A Few Random thoughts about Zondervan buying Youth Specialties:.

First, I must say that some of my best friends in the world work for both of these orgainizations.

Second, I understand the healthy dose of skepticism. I think YS gets it too. Skepticism can certainly inform the free "pushing the envelope" kind of thinking YS is known for. This kind of cynicism can feed youth workers and create a since of unity with a creative vibe of YS. But, if you think that is actually what feeds YS, then you would be wrong... at least more often than not. YS's pushing the envelope is born from character and a relentless connection to the person of Jesus. It was integrity that informs the radical, dangerous, messy spirituality of YS.

In the same vein I get the "evils of the christian bookstore" or "christian publishing" is nothing but a sell-out... the same way "christian music" has sold out... or so the arguement goes. But look, YS has always existed with a tension. They sell products and host events, that are completely dependent upon a consumer base. They want you to buy their stuff. This is what a youth ministry resource company does. The message of the company is a deep love for God, a deep love for the church and a deep love for youth workers. It's a chicken or egg thing right? The cynic says, they are only trying to sell books or seats at an event. The naive say, they don't care about selling stuff, they only care about making the world a better place. A third option is to hold these two ideas similtaneously, understanding that there would be no "messy spirituality" without the "idea's books." To think that YS is now going to be about business is to deny the reality of the past. If you loved YS before, you loved a company. Certainly a very unique company. Maybe that last sentance is unfair, to you and YS. Let me put it this way. There are people who lead the company that you identify with, perhaps you even know them, and they know you and actually care about you. This is not something that changes.

Third, Think Pixar and Disney.

Forth, Karla Yaconelli is amazing. If we say we were inspired by Mike Yaconnelli's message, goals, vision and prophetic voice especially regarding YS, then we must trust the one who knew Mike better than anyone else. Karla. One can only guess what the past few years have been like for her. I personally can't think about the future of YS without thinking about what Mike would want for YS AND Karla. I can only hope that this move is beneficial to Karla and that any pressure that may have been present over the past few years would have been relieved.

Fifth, It's not a takeover. Unless by takeover you mean, that YS willingly put YS up for sale to Zondervan. There was not stock to buy in YS. It appears as though this is a consentual relationship. So if you are blogging this, please stop using that term.

Sixth, I'm proud of the YS folks, especially the executive team.