After reviewing the last month of my life, I have realized....I've put on some miles!
Dec. 27-30: "The Gathering" -State wide Sr. High youth gathering in Lansing, MI(see previous blog)
Jan. 4-6: Jr. High "Youthquake" retreat in Lansing, MI
Jan. 24-28: ELCA Natinal Youth Ministry Network Extravaganza in Anaheim, CA
Jan. 31st: Youth Ministry Consultation with Bethlehem Lutheran in Traverse City, MI
Feb. 2nd: "The Gathering" planning team follow up meeting in Lansing, MI
So, over the course of 5 weeks I will have traveled around Michigan (Lansing 3 times) and out to California, all for the sake of Youth Ministry. Am I bragging? Am I complaining? I think I am really thanking God for all the opportunities I have had to work with our youth and with others in building His Kingdom. I have loved every minute of it, and I can't imagine doing anything else. I hope that through it all, our kids, their families, and I all have a greater sense of who Jesus is and how He wants to impact and influence our lives.
Keep me movin' Jesus! Amen!
P.S. More to come about the Extravaganza. It was awesome! Stay tuned!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Mountain Top Faith
I recently had the great fortune of taking our Sr. High youth to our 4 day, state wide youth gathering known as "The Gathering." 5 days later I took our Jr. High youth to a similar 3 day version for them known as "Youthquake." I am still a little tired. LOL! I still love it! I have been to countless retreats in my life, and I have enjoyed them all. I love that we get to leave the "real world" and enter a place where praising God and growing in faith is the goal and the norm. I love that we can gather together, with other Christians from our state, and focus on Jesus. Of course these retreats are not perfect. We are human, after all, and we are surrounded by teenagers! Yes there will always be a hiccup or two, but mostly these retreats take us to the "mountain top," which is a good thing, and a great place to be. Time after time I have seen youth at these gatherings take down their masks and walls and open up their closely guarded hearts. Often times something happens within them where they experience Jesus and feel His Holy Spirit in new and exciting ways.
This year's theme at the Sr. High gathering was "Grace-Full." I believe all of my Sr. High youth, because of attending "The Gathering," have a better understanding of God's grace, in both the receiving and giving of His grace. The theme at the Jr. High Youthquake was "Thrive." It centered on Jeremiah 29:11 which reads: "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; to give you a hope and a future." The speaker was inspiring and effective. He grabbed their attention and helped them consider what God's plans for them is about. The kids were challenged to look at "The Baggage" in their lives and then wrestle with the thought that God loves them no matter what!
Our youth were truly impacted while on the "mountain top." The problem, however, is the coming down from that mountain top experience. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the feelings of the experience and believe that if we don't have that same feeling when we come home, then something must be wrong. Other problems are that we come home, changed, to a home or a group of friends who aren't "changed" and who didn't experience what we experienced. It can then be very easy to forget what we learned, thus falling us back into the same old same old lifestyle and longing for our next journey up that mountain. I do not believe that is what God intended for us in those retreats. No, it is not realistic to believe that we can be on that mountain all the time, but we can take the experiences and let them transform our everyday lives. We can take what we learned and apply it to our families and our friends. I don't think God expects us to be on that high all the time, but He does call us to love Him and be faithful. What we experience at those retreats may not seem to be "the real world" but they can be. If we come down that mountain committed to seeking and loving God in our every day life, then "The Gathering" and "Youthquake" have done their job. At their best, spiritual retreats are a spark that keeps our fires of faith alive and keeps us longing for Jesus. My hope for our youth is when they come back, they would seek Jesus more and more so that the walk down the mountain would be less and less. Amen.
This year's theme at the Sr. High gathering was "Grace-Full." I believe all of my Sr. High youth, because of attending "The Gathering," have a better understanding of God's grace, in both the receiving and giving of His grace. The theme at the Jr. High Youthquake was "Thrive." It centered on Jeremiah 29:11 which reads: "For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord; plans to prosper you and not to harm you; to give you a hope and a future." The speaker was inspiring and effective. He grabbed their attention and helped them consider what God's plans for them is about. The kids were challenged to look at "The Baggage" in their lives and then wrestle with the thought that God loves them no matter what!
Our youth were truly impacted while on the "mountain top." The problem, however, is the coming down from that mountain top experience. Sometimes we get wrapped up in the feelings of the experience and believe that if we don't have that same feeling when we come home, then something must be wrong. Other problems are that we come home, changed, to a home or a group of friends who aren't "changed" and who didn't experience what we experienced. It can then be very easy to forget what we learned, thus falling us back into the same old same old lifestyle and longing for our next journey up that mountain. I do not believe that is what God intended for us in those retreats. No, it is not realistic to believe that we can be on that mountain all the time, but we can take the experiences and let them transform our everyday lives. We can take what we learned and apply it to our families and our friends. I don't think God expects us to be on that high all the time, but He does call us to love Him and be faithful. What we experience at those retreats may not seem to be "the real world" but they can be. If we come down that mountain committed to seeking and loving God in our every day life, then "The Gathering" and "Youthquake" have done their job. At their best, spiritual retreats are a spark that keeps our fires of faith alive and keeps us longing for Jesus. My hope for our youth is when they come back, they would seek Jesus more and more so that the walk down the mountain would be less and less. Amen.
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