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Print I need to attend the ALJC’s Thanksgiving weekend Youth Convention before I can say this definitively, but the North American Youth Congress (NAYC) is as close to a Pentecostal Super Bowl as we’ve got. Everyone of every age wants to know what’s going on at every moment, national church officials attend despite the fact they aren’t participating, there is always something interesting happening everywhere, and then it’s over almost before it’s begun. It’s quite a rush if you stay plugged in. I stayed plugged in because literally dozens of people shared their thoughts and stories with me. To the best of my knowledge all are true. We covered NAYC in Columbus while group blogging as Youth Congress Live! (August 8-15), so I’m assuming you’ve read some or most of those posts. If not, you will wonder why there are strange gaps in this report. That is why.
General Observations ■ Columbus was clean, safe, humid, and friendly. Nationwide Arena is perfectly proportioned for services like this. The major hotels are 1.5 blocks away. What’s not perfectly situated is the arena booth areas and rooms for the breakout classes—it was a safe 12-15 minutes to the Terrace Ballroom in the Columbus Convention Center. (One guess whose panel discussion was in the Terrace Ballroom.) ■ The General Youth Division (GYD) unveiled Commune-ity on Thursday night. Commune-ity will be the renamed North American Youth Worker’s Convention, as well as a resource-rich web site for youth leaders. ■ Most of the video clips/commercials (from GYD to Pentecostal Publishing House to the different Bible schools) splashed creativity and color. It’s unusual to hear 13,000 people laughing simultaneously, but that was quite common each night as they flashed between singers during Youth Extravaganza each night or during moments in service. ■ Only in Pentecost Category: One of the booths closed during the sessions, but it wasn’t roped off. Naturally, it was thronged with Pentecostals eyeing products. On the checkout table was 3-4 $20 bills that honest buyers had laid down for their purchases. Numerous Pentecostals kept saying, “Someone’s going to steal this money” and wanting it to be hidden. But of course, no one did steal it because they were Holy Ghost-filled Pentecostals who were also thinking of laying down their money for purchases. So everyone was talking about someone else stealing this money, but no one was doing it. ■ This was (probably) the first NAYC that featured panel discussions (instead of straight teaching) for every level of the split session. They ranged from fantastic (high school) to basic (young ministers) to too little time to cover all topics (young adults). It was a great idea and I hope they do it again. ■ The Bible schools went all-out to snag contact names. One booth offered school breath mints and pens that lit up, one offered school-branded chapstick, while yet another gave away blue (“Livestrong”-like) bracelets with words like “integrity” on it. Winner has to be Gateway College of Evangelism, who offered an iPod Shuffle to one lucky person who signed up. They’re said to have snagged 1,100 names with that promotion. ■ I saw 3-4 teens/twentysomethings slain in the spirit, exiting 30-45 minutes after a service with a friend or two slowly escorting them out. One bent over on the floor crying, shouting, “Hallelujah” and crying again, before being stood up, walking a short while and stopping again. ■ I also saw some godly laughing in the spirit after Friday night’s service. ■ The “Afterburner” mall event (running after Friday service until 2 a.m.) sold out its 6,000 ticket allotment before Friday night’s service, the quickest sell-out yet. This craziness snagged the attention of the Columbus Dispatch, who also ran an NAYC article on their Religion page. (Special thanks to reader David Agriesti for the clips.) ■ Membership has its Privileges Category: If you hadn’t registered, you weren’t allowed into the Arena until 7 p.m. each evening. This, of course, benefited all those who paid to support Congress. This, of course, inconvenienced any locals who were bringing visitors. Still, there has to be a benefit for those who paid… ■ In the arena, the “sleepless squint” was much in evidence by Thursday. ■ Most attendees were quite modest. Most teens are obviously oblivious to the current “tight-clothes-are-fine” fashion, thus putting into question some definitions of modesty, but the obviously immodest were obviously not living for God. (PPH sold out of all small and medium “Ignite” t-shirts, but had to discount sizes large and extra large at late Friday to sell them.) ■ That said, I did spy one ankle tattoo on a girl, numerous guys in pink (sorry, it’s a generational thing), and one guy wearing a pinstriped hat, which reminded me of the NAYC in Memphis when a guy spun a cane around with him for most of one day. ■ The Future Arrived 3 Years Ago Category: Harvestime’s sales of the services and sessions were strong, especially Friday night. Interestingly, I’m told they only sold two cassettes and three VHS tapes. Everything else was CDs and DVDs. ■ A reliable source tells me that some arena vendors were hawking cotton candy in the stands at the start of the Wednesday night service. ■ GYD encouraged the day speakers to dress casual. All the day speakers thanked GYD. ■ A reliable source tells me that one room of Pentecostal guys was playing poker, complete with chips and other paraphernalia, until at least 6 a.m. Thursday. ■ Of course there were Ken and Barbie couples and male or female Clone Cliques who dressed near identical, then walked everywhere together. ■ Pentecostal security reports that this was the calmest NAYC yet. (Every NAYC, a group of Pentecostal men volunteer their time to patrol the hallways and lobbies throughout the night to prevent problems.) One security guard said most years they troubleshoot about 15-20 calls each night, but this year it was closer to 4-5. (One reason: a lack of hotel atriums. Atriums have been proven to lower a teenager’s IQ by up to 50 points, encouraging them to yell loudly to friends five stories away and/or to put themselves into dangerous positions to thrill their dates.) ■ Only at Youth Congress Category: Overheard around the Hyatt’s 18th floor elevator banks before an evening service. Teen in suit to two other guys in suits, disgusted: “I hate being late. I’ve missed like four elevators because of you!” (pause) “Now it’s just Courtney.” Guy 2: “Courtney’s too busy cleaning her feet.” Then the elevator doors shut behind me. I wonder how late they were? ■ A reliable source tells me some poor civilian was caught in an elevator full of drunk-in-the-spirit Apostolics. When the doors opened, she seemed simultaneously thrilled and relieved to escape. ■ 2-3 Nationwide Arena security guards received the Holy Ghost during services. ■ A reliable source told me that two teens from Iowa (16 and 15) decided in the middle of the night to go home and talked someone into driving them home without telling their youth leader.
