After a year of waiting, it’s finally here, the National Youth Workers Convention 2016 (NYWC)! It’s like Christmas, only without the wrapping paper, candy canes, Santa, reindeer, pine trees, and garland. Okay, so maybe it’s not like Christmas, but it’s still AWESOME!!
Tonight we kicked off the weekend with our first Big Room session and the grand opening party for the Exhibit Hall!! Here are just a few pictures from tonights party!
DJ Bobbito the Chef providing the musical backdrop!
Our friends from YS events, already getting a jump on next years convention!
The exhibit hall is loaded with over 150 different vendors. You can find just about anything, and everything ministry related. be sure to spend some time visiting with the exhibitors!
There's a lot to see. Don't make just one trip. Multiple trips through the exhibit hall will prove super helpful. They will allow you to take your time, talk with the various exhibitors, and feel less overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and size.
I know that we are only a few hours into the weekend, but it's already off to a great start.
I want to invite you to follow along with me this weekend as I highlight some of my favorite parts of the convention. From books and resources to seminars and exhibitors, I'll share what I love, who is helpful, and where you can make the most of your time at NYWC.
Follow me on social media as I share the convention as both a behind-the-scenes volunteer and a long-time attendee! - jay
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I know, I know, I'm a little late in the announcement depart. It's been a couple of weeks since my friends over at Group/Simply Youth Ministry announced the return of the Simply Youth Ministry Conference (SYMC). Nonetheless, I wanted to take a few minutes to share a little about what this means! I was introduced the SYMC in 2009. At the time, I didn't realize how much I needed a conference like SYMC. I had been in student ministry for a long time. And I had attended the National Youth Workers Convention (NYWC) for years. At that point, I was volunteering with NYWC. But that year, SYMC made a huge impact on my heart and my ministry. I am pretty sold out to NYWC. It was NYWC that really helped me develop, grow, and mature as a youth worker. I've often said that I've learned more attending NYWC than anywhere else. It's why I return every year as a volunteer. But SYMC offered me something different. I was in a place in my ministry where I began wondering about my role in student ministry. An opportunity had come to that would require that I step away from student ministry. That year at SYMC, I heard God tell me my place was with students. That year, God used SYMC to wreck my world, then rebuilt and reignited a passion for students again! I even have a red a sofa in my office to remind me of the impact. SYMC boasts, The conference for youth workers by youth workers. This is so true. After the 2009 conference, I found myself working with the "In The Trenches Team" (ITTT or IT3). The "In The Trenches Team" is made up of youth workers; some are full time, some are part time, and some are volunteers, but each one is committed, not just to their students, but to youth workers. It's this teams that comes along side the SYM/Group staff to help talk, dream, pray, prepare, plan, and lead the conference! I was blessed to serve with these amazing men and women for 3 years, helping and serving with the 2010 and 2011 conferences. There are a number of great conferences that youth workers can attend. But there is something special about SYMC, and I think it's in the fact that youth workers are an integral part of what happens at SYMC. After taking a couple years off, SYMC is back, and I for one am very excited to see it return. A little smaller, a little more intentional, a little more focused on the heart and health of the youth worker, SYMC will no doubt offer her attendees a weekend of training, resources, and soul care. SYMC will take place October 7-9, 2016, at the Hyatt Regency O'Hara in Chicago. (Which is a great location due to everything happening in the hotel.) Now I haven't decided if I will be attend this years conference. If money weren't an issue, I'm sure I'd be there in a heart, no questions asked. But I am still committed to serving at NYWC, so I have yet decided if I will be attending. However, based on what I am hearing it will be a great conference. Take a few minutes to go and check out the SYMC website. Get to know the conference, and prayerfully consider make SYMC your conference destination this fall! - jay Jay Higham is a 24 year veteran of student ministry; having worked with students in the local church and Christian camping settings. Jay is currently the Youth Director at Hickory Church, located in Western PA. Jay has been married to Amy for 19 years. Together, they are raising 5 kids, (4 boys and 1 little girl). Jay is passionate about student ministry, family ministry, and sharing with other youth workers. You can learn more about their ministry to the family by visiting their family blog at, www.TheHighamFamily.com! Now that Amy and I are home from the National Youth Workers Convention, I've begun the task of downloading and debriefing the general session speakers, the YS Explores speakers and the conversations that were shared throughout the weekend. A lot of information comes your way in a short amount of time, and sometimes, it takes a day or two to think through everything. I went into the office this morning to a bunch of warm welcomes. Everybody wanted to know how the trip was. As I was talking, sharing some of the awesome things I experienced, I thought, I should just share the #NYWC15 Recap video. So here it is, the NYWC 2015 Louisville Saturday/Sunday Recap Video. It's a glimpse at some of what makes NYWC one of my favorite places to be. It really was a great weekend. And as is the case, there was much that challenged me. From being stretched by the topics of faith and science to the changing landscape of the churches cultures, to the general session speakers that reminded me love really is the greatest thing we could ever receive and give, there is much to think about. And with that, much to write about in the weeks and months to come If you went to NYWC 2015, whether it was in San Diego or Louisville, what were some of your biggest take aways? Which topics or presentations caused you to think? What presenter or speaker forced you to stretch beyond what's comfortable? I'd love to hear from you. Share your comments and thoughts below in the comment section. And thanks for taking the time to read and share! - jay
