Mike King

What the Heck is LaCygne?

 

If you are attending the National Youth Workers Convention in Dallas you will notice the lanyards with "LaCygne" on them.  You will probably overhear youthworkers talking about LaCygne.  So, what is LaCygne?  Great question, in fact below are links to frequently asked questions about LaCygne.

Please click any question below to see a detailed explanation.  

1) Who or what is LaCygne?

2) What is Youthfront?

3) What does a typical day look like at LaCygne?

4) What are the three daily prayer times?

5) Why are some of the summer sessions for such a wide age range?

6) Is this a good fit for someone as young as 14?

7) My child isn’t part of a group, can she/he still attend a session?

8) Can I bring a group to LaCygne and have our own meetings?

9) How long is a summer session?

10) How do I decide whether to stay in a cabin or camp outside?

11) Why is the price so low compared to other summer opportunities?

12) How does the community at LaCygne ensure the safety of the young people attending?

13) Is there some kind of service component?

14) Do I need spending money at LaCygne?

15) Who is invited to the family session?

If you cannot find what you are looking for, feel free to email us at [email protected].

 

Why Can't My Church Be More Like Camp?

 

REGISTER HERE

A Way of Life, a Way of Prayer

Micah Thomas is my guest blogger today.  Micah is my son-in-law.  Before he became my son-in-law, Micah was the Director of Youthfront Camp South.  I know he is a smart young man because he married Jessica nearly three years ago.  Last Thursday, Jessica gave birth to Teagan.  This is their first family picture.  We have pretty much done nothing since her arrival other than be grandparents.  The transition to parents is big for Micah and Jessica.  In this post Micah writes about his experience at Youthfront South this summer and the importance of Christian community and prayer.

A WAY OF PRAYER by Micah Thomas

This summer our team has worked harder and more intentionally than ever on perfecting our prayer times. We think prayer is at the heart of life and ministry here and that if we can orient ourselves to this reality—that we need God-space in which we can be silent, pray, listen to scripture, and declare what we believe as Christians—then we truly have something unique and special to invite people into.

In fact, while all of the work we do here is important: the relationships, sweating it out on the sports field, cleaning up from meals, mowing the grass, watching people swim and blob, leading discussions, hikes, musical worship, and experiential learning opportunities, our times of fixed hour prayer (9:00am, noon, & 9:00pm) are what anchor us.

What is interesting is that as we grow in understanding this reality for ourselves…first as people choosing to be a worshipping community, we find that teenagers discover the same gift of beauty, peace, and contemplation as they are immersed in this environment, even if only for a short time. 

I know this because I hear it from several sources. I had the privilege of being our storyteller for a week this summer, and I spent some time asking kids what their favorite experiences had been from the week. Of course I heard about the blob and ATVs, but I also heard about space to take a walk early in the morning, or the opportunity to worship and learn together in our outdoor worship space: the altar field. I heard about morning prayer, midday prayer, and evening prayer, and time each evening to be still, be alone, and read or reflect.

During the week of storytelling I met with a youth worker, Jacob Taylor, who brought his group here for the first time this summer. In our conversation he related to me how the rhythm and practice of prayer at South had caused him to rethink some of the programming in his weekly gatherings with youth. While it may seem that kids need an experience to charge them up and unleash their adrenaline, often the result is a group of people who have had their stress response systems piqued and are in fight-or-flight mode. Especially in the course of a week of camp, if we choose to do this because it seems that kids respond in bigger ways, we are probably doing more damage than good. Instead, providing regular, intentional, and quiet space to worship may be the best medicine.

Jacob told me that he did not have to deal with any incidents or bickering among his kids during the time they were here. He told me that even though there is a lot of open time and kids have the ability to make their own choices, that having an environment that isn’t built on hype may be the reason kids settle down and function better.

It’s not just behavior modification either. How do I know? If all we were doing here was getting kids to fit the design of our expectations for a week, they would instantly return to their normal way of life and patterns upon leaving. What do we find instead? At least in small ways, an awakening to new practices of faith that do not end when a week of camp does.

Times of Refreshing...

Two weeks from today the youth worker retreat with Ian Cron begins.  The dates are August 6-8, 2012.  It has been a hot and busy summer so treat yourself to a time to refresh and recenter on why we do what we do. 

It's not too late to register.

We have created an opportunity for you and your family to step out of all the business and demands of youth ministry and into the strong and loving arms of God.  Our hope is that this holy rest will restore your soul and help prepare you for another season of fruitful ministry.

We have carved three days out of the schedule at Youthfront Camp South for vocational youth workers and their families. We set these days aside for you in hopes of providing a place and time for you and your family to get away, laugh and have fun together. While there will be things for you to do, there won't be a program to keep up with. You will have the space and time to do whatever it is you feel like doing.

