By Christina Crook

Shane Claiborne brought a counter-cultural challenge to the Canadian Youth Worker Conference. Photo by Derek Juneson.

On opening night, one speaker set the theme by presenting an excerpt from a poem by Amena Brown: "God's call is absurd. In his world, virgins birth saviours, stutterers become speech-sayers, backside of the mountain shepherds become kings, and old men past their prime become fathers to generations."

Shane Claiborne, author of the bestsellers Irresistible Revolution and Jesus for President, echoed this theme from centre stage. "Is it God's dream for CEOs to make four hundred times their workers, or for a population that makes up five percent of the world to consume 50 percent of the world's resources?" he asked, before stating that this was truly ridiculous.

Listen UP TV's Melinda Estabrooks got laughs by introducing Claiborne as the kind of man who "reeks of humility."

Claiborne is part of a counter-cultural revolution that is increasingly challenging consumerism, even within the church. Other examples include Geez, a faith-based magazine that has advocated the Church of Stop Shopping and Buy Nothing Christmas for the last three years.

"The questions when we get to heaven are not going to be doctrinal," Claiborne told the 900-strong crowd. "They're going to be: 'When I was hungry, did you feed me? When I was naked, did you clothe me? When I was in prison, did you visit me?' In the words of Mother Teresa, 'We are called to serve Jesus in his most distressing disguises.' Jesus came for the sick, not the healthy. The church that changes the world will be a people who are peculiar, a people who fascinate the world with grace."

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Talk of spiritual disciplines and radical living filled the halls and seminars of this year's CYWC. Many people focused on what an appropriate Christian approach to Christmas would be, particularly in the current economic crisis.

Some people suggested the Advent Conspiracy, an international movement whose purpose is to restore the "scandal of Christmas by substituting compassion for consumption."

"It is a rather strange idea that we celebrate the baby refugee [Jesus] by buying stuff," said Claiborne. "Young people are the ones who get this. They see the world we inherited from our parents, which is fragile, and they don't want it. They want to be dared to live differently."

Tony Campolo, Claiborne's mentor and teacher at Eastern University, followed in his student's footsteps. He echoed the younger man's sentiments regarding the need to resist the allure of comforts and power, adding: "Power is not the way the church is going to change the world. It's through true authority: tens of thousands of acts of love."

Terrence Hoffarth, a conference attendee and Youth for Christ worker from Wetaskiwin, Alberta, said the CYWC speakers reinforced a focus on love rather than programming. "I work with First Nations youth, and there's nothing quick on a reserve," he said. "You have to be ready for the long haul. People respect you for the time you spend -- your humour and care -- not what you say."

Laura Bronson -- who, with her brother Tim, leads the skate ministry Keep it Real in the Greater Toronto Area -- found the event very helpful. "Attending the CYWC feels like an honour," she said. "All of the greats and all of our heroes are here. We're sitting at a PAOC dinner, and Tony Campolo's right beside us. We've learned so much -- and it encourages us that one day maybe we can do a seminar too. We're for sure coming next year."

CYWC 2009 is scheduled for Vancouver.

December 22/2008