A Glimpse Into Our Weekend
Last night our group of 35 teens and 15 adults arrived back to EBC after a weekend consisting of 13 group games, 4 chapters of Jonah, 9 student testimonies, gallons of coffee, 8 eaten oysters, 1 lost fingernail, and too few hours slept. The extended holiday weekend many people use to rest, we had the privilege of using to deepen friendships and draw closer to the Lord together. There’s nothing like youth camp, and this one specifically felt uniquely exhausting and fruitful all at the same time.
The book of Jonah is comical, convicting, and extra special to study while at the beach! In the words of Tim Mackie, the book of Jonah is meant to punch us in the gut. It’s meant to show us that we are a part of the same story as both Jonah and the evil Assyrian empire, but more importantly, that Yahweh is a God of perfect love, perfect justice, and immense grace. Many of the topics and themes we had prepared to study as a group spoke so specifically to some situations our teens are facing, I don’t think I could have come up with a more direct way of talking about them. The only answer is that the Lord orchestrated all these details in advance!
There is a lot I could say about high school retreat, but for now, if you see one of our youth staff this week limping into the church and looking extra sleep deprived, thank them for investing so much energy into the lives of our teens! Also pray that the Holy Spirit will use our finite efforts to take root in our students lives so that our God would be glorified!
Jacob Abrahamson
Youth PastorLast night our group of 35 teens and 15 adults arrived back to EBC after a weekend consisting of 13 group games, 4 chapters of Jonah, 9 student testimonies, gallons of coffee, 8 eaten oysters, 1 lost fingernail, and too few hours slept. The extended holiday weekend many people use to rest, we had the privilege of using to deepen friendships and draw closer to the Lord together. There’s nothing like youth camp, and this one specifically felt uniquely exhausting and fruitful all at the same time.
The book of Jonah is comical, convicting, and extra special to study while at the beach! In the words of Tim Mackie, the book of Jonah is meant to punch us in the gut. It’s meant to show us that we are a part of the same story as both Jonah and the evil Assyrian empire, but more importantly, that Yahweh is a God of perfect love, perfect justice, and immense grace. Many of the topics and themes we had prepared to study as a group spoke so specifically to some situations our teens are facing, I don’t think I could have come up with a more direct way of talking about them. The only answer is that the Lord orchestrated all these details in advance!
There is a lot I could say about high school retreat, but for now, if you see one of our youth staff this week limping into the church and looking extra sleep deprived, thank them for investing so much energy into the lives of our teens! Also pray that the Holy Spirit will use our finite efforts to take root in our students lives so that our God would be glorified!
Jacob Abrahamson
Youth Pastor
