You may be wondering why should you allow your children’s pastor to go on this “un”-conference – when for the same funds you could send them to some other conference without the “un” in front of it? Why should you grant a staff member the time and the limited resources to go hiking around the woods when there will be no workshops, no exhibit hall, and no famous speaker to fill them up with the latest in ideas, resources or training?

Yosemite Chapel, Where We Worship on Sunday

First of all, you might want to consider what might happen if you don’t. Have you considered the cost of burn out or failure from a leader running on empty? Are you aware that the average length of time a children’s pastor lasts at a church is three to four years? Why is this? The demands of the job are incredible. A leader who is burning out will eventually crash land. You can help prevent this by allowing them to refresh and renew before it comes to that. Compared to any other staff position (other than yours, of course!) there are more classes and positions to fill, more volunteers to recruit and maintain and more responsibility than any other staff position in the church. Plus, there are children and parents to minister to in addition to the volunteers – as well as all the legal and administrative issues. It is an incredibly demanding job. Few truly appreciate how demanding the position of children’s pastor/director is.

Secondly, most children’s ministry leaders get very little time off. Due to the nature of their job, they have meetings or programs or get calls to fill in the gaps nearly every night of the week and have set up and other emergencies even on weekends. It is a thankless and time-consuming job. They usually don’t complain about this, as it’s their passion and calling – but it is an extremely draining and exhausting occupation. And while the typical children’s ministry conference can be energizing and exciting, it also means more work to implement what they learn and discover at those events!

Thirdly, what suffers the most, too often, in a children’s minister’s life is their very walk with God. They don’t mean to let it happen, but slowly, over time – it can happen. (You know this is true, because it has happened to you.) Because so much time is spent in prayer for the ministry, less time can be spent in personal prayer. Because so much time in spent in the Word preparing for ministry, less time is spent in the Word for personal growth. Because they work for God for the sake of the ministry, they spend less time simply abiding with Christ simply as a child soaking up His presence for His sake. They become a “human dong” busy for God, and less a “human being” simply enjoying God’s company. They can look like they are “doing OK” when they are actually feeling far away from God and starving spiritually.

Yosemite's Pastoral Valley

The best thing you can do to invest in your church’s children’s ministry is to help it’s leader by giving them what they need most – a week away from the ministry where they can reconnect with God and rediscover why they are in ministry in the first place. They probably don’t need any new ideas or resources right now. You hired them because they know all that. They already have access to the places where they can find those things, don’t they? What they need most is to have the flame you saw when you hired them rekindled keep within them. If you want to see them on fire for Christ and for the children of your ministry like never before – release them to go to Yosemite Summit and they will be changed.

I’ve seen dramatic change in the men who have come with me to Yosemite. We don’t just hike around. I take the men through a time-tested specific and intentional journey during the four days we are in Yosemite. Each day is purposeful and focused. It is not just aimless “hanging out” but rich fellowship with guided discussions, prayer, scripture reading and reflections that have the power to transform these men at the deepest level – in ways that will have a profound influence on the depth of ministry they lead when they return to your church.

Yosemite Half Dome

They will come back a new man. They will be a better husband, a better father – and as a result, a better minister. You know the old saying, “If you let something go, it will come back. If you hold on to it, you will lose it for good.” If your children’s pastor is asking to go to Yosemite Summit, it is because they realize they need it. Don’t deny them what they need. They will be grateful to you for allowing them to go, and that gratitude will earn you loyalty that will pay dividends for years to come.

A wise senior pastor looks out for what his staff needs as a person – not just what will benefit the ministry. And when they do so, the ministry benefits as well. Its a win-win for everyone involved. Yosemite Summit is an investment in the man as well as in your ministry. If you’d like to talk to me about it, contact me and I will reply with my cell phone number and be happy to talk to you more about it and answer any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Pastor Karl Bastian
Founder Yosemite Summit

Photos Source

The Three Brothers

It tells me something when I have three Summiteers returning in 2011 to the fourth Yosemite Summit, some for the third time. It tells me they can’t get enough of that amazing place. It tells me they know there is just something about connecting with God there at the heights, in the valleys, at the base of the massive water falls and along the quiet paths. It tells me they heard Him there… and want to hear Him again. It tells me when they got home things were different, better, richer, deeper… that their wives noticed something about them had changed… and they want to feel that again. It tells me they understand the transformative power of leaving everything behind and ceasing DOING and just BEING for several days.