■ This is a True Story: The NAYC’s theme was “Ignite.” (Notice logo.) There were numerous t-shirts in the PPH booth area showcasing this graphic. So, a lady pushed a baby stroller up to me and said (read this carefully), “Excuse me sir. What does the theme I-G-N-T-E mean?” I explained how a match ignites an explosion, and made the appropriate explosive spiritual parallel. Her eyes remained glazed, but she thanked me and ambled off. Said friend Debbie, “Looks like something didn’t ignite.”
“Pentecostal Idol” Even though the judges were obscured, it was a fun time. The evening opened with the five male contestants, followed by the five groups, and ending with the five females.
Some observations: ■ Attendance was good, but not too full on the lower sections. ■ Several contestants chose weak songs to spotlight their talent. That was unfortunate because they only had one chance to win it all. ■ After each category of singers sang, video highlights appeared on the big screen for a quick reprise. ■ There were strong contestants in each category, but then the fourth female contestant started singing. Her voice and control definitely put her as a frontrunner. Then she hit the high note on cue and it was game over. The crowd went crazy and May Nasala of Chula Vista, CA sailed on to a clear win. When they reprised the video clips, she received the largest ovation of the night. ■ It felt anti-climatic at the end because the winners weren’t declared until the next night. I understand why, as they asked the audience to vote there, and encouraged everyone else to vote at the PMA web site, but at midnight, when it ended, I was seeking some closure. (Or at least a call out for encores.)
Friday, August 12 ■ At around 8:45 a.m., there were eight people in the Hyatt lobby and only two were Apostolic. ■ I’m Sure There’s An Interesting Story Here Category: Walking from the Hyatt to Nationwide Arena, there’s a grassy half-block to walk past. Beside the sidewalk sat an entire Domino’s pepperoni pizza still in its opened box with no one near it. ■ By 6:30 p.m., an hour before service officially started, the lower seating levels of the arena were full and the ushers were shooing people upstairs only. ■ How do you estimate attendance for night services? The Arena was configured for 19,000, but the private Club level was (supposed to be) inaccessible, so that probably wiped out 1,000-2000 seats. No night overflowed into the rafters. I’m a hard-eyed realist on attendance numbers, but Friday night totals safely passed 15,000 inside the arena, with however many dozens-to-hundreds in the courseways. I’ve heard 17,000 estimated for Friday, but that seems optimistic to me. ■ During the evening service, Bro. Darrell Johns made a personal, heartfelt plea after declaring, “We are going to have a record offering tonight.” There was then a record offering. Rumor has it that Johns entire family was then kidnapped and held ransom until he signed a lifetime contract to orchestrate record offerings at all future NAYCs. ■ As previously reported, Bro. Todd Gaddy used 12 year-old Larissa Hunt to offer a special prayer for the entire congregation. One youth pastor later reported that when she prayed one of his teens whose back had been hurting badly, turned and said he was instantly healed and proved it by moving about. Though that wasn’t what the prayer was about, perhaps it was a point of faith. ■ Now It Can Be Told Department: Before this service, despite the boisterous chatter throughout the VIP Lounge, Larissa and her parents sat almost petrified at a table to one side. Not that I’d be any different as 12 years old, but they were all just too quiet for their own good. ■ EXCLUSIVE! A reliable source told me that the notebook Bro. Todd Gaddy preached his message out of was actually the room service menu notebook from his Hyatt hotel room. Somebody better check to see if he’s got a set of Hyatt towels at his house… ■ Gaddy’s message was highly interactive, with him striding down to the floor, carrying a small boy on his back to illustrate a point, and even—State of the Union fashion—bringing invited guests onto the platform at different times. ■ Memorable lines from his challenging sermon: 1. On breaking down the color wall: “The last time I checked Jesus didn’t have a separate living water fountain.” (Shortly thereafter, a white teen carried a black teen on his back to the front.) 2. On overcoming the differences between us: “I may dance like a dork but I still love Jesus!” 