Last weekend I had the wonderful opportunity to train youth workers at Allentown Presbyterian Church. Allentown is next to Princeton which is one of my favorite places to visit. Charlie Lyons Pardue is one of the youth pastors at APC. Charlie and I were fellow students at NTS. Kara, Charlie's wife, was also a classmate at NTS. Kara is working on her PhD at Princeton. She is a New Testament Scholar. It was good to stay with them and get caught up on life. On Thursday night I had an amazing time facilitating a learning forum with 35 youth workers from APC (35 adult youth workers from a church of 300). I must say, at first, I experienced a bit of disequilibrium. Usually I have to spend a significant amount of time trying to cast a vision for adults to engage in the shepherding of young people. This team is motivated and well trained. Our time together turned into an extremely synergistic learning experience. I believe that I learned more from them than they learned from me (not a rhetorical statement). I loved these people and look forward to more time with them in the future. The overall connection that the adults in this church have with the youth in the community is extraordinary. This is not some new cutting edge church trying new things because they are in a start-up phase. This is a church that was established in 1720. They even have a cemetery (see pictures below). I am really psyched that Charlie and Kara have ended up in such an amazing church community that is totally awake and alive.
Mike -
That is way too cool! How exciting and what a model of what a youth ministry should consist of. 35 adults who are passionate about modeling Jesus to these students. I love it! See you on Wed in KC.
Posted by: Matt Wilks | March 07, 2008 at 10:18 AM
Mike, it was great to have you out! I should clarify for your readers, that we had 35 shepherds show up, but there was a lot going on that weekend, we have between 50-60 active shepherds involved in the ministry.
Posted by: Charlie Lyons Pardue | March 07, 2008 at 05:43 PM
Yep, I should have clarified that.
Posted by: Mike | March 08, 2008 at 01:34 PM
It was so GREAT to have you with us.
Thanks for braving the air mattress!
Posted by: Kara Lyons Pardue | March 09, 2008 at 08:47 AM