Click here to register for the retreat

Come Join Me

Two upcoming conferences that I'd like to invite you to come hang out with me.

1.

Click here for more info

2.

Click here for more info

Grace, Grace and More Grace

I'm really excited about participating in the Grace, Grace and More Grace: Spiritual Formation as God's Care for Us Conference hosted by Renovaré.  The conference is September 27-29 and will be held at Friends University in Wichita, KS.  I'm doing an intensive session on Presence-Centered Youth Ministry and I'd love to engage with a bunch of youth workers and church planters during this time.  Download Aprentis_09_2012_event_brochure.  More Info.  Register.

The conference is going to be excellent because the lineup of speakers and topics are amazing.

Fixed Hour Prayer, an Oasis at Youthfront in LaCygne

Yesterday, I got out of the office and went to Youthfront in LaCygne.  I always try to make it in time for Midday prayer, a personal highlight for me.  The chapel was packed with high school youth.  As a Youthfront community, we practice four different “offices” of prayer  throughout the day. First, is Morning Prayer at 9 am, Midday Prayer at noon, Evening Prayer is at 9 pm, and  finally compline prayer when the campers go to bed. These times are an incredible space for young people to listen to the Holy Spirit, and center themselves in prayer throughout the day.  For me, these times are so peaceful and life-giving.

Youth Workers - Refresh, Rejuvenate, Re-Engage

Come Join US - www.youtheology.com/youthworkerskc

youTheology is a Saint Paul School of Theology Pan-Methodist program that is preparing leaders, deepening faith, providing youth ministry resources, and giving opportunities for loving and serving God and others with high school students and youth workers.

STAY Where You Are... Place Matters

I have been speaking and thinking a lot lately on a theology of place, space and time.  I believe a theologically robust and intentional focus on being rooted in a particular place for a long period of time is essential for nurturing a community engaged in Christian practice.

It seems like I'm saying things that which resonnnate deeply to people but seems challenging to embrace in our hyper-mobile culture. 

This has become my argument;

STAY where you're from, if you haven't, STAY where you are, if you can't, at least live like you are staying where you are for the rest of your life.

Last week I had the privilege of giving two lectures at the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary and next week I will be speaking on this subject at the Children, Youth and New Kind of Christianity Conference in Washington, D.C.

It's not too late to register for the conference in Washington.  Here are what a few people are saying about the conference;

“This event sets the bar high:  it’s got passion, purpose, and a line-up of theological luminaries who rarely share the same stage.  What brings it all together is a shared core conviction:  if we’re going to be the church Christ calls us to be, we’re going to need to take young people as seriously as Jesus does.”
-Kenda Creasy Dean, Professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary, Author of Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers is Telling the American Church

“What I like about [CYNKC] is that the fine folks throwing this party are trying to figure out how we approach spirituality with young people in a post-flannelgraph-Sunday-School world.”
-Shane Claiborne, activist, author, and founding member of The Simple Way

“A new generation needs to emerge that has a passionate vision for making the Kingdom of God a reality in this world. Children, Youth, and a New Kind of Christianity is a major attempt to foster that generation. It promises to give hope to a church and a world that need renewal.”
-Tony Campolo, PhD, Eastern University, St. Davids , Pennsylvania

Innovations: Cultivating Youth Spirituality in Experiential Environments

CED775 — Innovations: Cultivating Youth Spirituality in Experiential Environments

Mike King/Summer 2012

June 25-29 at Youthfront Camp and online 7/2-7/30

 

Catalog Description

Exploratory course designed to explore and assess innovative approaches to ministry surfacing in periodic, non-traditional, contexts.

Course Narrative & Rationale

Explorations into the contemporary spiritual lives of youth afford youth ministers an opportunity to develop new and innovative approaches to spiritual formation both for and with adolescents. This course explores one such approach to youth spirituality and youth spiritual formation through intensive settings such as retreats, pilgrimages, short term missions and camp ministries. The course utilizes one of the more innovative approaches to youth formation occurring through YouthFront a national youth ministry resource with specialized camp ministries just south of Kansas City. http://www.youthfront.com/directions This course allows participants the opportunity to explore the spiritual lives of youth, engage in formation practices with youth alongside recreational settings, and imagine the possibilities of similar ministry approaches in their own contexts.  

The course includes an intensive, one  week, situated learning experience at YouthFront South exploring youth spirituality while engaging youth and youth leaders on the journey. Special fee required for staying at the camp (required for all students).   For more information contact NTS or Dr. Dean Blevins, director of the MACFD program.