glacier Point, but hey, a bear’s a bear, right? Let’s not get picky!
So this year, I started out praying that again I’d get to see a bear, and I think God just decided to bless my socks off and get it out of the way right away with not one, but TWO! In fact, later, we’d hear of bear sightings and just go, “yeah, yeah,” and drive on by! But before that, I would chase into the woods after them to get picks!
The one above was our first bear (I call him brown, but ALL bears in Yosemite are black bears… yeah, the dangerous type!) The second one, everyone was photographing and you couldn’t get a good shot, so I just decided to be patient. Eventually, he ran off into the woods and I followed. Yeah, I know. He jumped up into a tree. I have photos of all this too. I walked right up to him, talked softly to him, and then got some great pictures. Here is one of them. Then I thanked him and left.
The Black Bear I followed up into a Tree
When I got back to the van, the guys asked me if from now on, I would please at least leave the van keys behind when I did this sort of thing!
Can you spot the bear in this picture?
The bear in this picture I managed to capture! I got pictures of him all over Yosemite! I then brought him home and gave him to my son. Not sure if the Yosemite Rangers would approve, but I wanted my son to have something from Yosmite – we named him Yobear. You can see all the pictures of Yobear in this Facebook Album.
On the Hike that Shall Not be Named
However, it was on the third full day that we began what would be the highlight of the trip for me, for we discovered what I believe is the GEM of Yosemite National Park. We had planned to go to Hech Hechy, but due to the impending storm – we had to choose something else. We considered several alternatives… but I settled on a hike I had read about and researched, one that many hikers claimed was the “best kept secret of Yosemite.” It was a risk to lead my group on something unproven, but since it promised few tourists, and our goal is solitude and worship, I decided it was worth the risk. BOY OH BOY! Did we hit the nature treasure chest! And I plan to help KEEP it the best kept secret of Yosemite!
Therefore, I will not be posting the name of this hike or trail on this website. Don’t get me wrong. I am more than happy to share the name of the hike with anyone who asks me, I just don’t want to post it for random web surfers to save the trail for sincere hikers. But this trail is AMAZING! It is moderately easy to hike – has non-stop cascading waterfalls – beautiful scenery – wandering animals – beautiful landscape as far as the eyes can see – and no one else to share it with! And at the summit (which only two other Summiteers joined me at!) is the most wonderful, beautiful land of the lost of rivers and waterfalls and trees and… oh, boy. It’s indescribable. Let me just show you some pictures.
Part of your journey is through lush forests
Hiking through lush forests where it is so peaceful and never did we see another hiker…
There are these amazing stone stair cases
Then at times we climbed stone stair cases like out of Lord of the Rings overlooking a valley to our left, it was incredible!
The waterfalls just never end
It was just waterfall after waterfall, many you could walk right up to and put your hands right into them!
Water falls you can walk right up to
While the elevation gain was significant, the climb never felt steep, as the trail would wander off into the woods to make the ascent more gradual and moderate unlike the switch backs of the Yosemite Valley which can be brutal and steal from the enjoyment of hiking.
The Waterfall that Shall Not be Named
These waterfalls are more of a system of falls than merely one fall that an entire hike is built around. Just incredible!
Travis Looking Out Over the Scenery
The trail is clear, and yet there are many places to wander off the trail to get a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside.
Wild life greeted us as we hiked
The wild life did not seem concerned at all to see us and simply stood still and looked at us as we took pictures and then walked by.
The power of these falls was amazing
There was an entire system of falls right way, so there was an early reward for hiking, then we had lunch by another system of falls, and then at our destination, there was even more falls, and finally, at the Summit there is rivers to wade it and even more falls when we travel farther in 2011 then we were able to this year. (There was rain and hail coming, and most of our group turned away 100 feet short of the summit and only myself and two guys got to actually see the summit this year. It was a huge surprise we didn’t even know was there! Next year, I am planning extended time up at the summit.)
Chillin' out along the way
The trail was simply beautiful and enjoyable and as I said, moderate and not nearly as difficult as many of the Valley trails.