There is no way to adequately describe what happens at Yosemite Summit. But you can try yourself, after you join us. Only eight men can join me. And half the spots have already been claimed. I have some incredible plans for next year. I’ve learned a lot doing this. I know the park and the journey well now. Won’t you join me in 2011?

Read through this site. Watch the videos. Read the reports and the quotes of the men who have gone. And then choose to be one of the lucky ones who takes that bold step and comes. Very few step out of the rat race of ministry and spend time with God and some fellow brothers. Be one of them. It will be a highlight of your life. I promise you.

SEE ALSO:

• Why I’m Going Back – Pat
• Why I’m Going Back – Brent
• A Defining Moment – Anonymous
• What I Learned at Yosemite
• Yosemite in Their Words

I’m still feeling the effects of Yosemite Summit 2009. It is difficult to describe this event to someone who has not gone; it is truly a wonderful trip on so many fronts. But it is my prayer that some descriptions, some pictures, quotes from the guys and a video might help you get a glimpse of the unique experience Yosemite Summit is for the guys who take the time away from ministry to invest in their walk with God and a few other good men who share their passion for children’s ministry.

After the neat group of guys God brought together for the first Summit, I honestly was a little worried that the second year might feel different, but again God brought together a group of men who all got along great and seemingly instantly we were like old friends. I now get to pray the same for 2010!

There is simply no way to describe the grandeur of the vistas at Yosemite National Park. Pictures can’t even come close to capturing the awe of looking out from one vista to another across the sprawling valley below. It is like you can reach out and touch the presence of God.

One of the highlights of Yosemite Summit is getting some time alone in magnificent places to think, pray and journal your thoughts. All the usual distractions of life are hundreds of miles away… and somehow God’s voice is just so much clearer, if not louder.

Thanks so much for an awesome week! It was a real joy to hike with fellow CPs. I was blessed by each guy sharing each night and energized by the encouragement and new ideas shared. The spiritual challenges from Karl, were spot on and a great tool for God to work in my life. I look forward to continuing our new friendships. God Bless each one of you and may your lives and families and ministries never be the same!

We often were together as we hiked, but then had times to split up for some solo time as well. The balance between fellowship and solitude is not managed strictly, but seems to just naturally unfold as we hike at different paces, regroup at the most spectacular sites, and gather for meals along the trails.

How do you describe the feeling of standing at the top of a mountain? While we always stayed a safe distance from truly deadly or dangerous drop offs, you are often near places where the ground soon gives way to sky where hawks and eagles drift by. To be looking straight across at a water fall that is pouring hundreds of feet to a valley below you is awe-inspiring. While the falls seem distant, often you can still hear their roar as they crash into rocks thousands of feet away below and across the valley.

While much of what is experienced in Yosemite remains here or in our memories, the time invested in journaling helps take much of what God stirs within us back home. I love rereading from my Yosemite journal and then closing my eyes and remembering the place where I wrote those words.

Yosemite Summit met all my expectations and I came away feeling like it was one of the best things I could have done for my relationship with the Lord and my ministry. I love the idea of allowing retreat, re-create times to rekindle my love for God, my family and my ministry.

Because of today’s technology, it is wonderful to be able to have worship music playing in head phones as we hiked, journals, or just relaxed. At other times, walking in silence and allowing God’s creation to be the sound track was equally beautiful. With the distant roar of countless water falls, the chirping of birds, rustling of leaves and the occasional scurry of an animal broken only by the steady plodding of our footsteps, Creation offered us the most fitting background music.

