In Their Words

Matthew McNutt, Wilmington Delaware

I’ve come for the last five years in a row. The first time I came was just to check it out and see if I could maybe bring back some ideas to my church. I honestly just saw it as a one-time trip for me; now I can’t imagine going a year without being at NYWC! When I actually sat down and tried to figure out why I make it a priority every year, there were a few things that really jumped out at me…

There is just something indescribable about the energy in a room with thousands of youth workers. I’ve been to a lot of conferences, some quite larger in attendance, but nothing compares to the vibe at Youth Specialties. Youth workers are a unique tribe, we’re enthusiastic, we’re not held back by age, we’re comfortable with cutting loose, we have this massive common connection, and we know how to enjoy an event! It is absolutely moving to be in a room where everyone is worshipping, everyone is jumping, and everyone is fully involved in what is happening instead of just the handful by the stage. I’ve never seen that anywhere else.

I also come for the networking. It’s a time when I can connect with people I only see once a year, whether it’s fellow authors, friends from around the country, or people from other ministries I want to grab some time with. For me, having that face-to-face connection makes it so much more significant.

The teaching is a huge resource. The General Sessions are always amazing, but where my favorite teaching happens is in the seminars. Where else am I going to get the chance to corner a Doug Fields or a Duffy Robbins and get advice about my specific youth ministry context?  These authors, speakers and experts are in many ways impossible to get to - except at NYWC. Over the last five years I think I’ve managed to have significant conversations with most of the leading youth ministry experts out there because they love NYWC and they make themselves available to us in a way that just doesn’t normally happen.

I think the biggest reason, though, is ultimately about getting refreshed. Last year NYWC actually fell on the weekend of my anniversary; I assumed it was going to be a no-go. My wife actually told me I had to go, that she sees a huge difference in my spirit, my joy, and even my sense of momentum after I come back from NYWC and she loves how it impacts me. I tend to not slow down, to take on too much, and she loves seeing me relax for those four or five days in a way that I don’t at any other point in the year.

This last year was the first time I brought some of my own team; in the past I’ve generally travelled with another youth pastor or friends from other ministries. For the three of us it was an incredible trip! I was new on staff and it was a great time to really get to know a couple of my key leaders, to have some great times of worship, fellowship, and training together in a context where none of us had any youth ministry obligations or responsibilities. I think our whole team here at the church has benefitted from the experience the three of us had, both in the resources and ideas that we came back with and in the greater bond that we have as leaders.

~Matthew McNutt, Associate Pastor of Student Ministries at Brandywine Valley Baptist Church in Wilmington, Delaware