I was at UPS right as the doors opened this morning to pick up a missed delivery.

There were 6 people in front of me (and another dozen behind me) for one thing, and one thing only.

Their new iPhone 7’s had arrived.

It’s simply amazing what type of tech is packed into such a thin piece of metal.

Camera. Speakers. Processing Chips. Storage. A beautiful display.

And even Siri herself lives in there.

At times, thin is what is hip, what is gorgeous. Thin is the thing that packs the most punch and that everyone wants.

So, when is thin a disadvantage?

I was sitting with a couple of really smart fellas yesterday. Men whom I admire and respect greatly.

We were talking about many wonderful memories that each of us have in YL.

And then the conversation turned to theology.

And the word “thin” came up. And it wasn’t hip, gorgeous or the thing that everyone wants.

“YL has a thin theology around most of what it does.”

I have to admit, I was a bit surprised by this remark. On the other hand, as I dig into the D.Min research even more, I am starting to see this in certain seasons of our mission in my specific area of study.

In the early days of our mission, theological training informed most of what YL did.

Did something change along the way? Are there still pockets of it that exists in our mission?

Will we be committed to continuously developing a thick theology ? Will we allow it to inform how we relate to kids, committee, leaders and donors alike?

I think that theology is still valued in many places in our mission – and it propels us towards excellent ministry with kids, leaders, committee and donors.

I also think that there is work to be done. And I’m excited to keep learning about our great mission through this process.

So the question for all of us is this: Where are we thin? Where does that hurt our relationships? Our mission? Our value systems?

What do we need to thicken up around us?

Kevin

PS:

A summarized quote from someone that I interviewed yesterday (A 25 year YL Staff Person):

“Donor Development coaching, underpinned in rich theological thought and scripture reading, gave me a confidence to ask that I had never had before.”

WOAH.