Glad to be here at The Idea Camp again this morning…
We shared a great moment while we were singing together; Charles Lee built off a recent blog post and asked us not to get derailed — all of the great innovation, ideating and collaboration that come out of this conference must be laid down at Jesus’ feet. We sang the bridge to the well-known song Hosanna a few times to express this surrender to God:
Heal my heart and make it clean / Open up my eyes to the things unseen
Show me how to love like You have loved me
Break my heart for what breaks Yours / Everything I am for Your Kingdom’s cause
As I walk the earth into eternity
Great video of the three finalists for the Idea Competition — big ups to SD’s Creative Action Group for having 2 out of 3 of the finalists! All three are great ideas. Join in by texting in your votes to 47201:
- Idea A: Bake it forward
- Idea B: Band Aid
- Idea C: WikiChoice – stop slavery through our decisions as consumers (an amazing idea from my friend James Pearson!)
This morning, The Idea Camp is highlighting two groups that often don’t get to the main stage: women and young people. Dawn Nicole, Dawn Carter and Cynthia Ware are three leaders doing great work for the Kingdom – very encouraging to hear their voices from the main stage this morning. Great honest discussion about barriers women face, both inside and outside of the church.
Dawn Carter, “Open source is about making it happen for the Kingdom, not getting credit for it.”
Great video featuring the work of JustOne and the Laundry Love Project — amazing way to bless the community. It’s about clean clothes, but it’s also about relationships and people’s stories. Love the soundtrack (“Falling Slowly” from the Once soundtrack). Beautiful quote at the end:
It’s not about wondering when the storm will stop but learning how to dance in the rain
About 40 projects around the country that have helped 30,000 people. Creating reproducible ideas that others can take and run with.
Young voices on the main stage who are making a difference: Zach Hunter and Conner Cress.
Zach is an abolitionist who started an organization called Loose Chains to Loosen Chains when he was 15 years old. Since then, they’ve raised over $500,000 to help end slavery today. Connor started an organization called Dry Tears, which comes from the medical fact that in extreme dehydration, the body cannot even produce tears.
Great quote in response to the question, Don’t you ever want to be a regular teenager? from Zach Hunter:
The definition of being a normal teenager is definitely not a part of what I want to become.
The role of relationships, mentoring and support: “We had people who believed in us and had expectations that we could do stuff”
I was deeply convicted by the role their parents had in their lives:
I had the privilege of being soaked in prayer. I know my mom prayed Micah 6:8 over me
I know the idea of talking with my daughter about pain and suffering. Zach, as a son, had these great words born of personal experience: “Don’t be afraid to tell your kids about the pain in this world in an age-appropriate way”
headsparks* 
Thanks for this recap post. I’m still trying to catch all the recaps I can… God used the ideacamp sessions, workshops and worship time to absolutely fill my love tanks, renew my hope and inspire me to make a difference in my little corner of the world.
I l*o*v*e*d the quote by Conner Cress as well, about being “having the privilege of being soaked in prayer as a kid.” I have shared that quote with a couple of my Mom’s Bible study leaders and hope share it more. What a gift to have a young man recognize this fact. What a testimony to the efficacy of his mom’s prayers.
Loved meeting you at ideacamp and look forward to learning more from ya.
Dawn Carter
@decart
Dawn — Thanks for dropping by! Right on… I’m totally with you. I loved that the flow of the Camp was to push us right back into the actual communities in which we live. I know I’m right in the middle of trying to bring some of what I experienced to life in our little community here in SD. The theme of parenting came up for me often throughout the Camp – I was definitely challenged to be a better daddy to my little one and pray for her even more deeply.
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I’m definitely looking forward to learning, collaborating and conspiring together in the future. I feel like God was bringing together a unique group of friends to journey forward.