For the past five years, I've been involved with Sidekick Students. Though I don't devote much time there these days, I am excited about the one single summer event on the calendar for 2007. After a dozen years in youth ministry and five years organizing summer camps, I've kind of gotten tired of the same old same old. Taking kids to a college campus or some retreat center, eating bad food, girls crying on the last night. I know some life-change happens in environments like that, but it all just seems a little tired to me.
We've pushed back from that whole thing and are working to design something different. It may not be for everybody, but I'm excited about giving it a try.
We're going to take the summer camp experience and make it more of a conference feel and move it to DC. Instead of cabins, we've got a great hotel just two blocks from the capital. Instead of bad food, groups are on their own around the city. Instead of worship in the woods, it's a nice hotel ballroom. Instead of messy dorm rooms, someone comes in to make the bed.
We're also going to do some Nooma-type video in advance on location around the city and work that into the theme. It's a morning session and an evening session - the rest of the time is spent in the amazing city. I don't think it's a big deal for students to go to camp at a college campus anymore, but seeing some stuff in DC will be cool.
Small groups will be around the city. As a youth pastor is walking around during the day, they roll up to the WW2 Memorial which reads "Here we mark the price of freedom." Right then and there, they lead a short discussion on the cost of following God. We'll prepare a dozen or so of these discussions, and let group leaders lead their groups the way they want. Why should we direct all the spiritual growth? Youth pastors know their groups better than we do!
We'll also give groups the opportunity to do some inner city ministry instead of sightseeing. Those options will be available for the groups that want them. We'll still have great worship and great teaching in the morning and evening sessions. Students are still going to have a blast. I think it's going to be just different enough to be very cool.
As we've always done, we don't really do this to make money. We've actually never made money with this organization. The event costs $249 a person and includes the hotel. I think that's pretty affordable considering all that you get. I don't know if something like this interests you, but if it does, I can give you more information. We'll update the website soon with all the info.
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