A river that will soon drop to the valley below
You can not see it here in this picture, but getting on to this rock, I was a little nervous, for the big rock was slick, and that river flows just a little ways and then drops a loooooong way to the valley below! We are at the very summit WAY up top of a huge mountain we hiked all day to arrive at. The day was overcast and it would be raining and hailing by the time we were hiking down. It was a bummer not to be able to stay up there longer – but to have discovered such an incredible place was an amazing GIFT from God to me, and to the Guys of Yosemite Summit 2011! As we will be leaving EARLY one morning, hiking up there, making a camp fire, cooking up hot dogs, and spending the day up there, and spending an incredible Day with God on this Summit!
It was on the hike up to this Summit that God spoke to me about some things in some very clear and precise ways, and on the way down that that He and I did some business about some stuff we’ve been wrestling with.
God speaks in unique ways at Yosemite Summit – in ways that He often can’t in any other context. As we were hiking down the mountain on this final day, one of the guys shared with me that he was feeling the heavy weight of the burden of his own sin when it began to rain - at that same moment, the song Healing Rain began to play in his headphones – as though God was telling him – “I am washing away your sins on this very hike” – ironically, as he hiked in the rain he could see sunlight shining down below where the hike had begun and he remembered where he had begun – and he told me later he felt a new energy in his step and when he got to the waterfalls at the end he felt he was healed of the past memories and bad choices. He told me “I believes that the past is forgiven and forgotten by the ONE who opened the heavens with sunshine all the while sending HIS healing rain just for me.”
That is what Yosemite Summit is all about. It is about getting away to hear from God. It isn’t about hiking in the great outdoors. It isn’t about getting great pictures of God’s Creation. It isn’t even about great fellowship – though you get all of those – it is about getting away and hearing from God. I hope you will consider joining me for Yosemite Summit 2011.
Yosemite Summit 2010 is now history. I’m sitting in the airport waiting to come home. E-mail and work will still need to wait until Tuesday (sorry), my family is eager to spend some time with me.
It was, as always, an amazing week. I did both my hardest hike ever (Upper Yosemite Falls) and discovered the most amazing, most incredible, most mind-numbingly beautiful hike in Yosemite that we did when when weather caused us to cancel our original plan to head to Hech Hechy due to its higher elevation and possible road closures. I’ll perhaps write more about it later, but online it will only be referred to as “The Trail That Shall Not Be Named” since it is by far both the best trail in Yosemite and the least known. You’ll have to ask me personally for its name and location, and yes, I will tell you, I’m just not posting it online for random web surfers to read! I’d like to help keep the trail traffic low!
But aside from the amazing hikes and scenery, it was a fantastic week of rest and time with the Creator. We enjoyed good fellowship, encouraging conversations, prayer and enriching friendships that were born or deepened. I’m always a bit sad and down when Yosemite Summit is over because I don’t want it to end!
But, at the same time, I’m very eager to get home to my sweet wife and little boy. Soon!
Just letting y’all know, that from this Saturday night through next Thursday I will be COMPLETELY off line. No e-mail, no cell phone, no facebook, no twitter, no nothing electronic, except worship music on my iPod shuffle and my Sony Alpha 350 digital camera enjoying Yosemite Summit with several other guys.
Many people joke that going offline must be ‘torture’ for me, and they forget I created this event. This may come as a shock to some, but while I very much ENJOY ministry and serving others and am comfortable ‘in the spotlight’ I do not crave it, I am, in fact, an introvert and crave being alone and feed off being disconnected and long for times like this.
So, fear not, I’ll be back, for it is my Calling from God – but I’m very much going to enjoy the next few days and will not be bothered a bit that my inbox, voicemail, and snail mail box will be piling up while I am away.
I appreciate your patience while I recharge!
PS: I’m also testing mobile blogging from my iPad here, lets hope this worked!
Is life crazy busy for you? Have you tried to get it in balance and failed? Have you strived for margin and seen it fill up over and over with church and other stuff and fought to get it out again? Have you wondered, “Can I ever win this battle to get control of my life?!”
Me too.
But at least something is different now. I have a built in pit stop in my life, called Yosemite Summit.
Every May, me and eight other children’s pastors (or ministry leaders) go to Yosemite National Park for a complete break-away from ministry to just fellowship with each other and focus on our relationship with God and our relationships with our wives and kids. And nothing else.
and…
We WALK AWAY FROM IT ALL. I’ve had to accept that while I will always be working on it, I will never master getting my daily life or week under control. There is just too much to do all the time. But at least I can look forward to once a year, every year, when I walk away from it all for four glorious days when I just enjoy God’s incredible creation in THE most spectacular place on earth. (Seriously, it is!)
