By Christina Crook

NEARLY one thousand youth workers from across Canada gathered for the first ever Canadian Youth Workers Conference (CYWC), November 29 – December 2.

The event, hosted at the Wall Centre hotel, was set against the backdrop of two Vancouver landmarks: First Baptist and St. Andrew’s-Wesley United Church. It was kicked off with an enthusiastic rendition of ‘O Canada,’ led by award-winning Canadian band Starfield.

The conference’s over-sold crowd of mostly 20- to 30-year-olds spilled through hallways, around conference booths, and into seminars and social events for 16 hours each day. A combination of caffeine and adrenaline kept everyone going – from the packed morning session with Bruxy Cavey to the dance ministry lessons in the evening. There was also some late night frolicking, in Vancouver’s first haul of snow.

Storyline was the theme woven throughout the conference, with movie clips, performance art, music, images, dance and words each helping to communicate the theme of narrative – specifically, the intersections God creates to impact the lives of youth. As conference emcee Tic Long noted: “We are involved in changing a generation for eternity and inviting them to play a part in God’s story.”

From the outset of the conference, participants were invited to make the weekend their own – and, if need be, throw the schedule out the window. Speakers continually drew a link between the depth of freedom in youth workers’ lives and the lives of Canada’s youth.

In his welcoming remarks, one of the organizers encouraged the participants: “Figure out what would rejuvenate your soul and refresh your spirit – and if that’s sleeping, or hanging out with friends, then go for it. We hope you are deeply refreshed, graciously challenged – and we look forward to many years ahead, sharing stories, ideas and resources to better serve the next generation in Canada.”

Conference hosts Youth Specialties and canadafire created a unique environment, where controversial topics such as ‘Ministering to Same Gender Attracted Youth,’ ‘Understanding Cutting’ and ‘Making Affluence History’ were set beside more mainstream topics like ‘Developing Students who Share the Mission of God’ and ‘Developing and Building Young Leaders.’ The tension was palpable, as youth workers wrestled with the value of evangelism in the face of mass consumerism and mounting environmental concerns.

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Photos by Paul Wang

“This was intentional,” said organizer Darian Kovacs, head of canadafire, who spent the conference recovering from emergency appendicitis surgery the day before the event. “We worked hard to make this conference the best experience for us as Canadians, and that comes with a diversity of expressions and convictions.”  

In an age of global concern and escalating disillusionment in and outside of the church, youth ministry is not for the faint of heart.

Sandy Rosen, author of Off the Map and founder of Raw Motion Dance Company, has been in youth ministry for 24 years.

“Our youth are living in a Babylon-esque culture,”  she admonished the conference. “They are a generation that does not know commitment, because they have grown up surrounded by church splits and divorce. We need to share meals with them, and pray with them, and be community with them. We have to be absolutely committed to these kids – and not let go.”

Erin Webb, an assistant youth director in Winnipeg, said she was encouraged by Jon Imbeau’s seminar on ‘Spirit-Filled Youth Ministry.’

“We learned about the importance of finding our identity in Christ – and knowing this first, before ministering to the youth. It enables us to better pray, sense the nudge of the Holy Spirit and be empowered to act,” she said.

Some attendees said they found the sessions to be “hit and miss,” while others found the seminars immensely insightful. The overall sentiment was one of hope, renewed challenge and gratefulness for the conference’s inclusivity.

The event was nearly 10 years in the making. US-based Youth Specialties, one of North America’s largest youth worker training organizations, wanted to ensure that any Canadian conference they helped present was Canadian and not American-led. It wasn’t until they found a partner in canadafire and its cross-Canadian partner ministries that the vision for a national all-Canadian youth worker conference finally became a reality.

This first conference sold out well in advance, and plans for another conference next year – this time, in Toronto – are already taking shape. In the meantime, youth workers continue to play a part in the stories God is telling through the lives of youth in Canada.

January 2008