Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

“I want you to not get lost in the gadgets and distractions of the world. I want you to be smart about how you use them.”

The Rev. J. Herbert Nelson is speaking to crowd of youth and young adults here on the evening of June 30 ― the opening day of the second Big Tent event. The seats fill up quickly so several people are sitting on the floor.  Everyone is listening quietly, attentive to what Nelson is saying, and many are nodding their heads. 

“I am convinced that we are living the best of times and the worst of times,” Rev. Nelson tells the crowd. “You, as young people, are living in a world that is going through power on one end and peril on the other.”

Nelson is the director of the General Assembly Mission Council’s Office of Public Witness in Washington, D.C. He’s speaking at the opening event of the Pathways Conference at Big Tent. It’s billed as a “conference within a conference” and is for youth, adult youth workers, college age young people, and collegiate ministry leaders.

The focus of Pathways is on discipleship exploration, worship, and leader development.  Reverend Nelson is clearly concentrating on the leadership aspect.

 “We are here because we are all part of the church of Jesus Christ. You have a responsibility to transform the world whether it is dying or vibrant. You have a responsibility to give it life.

“You are not too young to better your world. Your generation is the smartest we’ve ever seen. You can see the world globally… through FaceBook, Twitter, and more.”

Nelson tells the young and faithful crowd that they will deal with something no other generation has faced: they will likely make less money than their parents did and see more turmoil than the generation before them. 

But, he again emphasizes that everyone at the conference has the power to change it.

 “Yes, you have the tools, like these, to reach out,” he says, pulling his cell phone from his pocket and holding it up for everyone to see.  “But, the question is not whether [you] have all the gadgets in the world; the question is how you use [them] for the good of the world. Be mindful of how your communication tools can be used to lift up the light of the world.”

Jessica Reid is a communications associate in Communications and Funds Development working on Presbyterian Disaster Assistance’s Haiti Response. She is covering the Pathways Conference at Big Tent for PNS.