Behind Enemy Lines

Today I am planning and organizing a seminar to teach at this weekends Deer Creek leader retreat. This will be my first time sharing on one of these weekends as I've chickened out during the past 7 years of possibilities. So I am excited but also a little nervous about the whole thing.

Lucky for me I have felt a real leading during the planning process for this talk so I believe God has led me towards what I am speaking about this weekend. The title is "Behind Enemy Lines There Are Sometimes Allies" and the summary is that we have to enter the community of our students in every way and that also means their school. So I am going to encourage leaders to coach, volunteer, tutor, sub, grade papers, pick up trash, or whatever they can to serve and be a part of the school where they lead.

So in the spirit of Deer Creek, I thought I'd list some of my favorite memories from these leader weekends.

• Deer Poop Football- It's always a blast to get a bunch of guys together to play football on Saturday afternoon on the field that is ALWAYS covered with about 2 tons of Deer Poop. From hence forth I should call this the Deer Poop Leader Weekend. Were pretty much playing football in the toilet of the deer population of Deer Creek State Park.
• Snow, Snow, Snow. I have no idea what the weather is supposed to be for this weekend, but I do know that almost every year we have had a major snowfall to contend with as we drive either to Deer Poop State Park or home on Sunday.
• Ryan Mecum doing program and running for President of Young Life against Denny Rydberg who just happened to be speaking on the weekend. My favorite argument was "Denny Rydberg has never done contact work."
• I love cramming into a cabin with every guy in leadership. Late nights lead to great conversations about Christ and our lives.
• The gift shop that I've never entered in like 10 years of going to Deer Creek. They would make such a killing if they had a Starbucks.
• The awesome feeling of being with 500 or so other folks who are in the same battle as me for our high school friends.
• But my favorite thing about these weekends has got to be just being with our leaders away from the day to day world. Everyone seems to come to these weekends with a heightened desire to grow in Christ and to love on each other.