Writings

Youth Convention 2004

This year's youth convention took place last Thursday evening through Friday evening, just prior to the Easter weekend. This is a yearly event where students from youth groups in Pennsylvania and Delaware come together in Hershey for a weekend of services. It is similar to the retreats and advances that take place throughout the year except everyone is at one place at one time. I've gone on a few of these trips and always enjoy them. It's been awhile since I've attended one (I canceled last year at the last minute due to other priorities), I decided to go along this year. Here's an account of how the weekend went.

We met in the mid-afternoon at the church to leave for Hershey, set to return late the next evening. There were about ten of us that went, less than in some years though still a good group. We arrived shortly thereafter at the Hotel and then made our way to Giant Center where the convention was held.

The speaker this year was Reggie Dabbs who led the services with dynamic messages laced with lively humor. The band leading worship was The Terry Kelley Band. There were in all three services: one Thursday and two Friday. Friday morning's service was a candlelight communion service which is always nice. We take communion and then the arena is filled with small lights as each of the several thousand in attendence light their candles. It's of course, symbolic of spreading the gospel and "lighting your world." That morning service also prompted a call to everyone to find things in their lives from which they wanted to be freed. It was announced that at the conclusion of that evening's service, several trash cans would be placed near the stage for anyone to throw away such things during the alter call. The concluding service Friday evening featured a long alter call and time of prayer during which the floor and areas outside the arena were filled with groups of people praying for one another. It was a solemn time, and I pray lives were truly changed and that no one would dive into dumpsters to pull back the things they threw away that weekend.

We had four single rooms for all of us to share, I in charge of one of them. I was fortunate enough to be in the room with the two most energetic of the youth with us. As we usually do, we had pizza together at the hotel the night following the Thursday evening service. One of the other adults had a few words with the two who were to spend the night in my room to make sure there would be no problems. It's always stated at the services to try and set a good example to those in the hotels in the area, as we are represnting our faith. As such there are such rules as a curfew after which no one is permitted in the halls. Also, as a precautionary measure I slept with the phone cord under my pillow as I've known the one kid in my room to use hotel phones before when he shouldn't. Though, overall the night went pretty well, actually I was somewhat relieved when another group down the hall had a small situation. Around 1 AM, we heard running in the hall. I looked out to see someone roll out of his room, tied up in duct tape. It was pretty ridiculous considering the rules in place, and the kid's parent who was there also seemed to not think much of it. I jokingly told Kate who was with us that if it it were one of our youths, they'd be on their way home.

Friday afternoon was spent leisurely, doing various things. After the morning service we ate at a Chinese buffet and then went to our youth pastor's parents house for a short while. We hung out there for awhile and later went back to the main hotel where there were seminars available on various topics. We attended one on starting faith-based clubs on school campuses. I enjoyed having been active one in my high school and understand it must be quite difficult to get something like that started. Our youth were pleasantly active in the interaction of the seminar, and I'd say it was overall productive for us.

Afterward, we went back to the arena in preparation for that evening's service. We were early, so we hung out for a little while until the doors opened. We were able to get great seats consequently, not on the floor but otherwise as close to the stage as we could get. In light of this seating, I'll remember next year to take along some ear plugs. A mild headache combined with an equally mild fever due to lack of sleep the night before made the music that evening at times unbearable as we were very near the large speakers. We waited in the arena as the cameramen and producers enjoyed highlighting various members of the audience arriving and waving signs for the cameras. They would often add humorous messages to video of those in the arena.

The concluding service was drawn out but featured various things. The message was short but had the call to the trash bins for which everyone was said to be prepared during the morning service. Aside from having some men snap baseball bats, bend steel, and folding frying pans in half, there was a short message and of course worship time throughout. The alter time at the end featured prayer where leaders were made available to pray for youths and the trash cans presented for anyone to throw away whatever they had decided to throughout the afternoon. The service went a little later than expected, and in the following chaos we had to wait a short while for two members of our group to return back outside to the van. We then left immediately for home.

It was a great convention, they always are. It's a good time of revival and fellowship. :)