The AIDS Experience

All Planet Impact students are HIGHLY encouraged to participate in this event!

Shelter Rock Church and Arumdaun Presbyterian Church
Nov 13 - Nov 19, 2008
Bethpage, NY
516-349-5559

Follow this link to get FREE tickets! http://www.wvexperience.org/visit_ticket_details.aspx?venueid=140

College Roomate

Found these videos of my college roomate Jason Clark. So cool!

The Big 7th Birthday!

Today was my youngest daughter's 7th birthday. She was so excited! She's been counting down the days for weeks. We had just a small family party, and in a couple of weeks she's going to have some friends over. Happy Birthday Squig!

Home, & Yes, Another Famous Person Was Met

We just arrived home from California. Actually, we thought we were returning home on Saturday, but Thursday night after I had fallen asleep I woke up to check our flight details to send to my mom and discovered that we were supposed to fly home on Friday. Good thing I woke up! Good flights. Crazily, when we were in the Cincinnati airport I saw this guy sitting next to us who looked so familiar. His daughter also looked so familiar. I told my wife I was almost certain that he was a missionary our church supports. Convinced it was him, I finally turned around and waved at him. He smiled and waved back, but didn't seem to recognize me. I knew if it was our missionary he would have known me, but perhaps the location had thrown him. I asked him if he was from Smithtown, and he said no. I told him that he looked so familiar - exactly like someone I knew (see pics). I just couldn't shake it. I knew I knew this guy, but from where? Finally our number was called and I said good bye to him. It was bothering me. Where did I know him from? And his daughter - I definitely recognized her as well. On the plane I told Ady that I hoped he was on our plane so I could figure out where I knew him from. However, she said that he was waiting for the flight at the other gate to Utah. Suddenly it hit me! Utah! The man was Ed Smart, and the daughter with him was Elizabeth Smart - the girl who had been kidnapped and was missing for almost a year before being found alive. I couldn't believe it! Well, that was our bit of excitement for the day. Glad to be home. Great trip.

More Fun Today!

Today Ady and all of the wives went to Laguna Beach and had lunch at a resort while the rest of us were at Saddleback working. It was another great day of networking and brainstorming. One overarching thing that has really stood out to me that I appreciate about The Gathering is the focus on relationships before ministry. That has been so clearly communicated not just with words but through all that we have done this week. We finished up our sessions this afternoon and we just returned to the hotel for a little rest. Tonight we are heading out for dinner and then to Fields' house to watch Survivor. We've had a great time and met some tremendous people! Tomorrow we are going to have dinner with the college pastor from Saddleback and his wife and then going to watch Doug's son start his first high school football game as quarterback.

Brainstorming & Bowling

Today we had breakfast at Saddleback and then went over to their new student/community center called The Refinery for a brief tour. It's a really great place, but Doug was almost apologetic because the whole concept of a youth center really goes against his philosophy of ministry. Nevertheless, the church was determined to build it whether he wanted it or not, so he really oversaw the project to ensure it fostered the purposes and values of the ministry.

Following the tour we had a great day brainstorming with Doug for his rewrite of Purpose-Driven Youth Ministry. Good ideas to enhance and revise the book. We're going to be submitting some of the side bar comments for the book as well as some other input. It was fun for me as a writer getting a look at the creative process as well as the thought patterns of Doug when he's working on a book.

After a brief break to freshen up at the hotel, this evening we went for dinner and bowling at Lucky Strikes. It was a lot of fun fellowshipping and rubbing shoulders with so many great youth pastors. We were busting Fields' chops about his form (see the video), but he was cool under pressure and bowled a decent game beating most of us. lol

The Gathering @ Doug Fields' Home

Just returned from a time of fellowship at Doug and Cathy Fields' home. What a beautiful home and even better, a great time of sharing and fellowship with fellow youth workers. Great being around like-minded individuals who have such a passion for Jesus and youth ministry. More tomorrow.