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Pair of Cleats Announcement

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What is Next?

For 20 years I've been writing Pair of Cleats. It used to be only available by mail. Then the internet came and Pair of Cleats was available long before the blog-craze. During that new blog-craze we pondered changing the format and decided to continue as is. We are grateful in hindsight for that decision since Pair of Cleats has outlasted many many blogs. Pair of Cleats has been a consistent space of challenging the status quo of youth ministry to follow what God may lead "out on the Wild Frontier."

The entire 20-year collection has had a consistent theme of avoiding attractional youth ministry and involving the parents and church family which we've termed Church Family-Based Youth Ministry. In hindsight we can see this consistent theme. It's amazing. But in the midst of it, we had no idea that this would be the direction. Our thoughts came from personal frustrations and trusting God to reveal new things to better the fruit of youth ministry. Obviously God has revealed new things.

Now nearly every youth ministry resource is talking about and providing resources for family-based youth ministry, intergenerational youth ministry, Orange, Sticky Faith (it is so great to have actual research to support what we strongly believe in!) or whatever else you've heard it called. We are thrilled at this new look of youth ministry and believe fully in its possibilities.

Wild Frontier, simply because of its name and purpose, has always been a place for "out there" thinking. Instead of using the Pair of Cleats space to rehash what is now common and good, we are following God further "out there" for what is next. However at this point, we have no idea what that is. Until then, we are placing this Pair of Cleats space in suspension. When the new starts to be revealed to our team, we will let you know. For all we know now, it may not even be in this Pair of Cleats space. The unknown is a central part of any frontier living but the choices are made because of the belief that something is better "out there." This has always been core to everything we've done and will continue to do.

As for practics, your email in this account is secure as it always has been. The archive of Pair of Cleats is available at WildFrontier.org. There may be a new Pair of Cleats here and there from a guest author. That is certainly a possibility and may direct us to the next "out there" thing. Who knows?

The "what next" is exciting yet not comfortable. We cherish your prayers and partnership along the way.

Brenda Seefeldt

Founder