It's late Thursday night. The Big Room festivities are over. The Exhibit Hall is closed. And all around the Kentucky International Convention Center, youth workers are hanging out, grabbing a late bite to eat, or for exhaustions sake, turning in for the night. So as day one of #NYWC15 comes to it's end, I wanted to share just a few thoughts before calling it a day myself. As a member of the Main Stage Team, one of the responsibilities we share is the 'opening of the doors' at the general sessions known as Big Room. The scene goes like this. Retractable straps rope off an area preventing convention attendees from entering the Big Room space until 15 minute before the start of the session. At about 40 to 60 minutes before the session, youth workers begin congregating in little groups hoping for a chance to get a 'good seat' somewhere near the action. When our pre-session tasks are complete, the Main Stage Team makes our way to this area and chat with the youth workers standing in groups. I love this time spent with the youth workers. It's truly amazing how much you can learn about a person or persons when you take just a few minutes to talk and ask a few questions. Usually the questions are pretty basic. What's your name? Where are you from? Is this your first time, second time, third time, or twenty-third time at NYWC? Tonight I walked up to a couple, a bit older than me, and we started talking. They were the Anderson's. Husband and wife who have worked with students...for years. They have attended NYWC...for years. They even served on the volunteer team...for years. But they have been a way for a few years, and this was the year they were able to return. We talked for quite a while; about the conference, about the chances that YS has experienced over the years, and the memories that have been made throughout the NYWC history. As we talked, I was struck by a particular question the Anderson's asked. The question basically asked, " Does it still feel like family?" I thought for a second and then responded with two answers. The first was, Yes, NYWC is family. The youth workers who attend year after year create a certain familiarity that makes the convention seem like a great big family reunion. I'm never surprised when I bump into an old friend. One part of you hoped that you'd see them, while the other part somehow already knew they were there. But there was more to the question of family then just a family reunion. You see, there's something more, something deeper that happens at NYWC then just seeing old friends. Many, many years ago, when Tic Long and Mike Yaconelli were still the dynamic duo, they created an atmosphere that really made you feel like you were part of the family. And it wasn't just Tic and Mike, it was the entire YS and NYWC staff. They just made you feel so special. Cared for. Loved. And appreciated. You knew that you were in a safe place. A place where you wouldn't be criticized or questioned. A place where it was okay to cry or laugh or or just be. Need a nap? Take one. Take two! Need to talk to someone? Someone was always ready to listen. Then, the convention wasn't always about the speakers or give-a-ways, seminars or exhibit halls. The convention was a place you knew you'd be welcomed, with arms wide opened, because that's what family does. It's what Tic and Mike, and the rest of their staff did. Tonight, as I paused to think about the question, I asked myself, "Does it still feel like family?" My second answer...ABSOLUTELY YES!!! Much as change at Youth Specialties over the last couple of years. There are a lot of new faces. NYWC has changed a little bit, too. But at heart of YS and NYWC, the passion to love-on and care for youth workers still exists. It's that passion that first welcomed me to NYWC in 1999, when my wife and I attended our first convention on Cincinnati. And it's that same passion that has brought us back again this year. I saw Tic tonight, behind the stage at the general session. I told him that I bummed into a great couple who once served as volunteers, and how we talked about family and how we always felt like we were part of a greater family. The funny thing...Tic knew exactly who they were. Why? Because we're family! Faces may change. Names may change. Topics change. Venues, locations, and the number of conventions per year might change. But what hasn't changed is the heart. You are part of this wonderful family. You're home. And, it's safe here. So be free to be you. Laugh. Cry. Take that nap. Heck, sleep all day if you want! Because we're going to love you just the same. It's what we do. It's what NYWC does!! - jay
As we get started with the activities and fun of the national Youth Workers Convention (NYWC), i want to make sure you know about some great place to visit! From answers to your questions to connecting with youth workers in your home area to collecting some great ideas, here are 3 places you will want to make sure you check out while you're here this weekend! Visit The Hub
Find a Network Near You
The Idea Lab
So there you are, 3 places you will want to make sure you visit while you're here this week at NYWC! Be sure to check back right here as I share a few more places you won't want to miss. - jay
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AuthorJay Higham is a veteran youth worker of over 30 years; having worked with students in the local church and Christian camping settings. Jay is currently serving as the director of family ministry at a church, located in West Virginia. Jay has been married to Amy for over 25 years. Together, they are raising 5 kids, (4 boys and 1 girl). Jay is an aspiring author, blogger, speaker, vlogger, and social media junkie. He is passionate about student ministry, family ministry, and training youth workers to love and serve their students with passion and excellence. Archives
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