3. On reaching out to the unsaved, he said, I trust you can “discern the difference between common ground and compromise.” ■ After the sermon ended, young people at the front chanted “Jesus name! Jesus name! Jesus name!” ■ If GYD Promotions Director Wayne Francis was gliding beneath the radar before NAYC, he is now Apostolic Youth’s unanimous cult hero. His leading of worship and song after the message was vibrant, authentic, and energetic. The teens ate it up. Overheard: “He should’ve been a rock star.” He definitely provides a serious energy infusion wherever he goes. Personal Observations ■ The zine’s attended national events since premiering at the Nashville (UPCI) General Conference in 1999, and this was the first one where we felt like 90&9’s name recognition was high. Readers and contributors visited (thanks to Micah, Jaime, Kristyn, and Sara, among others), one friend told Nita on Wednesday “Everyone’s heard of 90&9” (which is more shocking than you may realize), and Sarah Holland became a dinner celebrity just because she’s on our staff. (Though they still somehow managed to pay for her dinner despite that.) You have no idea how much your kind words matter to us. ■ Personal Shout Out: Alex and Matthew from South Carolina—thanks for making my day after the Young Adults panel. ■ Youth Congress Live!, our group blog was wildly successful. This was a good idea that worked. (You’d be surprised how many don’t.) 1. Thanks to each group blogger (Amanda, Eric, Jeremy, Nita, Sarah) as many readers complimented our variety of viewpoints. 2. For the first time in six years, the blog was actually a higher entry point for web surfers than our home page. (That’s almost unheard of). 3. We were most surprised, but shouldn’t have been, at the number of parents checking the blog to see what their kids were experiencing. ■ Confession is Good for the Soul Category: Sorry Jerkface, you were right. GLU key cards were supposed to be in the three biggest hotels in Columbus, including our Hyatt, but the key card company sent the cards to the wrong Columbus Hyatt (7 blocks away). You have been officially upgraded to a reliable source again. ■ I am such a neophyte at these Pentecostal preacher things. Everyone on each panel was asked to speak on a topic of their choice for three (3) minutes. I suffered and sweated over mine (“Creating Your Own Ministry”), paring my points to the bare minimum, testing and retesting my delivery and examples to hit exactly 180 seconds. See, I thought I was supposed to speak for only three (3) minutes because they asked us to speak for only three (3) minutes. What I need to buy is one of those fancy Preacher Watches, because if I had, then I needn’t have worried so much, because the second hands on Preacher Watches run much, much slower than on civilian watches. I sped through my delivery, barely breathing, then turned it over to my esteemed (preacher) co-panelists. One went about seven (7) minutes and the other about nine (9) minutes. Neither apologized nor seemed to notice that they had spoken for seven (7) and nine (9) minutes in real-world time despite being asked to speak only three (3) minutes. If I ever get asked again, I’m going to speak the entire time. ■ Battle of the Sexes Category: Why, when men say their feet hurt after standing on concrete all day, do women say, “You should try it in heels”? Why, when men say they’re in great pain, do women say, “You’ve never been pregnant. You ought to try delivering a baby”? Why does your pain somehow make mine illegitimate? ■ Friends Are A Fine Treasure Category: I’m a long-time devotee of Bible Quizzing, having quizzed and coached, so when I found out there was a going-away salute to my coach, Bro. Lonnie Brown, who is now an assistant national quizmaster, I planned to visit the Wednesday night banquet. Happily, one of my quizzers—and currently 90&9’s managing editor—had coached her team into a second place national finish, so I was excited to know some trophy winners. Then Alicia Becton won the prestigious Coach of the Year award, sealing it with a wonderful speech that featured scripture, humor, and gushing over how every one of her quizzers (she had two teams competing) had scored positive points. Then Bro. and Sis. Brown gave wonderful speeches. This is what I remember most: 1. After all of the chats with quizzers, Bro. Brown accepted my congratulations, then asked for a picture. Alicia was quickly snagged, and as we flanked him, he said, “Here I am surrounded by two Coach of the Years.” Yes, I thought, both of whom just happened to be your former quizzers. 2. On Thursday, I ran into several mutual quiz friends, and asked if they’d heard that Alicia was Coach of the Year. None had, even though all had talked with her. All she had told them was that Nashville had placed second in the nation and that all of her kids had scored positive points. See, humility can be cool. My only regret to a report like this is it’s impossible to report all of the miracles and major life changes that occurred in those three days. That won’t be possible for many years. A thrill is a thrill and a high is a high, but a life transformation readjusts the future forever. That article will have to be written in heaven.
ninetyandnine.com © 2005, Kent d Curry ---------- Kent d Curry is an executive editor of ninetyandnine.com. |
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