We have come so far, we have so far to go....

The above was shared with me by a youth/worship team leader this week.

As we ramp up to our gathering, a few more quotes:

"There are two extremes. The one is to be so preocuppied with the past as to be irrelevant. The other is to be so contemporary that one swallows whatever is the latest trend. The creative point is where old and new meet to bring about something different."

"Creativity is not simply a gift. It is also the result of a context that encourages questioning and exploration."

I'm conscious we're going to be coming from different perspectives, backgrounds - potential for tension. I've also lived in Quebec for seven years where differences/tension have the potential to bring out the best in us, if we are united in purpose.

I'll finish with an early church father on diversity: in essentials - unity; in non-essentials - diversity; in all things - charity. I pray that the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our hearts will be acceptable to God - may he be glorified in our conversation.

Safe travel. See you soon.

Dave

Prayer warriors - surprise us God...

"Prayerlessness is the scavenger of wonder"

I preface my remarks with this great Ravi Zachrias quote. Prayer is not worrying out loud, it is among many things, a mutually intelligent conversation, an intimate one at that. It is mysterious, glorious, humbling, exhilirating, needful, hard, a blessing and you can add your own adjectives.

I'm not into sloganeering, reductionism, or just getting to the destination. I enjoy the journey, the conversation, appreciate the mystery and the "awe-someness" of God but....this from a guy who only flunked one course (twice) at university - calculus:

If we 30 shared our hopes and prayers for Innovare and beyond, with 14 people (that's only 7 people you know would pray (family, close friends), plus 7 people you worship with and/or work with, and then these guys promised to pray and then we stretched it one more times 14 (that's the perfect number 7 with a double blessing) we've got 30x14x14x14= 82,320 people praying and if we all pray once a day for 30 days before we commence - 2,469,000 prayers! It's doable!

We all do this and we haven't even pecked at the surface, the potential and I don't mean of people praying, but of sensing God's wonder and will and riches.

So this mathemetically challenged guy, wonders at numbers (exponential growth), and I wonder at prayer and God's immensity, and I wonder what would happen if we all started to pray and connect....What are we waiting for?

Dave

Communique 2 - The Conversation Continues

You all should have received a list of delegate information and my request for a couple of paragraphs by February 23 on two questions.

Jacques Ellul says: “in listening to questions of this age, we can more relevantly discern God’s will for this time.”

Feel free to connect with others in your “relational web”. You may receive more questions, than answers – that’s alright. Speaking from your experience:

1. Describe the ideal Salvationist young person who is discipled and engaged in mission? What does he/she look like?

2. How are youth given opportunity to cultivate gifts, minister within their setting corps/church setting?

For your information we will be looking at six other questions. Each will be championed by two delegates. They may be connecting with you.

STRUCTURES, ROLES: Brian Wheeler, Donna Simms

3. How do DYS disciple and engage youth in mission? What are creative options for the DYS role, job description could facilitate this?

EQUIPPING LEADERS, DISCIPLES: Dave Allen, Clint Houlbrook

4. How can we best train/equip Youth and youth leaders to be discipled and engaged in mission?


DISTINCTIVES, CURRICULUM: Wanda Vincent, Kevin Slous

5. How effective are present SA Curricula in discipling and engaging youth in mission?

THE LOCAL CONGREGATION: Darlene Burt, Jeff Penney

6. What is the role of the Corps officer, of the local body in discipling youth? How can they make this happen?

IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITY: Aaron White, Dave Drinkwalter

7. How effective are we at recognizing and responding to the needs of the young and children in our community and world (including children at risk)?

YOUTH PASTORS: John Berard, Stephanie Peddle

8. What is a youth pastor? What qualifications are required? What are the essentials for the job?
The schedule for our days will be posted next week. It would be wise to send out word to your prayer-partners to pray for this event, your participation. If you don’t have prayer partners, now is a great time to start. It’s just a group e-mail away - cost, negligible, reward - priceless!

Event Overview

Innovare 2006 is a meeting of Salvation Army youth, youth leaders/ innovators who will gather at the Jackson’s Point Conference Centre March 9-12, 2006.

It is timely that Salvation Army youth ministry stakeholders in Canada and Bermuda be in "conversation" to capture and enunciate a common vision.

A relatively small group of 25 stakeholders representing the various cohorts (Booth College, DHQ, THQ, youth pastors, corps officers, youth) will meet. It is hoped the gathering will capture and reflect regional, cultural, distinctives (ie. emerging, urban, suburban, rural, traditional, blended, first nations, multi-cultural) and provide “A Way Forward.”

Time would be spent clarifying and establishing next steps to disseminate a united vision which could be expressed in diverse ways, in diverse settings.

Outcomes:
• The group is to come up with tangible strategies as to how this Territory can most effectively disciple young people and call them towards mission. Two key questions will inform the conversation: “How can we better disciple young people in our territory?” “What structural changes need to take place within our movement to more effectively facilitate mission and discipleship?”
• The formation of an Advisory Team, comprised of key youth cohorts, with purpose statement and strategy for on-going communication.
• Concrete proposals relative to role of Divisional Youth Leaders, models of leadership for camping programs, creative utilization of youth workers (eg. regional Youth workers, youth workers with headquarters responsibility and local congregational responsibility).

Please be in prayer for this event.

David Ivany, Major
Territorial Youth Secretary