Below is an excerpt of an article I wrote for Youth Specialties. Click the link at the bottom to read the entire piece.
What if we did this online?
There is no doubt that we have all asked ourselves that question at least once over the past couple months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us are, in fact, currently contemplating this exact question for summer camp. This was the same question the leadership at Orange asked when they realized their annual conference would fall right in the middle of a nation-wide quarantine and health crisis.
I went into Orange Conference 2020 disappointed. I look forward to my annual trip to Atlanta with thousands of other family ministry leaders. Not only is it a great time to learn, but I love going out to lunch and talking about life and ministry with them. I absolutely love hearing from others both on stage and across the table.
Nonetheless, I came out of OC20 with a revelation (perhaps, revolution too).
While there is no way to replicate the power of being in the same room with a group of like-minded individuals who not only do what we do but love what we do, the digital experience, if done right, can be a great alternative when reality does not allow us to be together physically.
Steve Cullum 