Josh Craddock
The participants in Napa were very excited to practice Public Forum because they understood how it would help them with real conversations that they had with people who had different beliefs. We had just finished the Apologetics workshop, where they had to discuss issues with characters that held different worldviews, so the practical application of Public Forum was obvious. Every aspect of public forum debate is carefully designed to replicate what an actual debate in the real world would look like. The focus on effective communication and persuasion in the round encourages argumentation that is understandable by any audience and brings the debate to the level of any man on the street. Even the inquiry period or “crossfire” allows both debaters to ask questions of each other, simulating the way questions would take place in a conversation. The participants loved the opportunity to refine their skills so that they could use them in their day-to-day lives.
Take shots out of doors
Even an iPhone can be used as a ministry opportunity. Waiting for our flight in the Denver airport, Wendell and I were simply playing on our phones when Mr. Faye walked up. He was a young lawyer right out of law school, on his way to Montana to decide whether or not to represent a client. He asked us if we’d help him out by searching for an AT&T store near his destination. That morning he’d lost his own iPhone in San Francisco. Turns out, we were able to assist him in finding a location to replace his phone after landing. We sympathized with him by lending an ear to listen and understand him in his predicament.
The Denver conference was especially exciting for me because it was time for me to visit home. Spending time with my family and friends back home and showing them what we have been doing on tour was probably my favorite part. Unfortunately, soon after leaving Billings, almost everyone on the team (including Wendell, Devin and Justin) came down with a nasty sickness. Symptoms included a 24-hour fever, head congestion and cough. As you can imagine, this made public speaking (and staying healthy) very difficult!
Colorado was an awesome conference! One of the highlights of the event, for me, was teaching the art of Impromptu Speaking with Kristen. The students were great. They seemed to understand and absorb all of the information that was taught, and at the end of the class their speeches were fantastic. The students delivered speeches that were well organized and included interesting examples. The class was jam-packed with fun learning activities as well: We went outside and had an object lesson, played impromptu-style musical chairs, joined in activities with other classes, and took turns delivering impromptu speeches to a small group of peers. I had so much fun working with the students in Denver!
We had snow nearly every day of the conference. A few classes even went outside in the lightly fluttering snow to participate in some cool activities. Students walked on the snow-strewn sidewalk and flung snowballs into a field to demonstrate how some virtual communication can often feel like you’re speaking into an empty abyss, and some of them just…threw snow in my face.
We were also served a lot of ice cream at this conference, in a variety of forms. Also cold, also delicious. The participants in Billings each shone with their own light, they were all…really cool. Seriously, those were some cool kids. In other words: the entire conference was cool, from the weather, to the desserts, to the students. Thank you, Montana for being so chill.
I was encouraged by the conversations I had with the participants and parents regarding Public Forum at the Denver conference. One mom told me that her students were not planning on competing next year simply because they couldn’t handle the time commitment. However, she told me that she was excited that her students could participate in Public Forum and not be overwhelmed by the research burden. The students were equally excited about the new opportunities available through Public Forum and the potential for real-world application.
The Denver, CO Evening Program was the team’s first opportunity to extensively use tech for the presentation. We were able to have seven microphones for the entirety of the program. This was a total blessing because more than half of the team had been stricken with flu symptoms and were still getting their voices back. This was the first blessing from the Lord. All of the team was ready and able to perform the program after being sick. The second blessing was definitely the use of the microphones; offered free of charge for the use of the program. The Lord also allowed His message to be heard. He healed the sick on our team and blessed us with another opportunity to impact the people around us with His glory. That should never feel like a duty or a job for us, but a joy and an honor. And so we each are blessed.
We decided to make some quick changes to the program for the Billings, Montana performance, resulting in some new challenges. Thinking back on it now, a simple truth is so often ignored, that it is important for each of us to try difficult things that stretch and grow us. Even though we weren’t sure what would happen, the program was one of the best yet and the additions contributed so much to the program.
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