If you are stressed out and thinking you don’t have time for Yosemite Summit – than YOU are exactly who DOES NEED Yosemite Summit, and believe me, not only can you leave everything and it will be waiting for you when you get back – but you will be different when you return, and everything will be lighter when you pick it upon your return, for reasons I can’t explain until you join me there…. it’s kinda a secret until you arrive and experience what happens on this retreat.
There are only THREE SPOTS LEFT on Yosemite Summit 2010. I know the economy has been rough and many church budgets have been cut. I have to pay for these spots no matter what. So if you need a scholarship to attend this event, please contact me and let me know. I will personally assist you so you can join us. I want to see this event filled with eight children’s pastors who need this retreat. You have no excuse not to come – if you need Yosemite Summit – you need only step out in faith and register to attend.
Why not trust God and build this Spiritual Pit Stop into your busy life? Your family and your SOUL will thank you… and so will your Savior.
I’m excited to be heading to Canada in May for the Kid Builders children’s ministry conference in Ontario. It is looking to be a wonderful gathering of practical trainers bringing a wide variety hands-on skills for leaders and volunteers who are in the trends of ministry to children. If you are one of the many who have e-mailed us asking when the next Kid U is, this will have the feel of a Kidology University in the quality of speakers and desire to provide real help to children’s workers. I’m honored to be a part of this event.
Friday Evening, May 7th – Family event, open to the public! Come experience the humor, comedy and story telling of Karl Bastian live! Lions and Bears and Fire, OH MY! (The Power of Story why TODAY is the Best Day of Your Life!)
Saturday Morning, May 8th, General Session – Kidology 101 – Shooting Straws and Other HIgh Tech Ministry Techniques!
Saturday Afternoon, General Session – YOU! The Missing Piece in a Children’s Spiritual Puzzle
Saturday Eventing (Leaders Only) – Putting the “Pastor” Back into your Job Description
Sunday Morning Worship Service, May 9th (open to the public) Shepherding the Hearts of God’s Children
I hope that you will be able to join me and the other wonderful speakers that will be gathering a Kid Builders in May – it is shaping up to be a fantastic conference! Don’t miss this first annual event! There is just something exciting about having been at the first one. Years from now, you can say, “I was at the first one!”
Why go back to Yosemite? I prayed about the opportunity and tossed it around for a while. Would this year match the experience I had last year? Would it be better? Would it not be as good? There were so many reasons to go back and really no reason to not go.
The number one reason to go back – I know that I need the time away. I love what I do, don’t get me wrong. But throughout the year, the emotional stress can wear you out. The “normal” people issues that come up can wear on your soul, especially when the people are not just bodies in the congregation but are your friends, your family, your brothers and sisters in Christ. I know that I need the time away to leave the work of ministry behind, to leave the daily tasks behind, and to focus on ultimately what is most important, my own personal relationship with Christ.
Words cannot describe the feeling you have when you are 8,000+ feet up, looking over God’s awesome creation and it is just you, Him and His Word. God revealed things to me during the week at Yosemite that I was not expecting.
The time away last year allowed me to refocus my life and set my eyes on what was most important once again. I am looking forward to the time once again to refocus my life and to continue to grow as a child of God.
The opportunity to get with other guys from across the country and share life together was amazing. We all shared the common ground of children’s ministry but it was great to get to know each other, pray for each other, and encourage each other in our personal walks with Christ. I am looking forward to that fellowship again this year.
The cost was an issue that I had to weigh out. But when it came down to it, I could spend the money going to conferences getting new ideas for ministry or I could spend the money and take the time away I need to grow in Christ and re-energize my walk with Him.
I don’t know about you, but I have so many ideas that I don’t know what to do with them all. And the thing is, if I am pouring my energy into ministry and not taking care of my own relationship with Him, those new ideas are not going to take off anyway. Over the last couple years I have been doing what I can to do what I have always known, to put my relationship with God before my ministry. This is easier said than done, especially during the day to day things of life. Yosemite Summit is a great way to get away to leave the other things behind for a week and focus on what is most important.
Whether we realize it or not, we all need this time away with God. We fool ourselves into thinking that it is not a good time. We tell ourselves that we have too much going on. The things is, when don’t we as children’s pastors have too much going on? When are we just waiting around with nothing to do? There is always something to do!
