100 youth plus adults gathered at WayCross camp and Retreat center entering into some challenging ways to think about relationships as ministry. Extra fun for me was that Nathan Griner, my son, joined me as the musician for the weekend.
As an education major I do have the wonderful memory of the day our professor lectured all the facts and studies on why lecturing is the least effective way to communicate. I sat listening, astounded that he was lecturing on reasons not to lecture.
A number of kids at WayCross understood also. They were involved in games, demonstrations, interviews, small groups, one on one discussions, memory techniques and more. Speaking only highlighted what they were learning from each other. Kids said they appreciated that they did not have to just listen. At the same time, it meant there was a lot of concentrated work, some of requiring a lot of emotional energy.
My hope is always that as participants go home there are real skill that will be used in real life. It always seems to be the tug of that still small voice that suggests, “You should say hello to that person.” It isn’t long before people discover that even the simplest human interactions are really about God.
