You can change the world!

Flying with Karen today to speak at the Youth Specialties Conference in Sacramento. If any of you blog readers are out there, let me know – I’d like to meet you. And if you’re around at 4 pm tomorrow, come check me out. If you’re in Pittsburgh on 10/31 or Nashville on 11/21, we can meet the…

By Seth Barnes

09 October 2008, 12:10 am

By Seth Barnes

09 October 2008, 12:10 am

Flying with Karen today to speak at the Youth Specialties Conference in Sacramento. If any of you blog readers are out there, let me know – I’d like to meet you. And if you’re around at 4 pm tomorrow, come check me out. If you’re in Pittsburgh on 10/31 or Nashville on 11/21, we can meet there.

My speaking topic: Your Students Can Change the World Now!

OK, maybe it’s a little disingenuous – usually it takes a while before a person can begin changing even a piece of the world, much less begin doing it immediately upon exiting my conference talk. But I do believe that young people can do far more and do it far sooner than most people give them credit for.

My description of the talk: The world’s needs have never been greater. We see the headlines
daily: AIDS! Sex-trafficking! Poverty! Do we retreat to our suburban
fortresses, or do we raise up world-changers who risk as Jesus did?
We’ll look at case studies of young people who have changed the world
and the youth workers who helped them. We’ll explore ideas for turning
your teens into activists who bust out of comfort zones and make a
difference.

The constant struggle in youth ministry is to activate
real, God-breathed radical faith in students who are too comfortable.
They need to see themselves making a difference. I want to make this
practical, so we’ll divide our time into three parts, pausing along the
way to try and digest and apply what we’ve covered.

Here’s the outline:

Christianity is a revelatory faith – we live or die with our God-experience.
How to position students to get a revelation of need
How to position students to get a revelation of risk
How to position students to get a revelation of brokenness
How to position students to get need a revelation of grace
Strategies and ideas for activating students

I don’t much like conferences or speaking. But I believe in this material and they’re a good place to meet people – usually the connections end up producing fruit of some sort. If you’re the praying sort, please lift Karen and me up.

Comments (10)

Beth

October 8, 2008 at 10:44 pm

Oh I wish I was going to be there. I have a friend going to the one in Nashville, I will pass it along.
Elysa Mac

October 9, 2008 at 1:36 am

Praying right now.
Ericka

October 9, 2008 at 2:02 am

Uh huh…those teenage world-changers are going to make The Sound of Hope a force to be reckoned with – a movement! (ha, shameless plug, but I BELIEVE IT WITH ALL MY HEART!!!) They’re also going to continue the Nsoko Project, rescue women from the sex-trade, and give their money and their lives away every day…

We just have to teach them, disciple them, believe in them, empower them!

Thrilled for you- speaking life into the next generation – it’s the best investment you can make 🙂 You two have fun!
Tripp

October 9, 2008 at 8:46 am

Have fun. I really, really miss going to those conferences…so much fun. We’ll be praying for you as you speak.
Teri Jan 09 WR

October 9, 2008 at 9:14 am

I went last year to the one in Atlanta. What a great time. Wish I was going again. Have a great trip!
Jeff

October 9, 2008 at 9:28 am

I like the revelation theme. I think it’ll go over well. Lord, I pray for peace and safety over Karen and Seth as they travel and hang out together during this trip. Protect them from the Enemy and give Seth a fruitful harvest. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Estie

October 9, 2008 at 10:03 am

praying for you pops!
Ashley Musick

October 9, 2008 at 11:50 pm

Sounds great Seth! Thanks for sharing this message with all the youth pastors out there. It’s important for them to impart this to the students!
Kelly

October 12, 2008 at 4:05 am

I’ve gone to those conventions for the last 6 years! so fun! i have friends there, i hope they got to catch your seminar!
Brand

October 19, 2022 at 11:30 am

Reaching the next generation is a passion of mine too. What makes radical followers of Islam radical? They’re raised to be radical followers of Islam. We need to raise our children to radical followers of Christ. If we do, they will change the world with Truth. God’s blessings on you and your ministry bro!

Brandon