t once I started this blog life just took off and I have just been trying to keep up! Most recently I was in Charlotte NC. I was speaking at a conference ! This is pretty funny because I basically hate public speaking. But I was asked and so I said yes. I ended up speaking to about 50 Executive Directors of different mental health nonprofit organizations around the nation for the National Institute of Mental Health.You might be wondering what the heck I could be talking about to a bunch of ED's? Well it was about youth outreach and programing I've done throughout the years. It basically seemed to be a dyer need for this crowd. Very few of these organizations had youth programs. Which is pretty amazing, especially since the years of 15-25 are probably the most pivotal years in a persons life. These years form a person's identity and general direction of the rest of their life! Yet there is very little that is being done to educate and support young people around mental health. Honestly, I pretty much only had a foggy notion of it until I started this job. Anyway....It went really well. Most people seemed to be impressed and inspired to start something of their own.VIDEO
I've been learning video production (cinematography and editing). I signed my org. up for a membership with a really cool public media org. They have equipment, trainings, and people on staff to help you learn and use their multi-media equipment. I signed up so that I could make some promotional video's for my youth program; document events, and maybe involve students in the production of their own outreach video. It's been really cool. I'm almost done my first video. Its a short 2 min promotional for Check Your Head. I showed the rough cut at the conference. It seemed to go over really well. I'll have the finished version done really soon! So look out for that :) Until then here is a short video of a couple of my students performing at an arts festival.
HEAVEN FEST
I've jumped back into some volunteer ministry work after a 6 month break from June - December 2008. That time of rest was good and pretty much a mandate from God. I ended up shutting down a ministry that I had built the past 4 years and was really proud of (ONE Denver) - We were doing different kinds of collaborative projects with churches and nonprofits in order to help transform the city. Though I had to let this work go, I now see that what God has for me now is much bigger and better! In the first week of January I received a call from a guy that I new from my ministry network in the city. He heads up a huge music festival in the city called Heaven Fest www.heavenfest.com He started it last year and drew in about 12,000 thousand people. They asked me to be on the Exectutive Team. At first I wasn't sure what to think of it or if I even had time. I've never been into Christian Music Festivals especially since they always seemed like an odd event where faith was being used to make a lot of money. I would look at these and wonder if God was into it? This event however is unique. It's not your typical business model. No one who runs the event gets paid by the event. It is run by missionaries who work with Worship and Word Ministries. This event is giving away its proceeds up front by pledging to give to several needs and causes in Denver and abroad. The event is also practically free to the public! Twenty nine d
ollars or....whatever you can afford! This sounds crazy but hey the whole thing is crazy- Basically backwards! I think it's just how God wants it. All the focus on Him, not on profit and business. So I said yes. That's exactly the kind of thing I want to be apart of! I'm heading up 1/3 of the festival - A Card Board Campout to End Homelessness in Denver and the Prayer and Worship pods. The Card Board Campout is an initiative to hopefully raise about $50,000 for the Mayor's initiative to end homelessness in Denver. I'm really excited about this venture! We're praying for about 500 people to raise $100 a piece to campout, pray, and fast the night of Heaven Fest on a cardboard box. This probably sounds really crazy to you, but what about this event isn't crazy! I think it can happen, and definitely with your prayers it just might :)Well these are the highlights thus far... I'm sure your tired of reading too. But since you're here reading drop me note, give me a call, or leave a comment on my blog. Much Love!