There is never going to be the “best” time in our eyes to leave things behind. But as I came to the conclusion last year and this year, I need this time more than I need to hold the next event for the children. I need this time more than the next new activity or idea for the children’s ministry.
I realized that I needed to trust God and that He would provide the way to get things done that needed to get done – He would clear the path even if issues came up while at Yosemite. So with that said, I look forward to the discussions God and I will have on that mountain top. I look forward to the time with Him. I look forward to the continued strength from Him and how I will grow closer to Him that week. It will be an awesome week. Don’t miss it.
I’m always bummed when CPC is over. I’ve lost track of how many IN A ROW I’ve been to – but it’s over 30! Since 1995 I’ve not missed a single CPC at any location! So that’s at least 30, but for awhile there, they had 3 a year so its well over 30! It doesn’t matter whether I’m speaking, exhibiting or “just” attending, I’m there. CPC is THE place to be.
Don’t get me wrong – there are a LOT of other great conferences. I’m not knocking any of them! Go to them if you can. Each had a unique focus and purpose and I like the intimacy of small conferences. Some I still want to get to and have been unable to. But I don’t skip CPC to go to them. I go to them only if I can go in addition to CPC. But I’ll leave it at that, if you want all the reasons I attend CPC, read this post.
It was a great conference, and I’ll be posting more pictures in the weeks ahead, but tonight I just want to post the funnest moment. (Yes, I know that ‘funnest’ isn’t a word, but my parents gave up on convincing me of that years ago!)
While I was at the D6 booth, I saw they had this giant pillar of box as part of their display – and since I’m speaking at the D6 Conference this fall, I thought it would be cool to get a promo picture of myself inside the pillar of boxes… but HOW to get inside the pillar of boxes?
JUMP! (of course!) Watch this video to see if I make it in a single bound or crash in a pile of limbs and boxes! (This was originally intended as a twitter stunt, as you’ll hear me say on the video)
They gave me a A- for touching the boxes so I did it again later without touching the boxes, but someone else filmed, (INCM staff) when I get that footage, I’ll post it to prove it! (I was given an A+ that time!) LOL
Here I am trying to be more serious. Come to D6 people! D6 is focused on helping the church connect with the home to bring back the Deuteronomy 6 model in this fast paced modern era where we have allowed the church to do the parents job of raising spiritually mature children. It’s for church leaders of any age group, pastors, teachers, parents and anyone who wants to engage in the challenge. I hope to see you there!
The Kidology Gathering was a great time of fellowship! Thank you to everyone who dropped by! It is always nice to put faces with e-mails, see old friends and meeting new folks. It was also nice of the restaurant to unlock the doors for us, since starting this year they closed early!
Probably the greatest moment was when Barney Kinard got to meet the mother of a child he led to Christ over 16 years ago and she gave him a big hug and a thank you in the center of the circle! What a reminder that we never know when we will get to see or hear about the fruit of our efforts!
BACK TO ORIGINAL POST!
Well, I have arrived in Sunny Southern California! And am ready for CPC 2010 San Diego! After LIVE TWEETING from CPC Nashville, INCM has given me an All Access Pass here in San Diego so I can expand my coverage here in San Diego to include General Sessions, so if you were not able to come to CPC this year, be sure to follow me on Twitter so you can get even more inside access to the happenings here at CPC 2010!
HOW TO FOLLOW TWITTER: You do not need to sign up for Twitter to follow my updates! If you do, you can choose to turn on Mobile Updates* just for this week to get my tweets as texts just during CPC, but if you don’t want to do that, then just make http://www.twitter.com/kidologist your home page Sunday through Wednesday! (*Only do this if you have an unlimited text plan!)
IF YOU ARE AT CPC, BE SURE TO JOIN US MONDAY EVENING AFTER THE EXHIBIT HALL CLOSES FOR SOME FOOD AND FELLOWSHIP. ITS ALWAYS A GOOD TIME.
This is always a highlight of CPC for me. I get to meet some of you, hear about your ministry, and put some faces with e-mail addresses or forum IDs! There is no agenda other than some warm fellowship. It starts around 9:30 p.m. and just ends whenever it winds down. Come when you can, leave when you must. But I’ll probably be there until midnight, so if you are around anytime through then, drop on by!
