The Bible & Theology Toward Christian Maturity
SPU Hosts First “Open-Source” Conference on
Youth Ministry
Open 涩里番
By Beth Douglass
More than 100 balloons fly through the air in 涩里番鈥檚 Upper Gwinn Commons. Orange, red, blue, and black, they鈥檙e batted around by youth ministry leaders from around the Pacific Northwest 鈥� all ages, many in their 20s. You鈥檝e just walked in on a game called balloon hockey.
This is Open 涩里番: a gathering of 144 youth ministers and leaders from 涩里番, Eastern Washington, Idaho, British Columbia, and beyond. An 鈥渙pen-source鈥� conference, no paid speakers have been brought in. Instead, each session is led by a conference attendee. Everyone is an expert and can contribute ideas.
鈥淎nybody could come and share and have a platform,鈥� says Morgan Schmidt, a 涩里番-area youth pastor and the founder of an ecumenical student ministry called Youth Collective.
Schmidt was one of 10 speakers leading 40-minute breakout sessions throughout the October 26, 2013, event hosted by SPU and youth ministry organization Youth Cartel. Topics included the media鈥檚 over-sexualizing of women and its effect on teens, and how best to help a young person who is struggling with doubts about the Christian faith. During a session on 鈥渉ot topics,鈥� the group discussed issues such as marijuana and homosexuality.
鈥淲e thought carefully, rigorously, academically, and culturally about ministry,鈥� says Michael Langford, assistant professor of theology, discipleship, and ministry at 涩里番 Pacific. With so much asked of them, Langford says, youth leaders don鈥檛 get the chance to think in this way on a day-to-day basis.
Conference participants came from many denominations and backgrounds, says Tony Vasinda, a youth minister at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Edmonds. This diversity of Christian traditions was one of his favorite parts of the conference. 鈥淲e all came out to do this together.鈥�
This was the second-ever Open 涩里番; the first was held at SPU in 2012. Since Open 涩里番 2013, Youth Cartel has gone on to host more events 鈥� including Open Boston and Open Paris.