there is a certain muscle on my backside that is not relaxing. our largest youth workers convention ever was last year in atlanta — just under 6400. that was a wild ride, and we figured it would never happen again: so we blissfully planned for 5000 in nashville this year. early on in the reg process, the numbers were extrapolating out to 7400 — and we all laughed at that, and said it was a fluke; an error in the extrapolation or something.
when we crossed 7000 on monday morning (the reg deadline was friday), we realized the 7400 projection was likely — with three weeks of trickle-in registrations. but we crossed 7350 yesterday at the end of the day. so we’ve set a cap at 7500, which we’ll likely reach this week.
i’m blown away that we had room for 7500 and are still going to have to turn people away. i just kills me to turn people away. i know that some of the last to register are those who were just able to scrape together the money. we’re fine for space in the general sessions, as they’ll be in the gaylord arena this year. but we don’t want people to have a terrible experience trying to get into seminars. and even with addtional seminar spaces added in two churches a block away, and a hotel a few blocks away, we’re at max.
i barely know how to explain this phenomenon. but i know i can’t WAIT to worship with 7500 other youth workers!
{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
That sure is a Train wreck…. does that mean you might have to consider another convention? instead of 3??
I can’t wait either!!! and thank you to YS for hooking us up with the boxed lunch deal.
g-man! i said “runaway train” — NOT “train wreck”!!! let’s hope it’s NOT a train wreck!!
Just goes to show how seriously the church is taking youth ministry now. May it never stop to grow! GREAT work YS!
That is awesome, Marko! I know it’ll be a fantastic week!
Ah, Train ride …oops (Wreck -lol – I was thinking of all those evaluations you were reading)
Marko,
I am heading to Nashville for my third YS convention and taking along our middle school pastor who has never been. I showed him all the seminars just for middle school workers and he was floored. I can’t wait to worship with all my brothers and sisters. Thanks for all your hard work.
I was at the last one in Nashville. November always seems to be easiest for people with Thanksgiving and everything
can’t wait. i’ve brought other workers with me before, but this year i’m coming alone. maybe that’ll be good for me.
shweeeeeeeeeeet! I wish Nashville was next door to sacto…I woul dhave gone twice…Lord be with you guys as you care for all of those chicks and dudes who love kids as Christ loves them…
That just sounds SO awesome…I remember jumping side by side with other youth workers to one of Crowder’s songs…hands raised high (B.O. running pretty good too after all those coffee breaks). It was one of the coolest experience of my life! I contacted five friends that are having a tough time in youth ministry, three registered for the YS convention in Tennessee (one just resigned from the church and they are still allowing him to attend the conference). Looks like YS might have to JUMP to more conferences next year??!!
Holy Lord!! I remember the ethereal feeling in the midst of the thousands of worshippers at the Atlanta general sessions last year. Now I have flutters in my stomach realizing we’ll all be in the arena!! I definitely need to stock up on my kleenex supply before Nash-Vegas. I.can.hardly.wait.
Just think how God could bless you if you’d stop pushing “Eastern Practices”.
Nothin but love
Just look at it this way…
(tilt your head on a 45 degree angle)
There… isn’t that better?
Prayin’…
Imagine, 7500 Eastern mysticists, er, Christians, in the same room. Wish I was there.
( For your sake, I sure hope they’ve improved the eating situation in Nashville – the only thing I remember from Nashville in ’98 or ’99 or whenever it was, was that we had to blow off seminars and/or general sessions just to find a place to eat. And that convention, to my recollection was only about 4500.)
let’s be honest. it was amazing.