I never in all my 20+ years of ministry had taken a “real” break away where I could focus on my relationship with Christ. Because of my time at Yosemite, I have committed that I would take a break regularly because of the impact this has had on my ministry, family and my relationship with Jesus. Yosemite Summit gave me the opportunity to refresh my soul, to renew my spirit and to come back home with a new resolve to fall in love with Jesus more, to serve him with a wiser focus and to honor him with the way I lead my family and my ministry. – Tom

I loved seeing the guys relaxing and can’t help wondering, how often do they truly get to relax back home – where they totally and completely let go of everything and just enjoy the presence of God?

There is nothing like the opportunity to get away, on your own, with no distractions while you listen to God’s voice. The memory will not quickly fade. Jesus made many different times to get away. He even took 40 days before beginning his ministry. How much more do we need to get away and just be with God? Yosemite Summit is this strategic opportunity. – Steve

One of the ways I worship is through the lens of my camera. While no film can capture the majesty of this place, it sure is fun trying. At least you get to take glimpses of it home to enjoy over and over again. Around every turn is yet another “perfect shot” that for some segments of the trip, I had to simply put my camera away and soak it in knowing that being there is better than any picture from there.

While we don’t do any ‘real’ climbing with ropes and gear, there are plenty of rocks that whisper, “Climb me!” And once ascended offer either a better view, or simply a satisfying feeling of having accomplished something worth relaxing and soaking in.

Nothing makes the heart pound like being near the edge of a cliff. And while our wives may fear our curiosity, we were always safe and looked out for each other. But nevertheless, sitting near an edge is a profound way to realize one’s humanity and to appreciate every day God grants us to worship and serve Him!

One of the highlights of Yosemite Summit is a hike that will most likely be included every year, the Mist Trail. There is a stretch where you’d get drenched to the bone if you didn’t wear a poncho! The mist from the thundering waterfall becomes so thick it is almost blinding and the sound of the water fall thrilling. Plus, realizing you will soon be standing at the top at the very edge (behind a railing!) makes the countless stone stairs worth every step.

This is Taft Point, one of the highest vista look out points in Yosemite (and one of the few with a railing) where you can peer straight down over 3500 feet! It was while hiking back from here that I was nearly stuck by lightening in a hail storm that rushed in on us!

The time away at the Yosemite Summit gave me the encouragement I needed, the time I needed to confront the hard issues I had been pushing back, and the conviction to embrace who I truly am in God’s eyes.

Yosemite Summit is an event that will recharge you as a child of God, a husband of your wife and a father of your children. The investment is worth it because the event will impact your walk with God and your relationship with your wife and kids. I can tell you that this single week will have an impact on the rest of my life.

Yosemite Summit 2009 may be over, but it’s impact will last a life time. It is now time to start praying about whether God would have you join us for Yosemite Summit 2010!

Yosemite Summit was a huge blessing and a very worthwhile investment in helping me be refreshed in my relationship with God and helping to keep me centered in my relationships with my wife, kids and my church. Walking by yourself part of a day through towering Sequoia trees praying to God and enjoying his handiwork after having spent time being encourage by and with 8 Christian guys is priceless! – Scotty H.

2009 Highlight Video:

Yosemite Summiteers 2009

It’s official! The 2009 Yosemite Summit Unconference for Children’s Pastors has been filled. The 9 guys above will be setting aside ministry for four of the best days of their life in May. I’ll introduce you to them more in the weeks and months ahead, but for now I just wanted to let you know this event is now full. (There are still four openings in our women’s Unconference, however.)

For those of you who were considering this event and were unable to attend for one reason or another – let me encourage you! Yosemite Summit can still bless you in one of the two following ways:

1) Right NOW, mark ALL of May 2010 off on your calendar as a sabbatical month. Not only might it help you come with me next year, it’s still a good idea. I know take two ‘sabbatical’ months a year. Does that mean I get off work? Nope. It means that I plan two months out of the year where I block out the entire month for no out of town trips or large events that don’t absolutely have to be during that month. I have learned the hard way that if you don’t MAKE TIME to be home more with your family, life won’t let you. YOU are the only one who can control your calendar and the demands placed upon you. Look ahead to the future, and block out a month where you will not travel or do any large events. A month where you go home very evening. For me, it has been May and December for the past two years. For you it may be different, but I can’t tell you strongly enough how much you NEED to do this. If you doubt me, just ask your wife. So whether it is May 2010 (so you can come to Yosemite Summit) or any other month, right now, look far ahead and block off a month. I can tell you, if you don’t do it, no one else will!

