Saltwater UU Church, Des Moines, Washington

Josephine and I finished leading the workshop at 12:30 today. We had fourteen people attending the youth advisor training this weekend. Now sometimes you get people at these workshops who want to work with youth for (ahem) the wrong reasons, but at this workshop everyone had all the right motivations. We had responsible lay leaders committed to spending time with young people, because they know that young people really benefit from the support of a religious community (and studies do show that youth who have the support of a congregation are much less likely to engage in risky behaviors). You couldn’t do better than spend a weekend with responsible people who are committed to doing ministry with youth.

I did have one disappointment about this weekend’s workshop, though. Josephine promised that she would teach us all how to play a silly bonding game called “Pass the Chicken.” But we ran out of time, and never got to play. I was crushed, absolutely crushed I tell you.