Simply Youth Ministry Conference Soundbites

It was a huge blessing to attend this year's Simply Youth Ministry Conference for many reasons. First, I know that attending such a conference is not possible for many youth workers because of time and budget constraints. Second, there are several pastors and church leaders around the world who cannot worship Jesus in the open (for threat of imprisonment or death), let alone go to a big conference and learn about a certain small part of what it means to be the Church. Third, this was the first year I was able to attend with a team of leaders from my church, and I believe that what they have learned and how they have been impacted will make a huge difference at our church for years to come. So with those things in mind, I did my best to enjoy this weekend and soak in as much as possible with a grateful heart.

It will take months to really sort through all that God has taught me this weekend, so I thought I'd provide a few favorite soundbites from the weekend:

Kent Julian
"Every teen deserves 'front row' attention."

Doug Fields
"We don't have to make Jesus awesome. He is awesome."

Louie Giglio
(Paraphrase): "Humility is not thinking less of ourselves. Because that's still looking at ourselves, and that's still pride. Humility is seeing God."

Tic Long
"Sometimes being a leader sucks."
"When failures are tied to your ego, you take it personally. When they are tied to your mission, they are opportunities to learn."

Les Christie
"Don't stop at the first answer." (In reference to finding a solution to a problem or obstacle.)

Ruth Haley Barton
"Even though you think you need bells and whistles, you need to see God's goodness."

Everyone
"Benjer? Where did you get that name?" (or some variation thereof)

Greg Stier
"Prayer is the strategy."

Kara Powell
"Jesus is bigger than our mistakes. If Jesus can't handle a little bit of alcohol, we need a new Jesus. If Jesus can't handle a little bit of sex, we need a new Jesus."

Glenn Packiam
(Paraphrase): "Jesus isn't coming back to take us home. He's coming back to reign."

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