So what is the Rebelution?

So, what is the Rebelution? Why do I wear a tshirt that says Do Hard Things? What is all this about me being the publicity captain for a conference? I mean, aren't I just 15? Isn't planning a conference for adults to do? And why would I want to do hard things? Why should I go out of my comfort zone?

The Rebelution is a movement. It is a teenage rebellion against low expectations. It is going against the common thinking that teenage years are just years to waste. Very often if a teenager is being a slacker or not doing what's right, people will say, "Oh, well they are just a teenager." I remember when I turned 13, Mom (jokingly) said, "So, are you going to start slamming doors?" ;) Most people think of teenagers as rebellious people- in an awkward stage between childhood and adulthood.

I HIGHLY HIGHLY suggest the book Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris. It is an awesome book, and very motivational! They are very soon publishing their follow-up book, Start Here, which we have already ordered! This second book is the application to their Do Hard Things book.

So what is the Rebelution?

Alex and Brett Harris, authors of the Do Hard Things book, put it in a great way!

The official definition of the 'rebelution' is "a teenage rebellion against low expectations." When you look around today, our culture does not expect much of us young people. We are not only expected to do very little that is wise or good, but we're expected to do the opposite. Our media-saturated youth culture is constantly reinforcing lower and lower standards and expectations.

The word 'rebelution' is a combination of the words "rebellion" and "revolution." So it carries a sense of an uprising against social norms. But in this case, it's not a rebellion against God-established authority, but against the low expectations of our society. It's a refusal to be defined by our ungodly, rebellious, and apathetic culture. Actually, we like to think of it asrebelling against rebellion.

And it's exciting, because the Rebelution has become a type of counter-cultural youth movement among young people from around the world, who are not only rejecting the lies of popular youth culture, but they're returning to biblical and historical levels of character and competence.

In 1 Timothy 4:12, the Apostle Paul tells Timothy, "Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." In other words, as young people we are called to be exemplary in all areas of life. Our generation is falling incredibly short of that calling. Instead of serving as the launching pad of life, the teen years are seen as a vacation from responsibility. We call it the "myth of adolescence." And the Rebelution is all about busting that myth.

Our battle cry is just three words, but it's an explosive concept: Do Hard Things. That's it. And "do hard things" is a mentality. It's a mentality that flies right in the face of low expectations. The world says, "You're young, have fun!" It tells us to "obey your thirst" and "just do it." Or it tells us, "You're great! You don't need to exert yourself." But those kinds of mindsets sabotage character and competence.

Do Hard Things is just the opposite. It's how we build character and competence. It won't drop to meet the low expectations, it won't just do what comes easily, and it won't become complacent. It applies no matter who you are or what level you're on, because there's always something harder to do, something that will take you outside your comfort zone and cause you to grow.

The Rebelution is made up of three fundamental parts. We've talked about character andcompetence. The third is collaboration. It's not enough for us to be individual exceptions. We have to create a counterculture. We do that is by networking and encouraging one another in our common cause. That's what the Rebelution has become. When you have a community of young people committed to doing hard things for the glory of God and the good of others, that's an incredibly powerful thing.

Are you interested now in the Rebelution? :o) Guess what?! A conference is coming to Nashville!

So about me, a 15 year old teenager, being the publicity captain: Going with their theme, DO HARD THINGS, this conference is for teenagers by teenagers! Here are some of the numbers from past conferences:

The Rebelution's Do Hard Things Tour came to seven major cities across the United States in 2008 -- Charlotte, Portland, Denver, Minneapolis, Dallas, Des Moines, and Washington, D.C. We're not about the numbers, but we love to share numbers that show God is working in our generation:

• 16,200 teens, parents, and youth workers reached in 2008, up from 4,200 in 2007.


• 14-year-olds worked with Convention Centers, 15-year-olds manned $50,000 robotic cameras, 16-year-olds managed grassroots publicity, 9-year-olds ran Audience Response Technology, etc. These were events for teens, by teens.


• 8,800 miles: The farthest distance traveled to attend. Represented were Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and 43 of the 50 states.


• 500 bold professions of faith in Jesus Christ with every head up and every eye open.


• 3,200 attendees at the final conference outside Washington, D.C.

Mom, Lily, Julia, and Jenny all went to a conference in June 2009- wow! It was amazing!

Well, this was definitely a long blog post!

I will post more about the conference!

If I did not answer any questions you may have about the Rebelution please comment!

And I highly suggest that you check out the Rebelution website and the book!

Blessings!

Lily :o)