The Weekend Buzz.....Simply Youth, Simply Amazing!!!!!

So the hubs and I, along with 12 other youth leaders from our church just returned from a Simply Youth Conference in Louisville, Kentucky!  It was our (me and hubs) first experience with a youth ministry conference and it blew us away!  Okay, well, it blew me away, if you know Bill, you know that he isn't moved by things in the same way that I am.  We finished a praise and worship time and I had bawled my eyes out and was so completely captivated and he actually didn't care for it!!!!!!  ARE YOU KIDDING ME????   Oh well, sometimes I just don't get him, but I'm pretty sure he can say the same about me!!  And to his credit, he was extremely exhausted and not feeling well that night.

So, some highlights of the trip - well for starters we left at midnight on Thursday and drove 12 hours, straight through (potty and gas breaks only).  The hotel was amazing and the sessions were wonderful too!  We had tons of fun at the general sessions with DJ Promote, mixing it up like crazy, prasie and worship with Shane and Shane, and  Francis Chan was our speaker on the first night!!!  We were off to a great start!!!  We stayed up all hours of the night, talking and laughing, hitting some deep topics and spending a lot of time on the surface just being tired and goofy.

Our classes or tracks were wonderful as well.  We all split up and tried to cover as many different classes that we could and then we'd all be excited to share what information we had picked up.  We can see the work that God is doing throughout youth ministry and are super excited to be following His lead for our community of youth groupers.

The common theme that seemed to run through each track came back to two things, incorporating an aspect of family ministry into the youth program and mentoring.  Things that God had already laid on our hearts and were clarified and confirmed throughout the weekend.  A few other messages that we got were that "You are God's Masterpiece"!!  Simple, but not easily believed.  The other was realizing that in our strength alone, we will accomplish very little except burnout and frustration, but when we step back and focus on God and use what He gives us, everything works out.

God ministered to us on so many different levels it was unbelievable!!  A few of us even went to a class on marriage and intimacy late on Saturday night.   We laughed our butts off with the Skit Guys and pumped up the jam with DJ Promote.  Our hearts were broken as we walked through the Project Experience exhibit where we learned about the problems associated with not having clean water, not being able to produce your own foods, job shortages, sex trafficking and much more.  We were blessed as individuals and collectively as a group.

A year ago, I had no idea I would find myself on this path of Youth Ministry and although we are up against a large enemy and the job is scarey, I'm exhilerated at the thought of what God has in store for our team and youth!  He's already begun working things out and it's only Wednesday!!!

Here's a video from the weekend!!!  Enjoy!!!

Oh also, don't forget that the voting for Humankind Water, Get on the Shelf, started today!!!!  Go to www.humankindwater.org to vote!!  You get one vote per computer via facebook and you can text your vote as well!! Right now HK Water is in 6th place!!!!  Let's help spread this thing so that we can make a difference and bring clean water to our brothers and sisters around the world <3

God Bless <3 Lorraine