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SPU Hosts First “Open-Source” Conference on
Youth Ministry

Open ΒιΆΉΣ³Ορ

By Beth Douglass

More than 100 balloons fly through the air in ΒιΆΉΣ³Ορ’s Upper Gwinn Commons. Orange, red, blue, and black, they’re batted around by youth ministry leaders from around the Pacific Northwest β€” all ages, many in their 20s. You’ve just walked in on a game called balloon hockey.

This is Open ΒιΆΉΣ³Ορ: a gathering of 144 youth ministers and leaders from ΒιΆΉΣ³Ορ, Eastern Washington, Idaho, British Columbia, and beyond. An β€œopen-source” conference, no paid speakers have been brought in. Instead, each session is led by a conference attendee. Everyone is an expert and can contribute ideas.

β€œAnybody could come and share and have a platform,” says Morgan Schmidt, a ΒιΆΉΣ³Ορ-area youth pastor and the founder of an ecumenical student ministry called Youth Collective.

Schmidt was one of 10 speakers leading 40-minute breakout sessions throughout the October 26, 2013, event hosted by SPU and youth ministry organization Youth Cartel. Topics included the media’s over-sexualizing of women and its effect on teens, and how best to help a young person who is struggling with doubts about the Christian faith. During a session on β€œhot topics,” the group discussed issues such as marijuana and homosexuality.

β€œWe thought carefully, rigorously, academically, and culturally about ministry,” says Michael Langford, assistant professor of theology, discipleship, and ministry at ΒιΆΉΣ³Ορ Pacific. With so much asked of them, Langford says, youth leaders don’t get the chance to think in this way on a day-to-day basis.

Conference participants came from many denominations and backgrounds, says Tony Vasinda, a youth minister at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Edmonds. This diversity of Christian traditions was one of his favorite parts of the conference. β€œWe all came out to do this together.”

This was the second-ever Open ΒιΆΉΣ³Ορ; the first was held at SPU in 2012. Since Open ΒιΆΉΣ³Ορ 2013, Youth Cartel has gone on to host more events β€” including Open Boston and Open Paris.