2) Right NOW, (well, after you do the one above), look not quite as far ahead, perhaps within the next 4-6 months and look for a time when you can take at least two, if not three full days to spend some concentrated time with God. Not enough vacation time? You might be surprised at how willing your SP or boss might be willing to grant the time as work time – if you sell it right. You want to spend time praying, listening, evaluating, and re-aligning your heart and mind and plans with what God has for your ministry. Most senior pastor’s will grant this time. If not, be creative and make the time. There IS a way, if you want it bad enough, and I bet God wants it bad too and will help you find it. One day is NOT enough! Find a place you can get away to. Your wife and kids will survive, and besides, they might like you better when you return.

Bottom line: You don’t need Yosemite Summit to benefit from what this event is about: Detaching from the busyness of ministry to spend focused time with God. If you were not able to come to Yosemite Summit due to cost, calendar conflicts, or other constraints, the good news is, you STILL have have your own summit with God. What are you waiting for? Schedule it now! And I’d love to hear about it too.

A new resource?

A new program?

A new book?

A new curriculum?

A new conference?

A new idea?

A new volunteer?

A new senior pastor? :0)

This may surprise you – but the best thing for your ministry right now may be to get as far away from it as possible – and to get a close to God as possible.

That is what Yosemite Summit is all about. It is about focusing on what matters most to your ministry: your walk with God. Your soul. NOTHING is more important and nothing will impact your ministry more than your private walk with God. Come join a few other children’s pastors and walk with God for a few days and let Him speak you directly. Through nature, though worship, through fellowship, through the Word, through the quietness you may only find at a sun rise at Glacier Point or in the midst of a thousand foot water fall.

You will never be the same after meeting God here. Cast off the excuses, and allow God to provide if He is hinting in your spirit that He wants you to get away with Him soon.

What are you waiting for?

There is just something powerful about hiking. about exploring. about going where few have gone before. And while Yosemite may be a place visited by many, many more never bother to take the time to plan to get away, and even fewer leave the valley to hike to more remote trails that offer the most spectacular views of God’s creation, in a place I often say is where, “God showed off.”

Came across some good quotes on hiking/exploring today that I wanted to save here – not all directly relate to Yosemite Summit (we do stick to the trails and do intend on arriving at the end!) but they are good quotes on the power of getting out of the routine and setting out!

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” -Lao Tzu

“He who does not travel does not know the value of men.” – Moorish proverb

“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” –Robert Louis Stevenson

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” –Saint Augustine

“Never go on trips with anyone you do not love.” –Ernest Hemingway

“The two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.” –Robert Frost

Yosemite Summit is a chace for a few men to take the road less traveled, to leave behind the normal trail and spend some time in a place where arriving is not the goal, the journey is. It is a time to fellowship with men you will love because they will share your love for God, your passion for ministering to kids, and your need for a break to reconnect with the Creator.

Yosemite Summit isn’t for everyone, but it just may be exactly what YOU need. Don’t miss this awesome experience that you will reflect back on for the rest of your life.

A while back I found the articles linked below on pastors.com and they were exactly what I needed at the time. I have since shared them with many men and I offer them here, not as something I think you might need, but as something I NEEDED that you just might too.

I recommend you read and digest just one at a time and actually DO the recommended assignment provided in each PDF download.

Confessions of a Driven Pastor I (Download Part One)

It’s no longer safe to assume that people in ministry have healthy souls and just need a little coaching in the leadership area. – Pastor Lance Witt

 Confessions of a Driven Pastor II (Download Part Two)

For years I intuitively knew that I was violating my soul. In honest and quiet moments, I longed to get off the treadmill but didn’t know how. – Pastor Lance Witt

I pray that you will find these artilces as convicting and as helpful to you as I did.