UPDATE!!
I'm working on a couple of new experience weekends. I'll be looking for some intrepid youth ministers who are ready to push the envelope way past the typical DNow, so if you're interested contact me and I'll give you a sneak preview. Otherwise keep checking here for new material!

A few years ago I was challenged by a very wise youth minister. He made the comment that there had to be something more to reaching people than 30 minutes of singing and 30 minutes of preaching. He was right. This prompted me to begin thinking of new ways that we can effectively minister to those both inside and out of the church. This is hard for me to say as an event person, but I'm wondering if we've become a little numb to the basic event format. I'm very concerned that we've traded real worship for a concert and no one seems to care that we don't know the difference. We gauge our success by how many people fill out a card or come forward to an invitation. The question we must always ask is not "Did my kids like it?" but "Did real spiritual growth take place through this event?"

In trying to answer this question I began to realize that most of us in the past two generations are much more experiential than our parents. It's not enough to hear about it. We want to be a part of it. So how do we create events that put us in the middle of it? In most verses the word "know" in the Greek New Testament does not refer to head knowledge, but an inward experiential knowledge. Are we truly growing in this way, or did we just get the T-shirt?

So I've been experimenting. With the help of some intrepid youth ministers I've been creating some new events that attempt to communicate Christ in a more experiential manner. Each is unique and is aimed at a specific goal. But if you're willing to try a new type of event, perhaps these could be helpful tools in your fight to disciple those around you.

This is my newest event and my favorite so far. Based out of John 15:1-11 this weekend event attempts to open some doors to help people know how to abide in Christ. We all know we should, but what does that look like in reality? Event elements include:

• What is Worship?: An unplugged environment where we not only sing, but ask questions about why we wing at all? What is expected of us in a worship experience? What does that song mean?
• Authentic Prayer: A study of psalms that invited us to interact with God as David did--with raw emotion, unhindered questions, and open honesty. Everyone is given an opportunity to write their won psalm as well.
• Experiencing God: Prayer and Bible study are the backbone of our communication with God, but they are not the only means. In an interactive environment students are offered the chance to communicate with God through silence, meditation, creative expression, The Lord's Supper, reflection, and other means.

Partnered with my friend Chuck Hooten as Worship Leader this event can be tailored to fit the exact needs of your group. A Disciple Now format offers the best environment to work with. Contact me to hear more details and to see if this experience is right for your group.

Apologetics, or the study of defending the faith, is becoming a lost art in the church. In a world of relativism we begin to assume that everyone is right and that we don't need to be able to give a reason for our hope. But Scripture is clear on this point and we must teach each other to love God with our heart, soul, and mind. Hence this two day conference on how to defend your faith. These are not sermons, but a series of interactive lectures that inform but also train in the art of Biblically defending why you believe what you believe. Conference elements include:

• Case Studies where students will be challenged with real world situations that have no easy answers.
• A full explanation of specific arguments that can be used in opening conversations with unbelievers.
• A 7 on 1 fight entitled the Attack of the Angry Atheist in which I challenge any 7 students to share their faith with me as I take on the role of a hostile atheist. (This is more fun than you might think)
• Apologetics Starter Kits to help students begin to find books and resources that will continue their education in this kind of lifestyle.

This event can also be tailored to your group with optional sessions on the accuracy of the Bible, where did the Bible come from, Is Jesus the Only way to Heaven, and others.

Your relationship with God is personal, but it's not private. in fact, it's impossible to have a fully functional relationship with God without vital relationships with other believers. Hence why God created the church. Unfortunately that very term "church" has been tainted in many people's experience. "Church" is not the place you go to on Sundays, it is the vital living body of believers that are held together by a common experience of Christ. This weekend aims at developing the community in your church, college, singles, or youth group. Elements include:

• Real Love: A walk through 1 Corinthians 13 that challenges us not to think about love but to practice it in tangible ways between believers.
• Finding your place in the Body: A study that asks us to recognize our need for others and a chance for others in our group to help us find out how we fit into our particular church body
• Accountability: A study highlighting the need for personal accountability with others in the church and a chance to create that accountability immediately.
• How are we doing?: A study on what church is supposed to be like according to Scripture and a time to evaluate not only your own church's weaknesses but a brainstorming session on how to correct them.

Especially good in a Disciple Now format this weekend offers small groups a real chance to create, develop, and deepen their bonds with each other. Book Chuck Hooten in with me and you're golden!

This could be my favorite but it only comes once a year. Beginning on Maundy Thursday this four day encounter prepares us for the ultimate celebration of the death and resurrection of Christ. Incorporating creative environments and experiences this event takes us on a journey with the disciples as they would have experienced the first Easter. And by weeding out robes and paper mache rocks we bridge the gap between that time and ours, inviting us to truly reflect as we prepare for Sunday morning. Elements include

• Thursday Night:The Garden. A prayer service in a recreated garden on Gethsemane where we individually and corporately pray to prepare for the Easter experience.
• Friday Night: The Cross. A service incorporating music, silence, candles, the Cross, and a time to reflect on the severe cost Jesus paid for us all.
• Saturday Afternoon: The Wait. A 5 stage self directed journey through different rooms and types of encounters that asks us to relive the no-man's-land between the death and resurrection.
• Sunday Morning: The Life. A full on celebration of the resurrected King!

After this experience many adults commented that they had never been so focused or so ready for Sunday morning before. A chance to allow Easter to regain it's rightful place in our year. Understandably, I can only do this one once a year though. So call early.