So I'll start off with this post. I got the opportunity to serve in my home church's youth retreat this past week. The theme was "Dare," and the key passage for the retreat was Luke 9:23: "Then he said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.'" Basically, the pastors challenged and dared the students deny themselves to put Christ into their lives. I say pastors because it was a combined retreat with 6 different churches. We've been part of this Winter conference called Second Nature, and this year was the 4th annual Winter Conference. Our church had total of 30 people, with 24 of them being students from grades 7th to 12th. I was the small group leader for the 7th and 8th graders. Enough with the logistics...
It was amazing to see how God answered my prayers. When I usually help out with my home church retreats, I usually get put with the juniors/seniors for small groups because I already have a good relationship with them, but when I found that I was going to be leading the 7th and 8th graders, I was scared. Because I was gone for the most of the school year (i was at berkeley), I didn't have a relationship with the new 7th graders and the 8th graders. I just knew of them as little kids when I was still in youth group. It was good that I wasn't a total stranger, but I was still afraid of how I would lead them during small group time. I asked some people to pray that I will be able to connect with my small group and that they will open up to me even though it's not a long time that we're spending together. I was so thankful because they were warm towards me. They already had a great relationship with each other, so the problem of opening up to each other wasn't an issue. After couple discussion times after sermons, we got more personal with each other and eventually led to closer examination to each individual's lives. I thank God that my students were able to open up to me like that and I thank God for giving me the strength.
Also, one thing I was thankful for was all the DT's that I managed to do this past year, especially the Revelation DT series. In a lot of the small group time, one student would ask a question, and that would start a rapid fire of many different questions. Surprisingly, the students had knowledge of variety of topics. Those topics included the end times/signs, free will vs. predestination, and a lot about Christian apologetics. I was so thankful for Course 101 and all the different books, and really again the DT's. Without them, I wouldn't have been able to answer their curios minds.
On the last night, there was an altar call, so the pastor asked if anyone would like to commit their lives to Jesus or recommit and rededicate their lives. The room had maybe around 200 people, and basically everyone except around 30 people went up to rededicate or accept Christ as their Lord. This sight was really amazing to see, and it reminded me again why I was serving at this retreat. Even though I was really tired from being alert and watching out for the students, staff meeting late at night, waking up early and being responsible, seeing the students really examine their hearts and recommit their lives energized me. Then, we got a chance to pray for each other and one another. Again, the sight of my small group praying for each other one by one, these little short middle schoolers experiencing God and trying to live out a Christian life energized me.
I learned to gain strength from God and through prayer God works great things, like Philippians 4:13 says "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Even though things may seem improbable or I might be scared, I just need to pray and ask for prayers from others.
I'll share a verse that summarizes my learning experience.
Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your request to God."
On the last night, there was an altar call, so the pastor asked if anyone would like to commit their lives to Jesus or recommit and rededicate their lives. The room had maybe around 200 people, and basically everyone except around 30 people went up to rededicate or accept Christ as their Lord. This sight was really amazing to see, and it reminded me again why I was serving at this retreat. Even though I was really tired from being alert and watching out for the students, staff meeting late at night, waking up early and being responsible, seeing the students really examine their hearts and recommit their lives energized me. Then, we got a chance to pray for each other and one another. Again, the sight of my small group praying for each other one by one, these little short middle schoolers experiencing God and trying to live out a Christian life energized me.
I learned to gain strength from God and through prayer God works great things, like Philippians 4:13 says "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Even though things may seem improbable or I might be scared, I just need to pray and ask for prayers from others.
I'll share a verse that summarizes my learning experience.
Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your request to God."
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