I hope to meet several of you there!
MY WORKSHOPS:
Here are the workshops I’m doing as well as when and where. I also make my handouts available to Basic (free) members of Kidology.org for two weeks after CPC.
I attended my first CPC back in the mid 1990’s and still have my logo-themed dress shirt “Reaching New Horizons” that I bought that year. I have not missed a single CPC since, even when they have had up to three conferences a year! I’ve lost track, but I’ve been to over thirty-five CPC’s since! Yes, I have done workshops, hosted round tables, church tours and exhibited, but even during seasons of life when I was taking a break from active ministry and wasn’t there to do anything, I still attended! Why? Because CPC is not only good for ministry, it is good for relationships and for the soul.
Just search my blog for “CPC” and you will find pages and pages of posts about CPC and discover why it is the “conference of conferences” that I believe should be the first choice of every serious children’s ministry leader. There are many good conferences out there, and you ought to visit many of them. But none come close to the networking power, breath of resources, quality of speakers, quantity of options, and level of excellence you find at a Children’s Pastors Conference. It is obvious they have been at this for years and know exactly what they are doing.
Here is why I never miss a CPC and why you should join me in San Diego later this month: (and why I asked for a coupon to save you $50!)
There is just something amazingly encouraging about worshiping God in a huge room filled with hundreds of people as crazy about God and kids as you are… and not having to put the chairs away when its all over.
It is so refreshing to get to worship with fellow children’s ministry leaders in a “Big Church” settings singing “Big Church” songs without wondering if the third grade class got the DVD player after the second grade class was done with it and if the nursery workers showed up and if Mrs. Blackburn remembered she was leading the worship during second service today.
It is fun to network and meet people from around the country who share your passion for kids and yet marvel at how, out of so many people, God sovereignly places people at your table who are either going through a similar situation or have a solution or idea to the very issue you are wrestling with, or how they know someone you know!
The caliber of the speakers is out-of-this-world challenging and the unique presentations always surprise and delight. Just when you think you know what is going to happen, something fresh and new has been planned.
The choices in the workshops is a little overwhelming, but that’s a good thing – and you can always get CDs or even MP3s to take home for yourself and your team. The number of workshops, the variety and the quality of the presenters is unparalleled.
Everywhere you go during your free time, you are meeting people who share your passion for ministry and making connections that end up becoming friendships last long after the conference is over. You marvel at how you managed to meet these people at such a large event.
THEN THERE IS THE RESOURCE CENTER! (My favorite!) No where else is there such a gathering of objective resources laid out aisle upon aisle of resource providers, both large established companies as well as small start up ministries with a home made banner and a big dream and a wonderful resource that worked in their church that they are eager to share with you. I can’t wait each year to find out what will be the newest resources in the Resource Center – that alone would be enough reason to go to CPC, everything else is like frosting on a delicious resource cake!
I feel bad adding the resort, but hey, we DO like to get away and it IS nice to be spoiled. Who doesn’t like a little late night room service, a dip in the hot tub or a trip to the swimming pool? I’ll confess to sneaking over to the Apple Store at the mall or even off site to a nice restaurant before or after the conference. I mean, come on, you can’t go to San Diego, without checking out Old Town San Diego and picking up some souvenirs!
But the BEST thing – as you can see from the image above, is the people you will meet and the friends you will make. You may think it is the “well known” people you will get to meet, and that is a treat, but what you will discover by getting to meet them, is that they are as down to earth and ordinary as you are. They just started serving the Lord like you, and as they did, God blessed it, people liked it, so they got a little notoriety, but they are truly as ordinary and as interesting as the person next to them, maybe less! You will discover that everyone you meet has ideas and input that will bless you whether or not you knew their name before you got there!
And the list could go on and on. The impact will be different and unique for everyone – but I can promise you, it will be positive. I hear over and over from folks, “Karl, it was at CPC 2004 that such and such radically changed for me” or “After I went to CPC 2006 my ministry turned around.”
I do hope to see you there. Be sure to let them know, Karl sent you!
Just letting y’all know, that from this Saturday night through next Thursday I will be COMPLETELY off line. No e-mail, no cell phone, no facebook, no twitter, no nothing electronic, except worship music on my iPod shuffle and my Sony Alpha 350 digital camera enjoying Yosemite Summit with several other guys.
I hope to meet several of you there!
