Comments on: NYWC – 6 Years Later

By: Tara Eastman

Tara Eastman — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:08:51 +0000

Adam,
I will be attending the NYWC in Pittsburgh PA at the end of the month and I feeling much of the way you described in you blog about attending – excited but a little ambivilant. I’m in a new ministry positon, new place mentally – theologically and personally. Maybe a little wiser now than I was then. And yes, I walked my first Labyrinth at the YS convention too!
I think I’ll pack my ordinary radicals shirt… and make you proud.
Tara

By: Brian

Brian — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 03:38:42 +0000

Definitely, wear the shirts.

Like you, I think participating in these things is a tough call. Similar thing with youth-oriented Christian music festival type events. There simply isn’t an equivalent with a more progressive, inclusive vibe. I must say back in the days when I was doing youth ministry stuff (geez that was a long time ago now) I eventually just couldn’t bring myself to go. But your presence would be a far better witness than my absence.

(Hi Marci. We seem to only see each other on other people’s blogs. Why is that?)

By: Mr. POMO goes to NYWC : The Daily Scroll

Mr. POMO goes to NYWC : The Daily Scroll — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:26:02 +0000

[...] Adam Walker Cleaveland will be Twittering his experience at the National Youth Workers Convention in Sacramento, Oct. 10-13. “I love the stuff YS does [...]

By: Jeremiah Lange

Jeremiah Lange — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 17:43:49 +0000

Marci,

I was in Joel’s youth group in Tucson and can say without doubt that his comments betrayed his feelings about people. He was not perfect, but he was great at bringing people from all different perspectives together.

By: Marci

Marci — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 13:44:53 +0000

I stopped going to NYWC in 1996 or so (which really only shows how old I am). While I learned a lot of good information there and generally enjoyed the conference, after a while I found myself unwilling to put up with the sexism that seemed to flow through much of the conference. In a “using video in ministry” workshop led by some one named Joel from Tucson, a woman asked a question and he said, “isn’t that just a question a woman would ask.?” He and some of the men in the class laughed, and then he didn’t answer the question. He also suggested we make videos where we pretend to be Chinese by pulling our eyes out from the corners and saying, “ahhh sooo…today we visit Jimmy’s house and hope he has a fortune cookie for me!” That is just one example. From the podium speakers (with the exception of Tony Campolo who was always great) on down, I always had the feeling that I was a second class citizen. I really hope that things have improved in the last ten years.

By: Dennis Coles

Dennis Coles — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:26:36 +0000

Please wear your LGBT shirts. It will encourage so many whose voices are now silenced from nwyc.

By: gavin

gavin — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:49:51 +0000

as someone who’s first ys was about the same time ago, but has been to a few since then, i find the nywc is more about reconnecting and networking with friends plus making some new networks. i might attend a workshop, spend a lot of time in the prayer room and a few of the general sessions. i am sure you will enjoy for the most part.