To come or not to come?

I hate retreats.  I do.  I have just never been a big fan of retreats, conferences, camps, etc.  I think I’m in the minority here; I have tons of friends who just love attending Passion, Willow Creek Leadership Summit, Walk to Emmaus, or their campus ministry’s annual Retreat.   Maybe it’s my introverted side, or maybe I’m just a little lazy and don’t like giving up my weekend routine, but I usually approach these type of events thinking: “Couldn’t I just read the book, and listen to some Crowder on iTunes?”

Okay, so I’m an event curmudgeon.  But in my ministry role, I find myself attending events like this on a pretty regular basis.  So I thought I’d share with you what I’ve learned about how even an “event curmudgeon” can get something out of attending an event like Reclaim.  If you’re an event-lover, I’m guessing you’re already registered for Reclaim.  If you’re like me, and were thinking of NOT coming, I hope you’ll plan to join us, and give these tips a try.

1)      Come with a focused goal.  Most of us young adults are faced with frequent change and decisions, right?  What to do after graduation?  What’s my next career move?  To end a relationship, or to start a new one?  Whether to move to a new city?  Whether to get engaged, when to start a family, the questions go on and on.  I find that if I don’t take intentional time for discernment, I just end up taking the path that seems easiest or best to me at the time, rather than gaining a clear sense of what God wants me to do.   Attending an event like Reclaim can be an intentional time for you to pray about what’s next in your life.  You’ll step out of your everyday routine, spend time in worship and prayer, dialogue with other young adults, and listen to some amazing speakers whom God might use to speak a word of guidance to YOU.

2)      Build one relationship.   Young adults who are passionate about faith as Christians, and as United Methodists, are relatively few and far between.  Your co-workers, classmates, friends, family, or even fellow church members may not totally “get” it.  But Reclaim will bring together people from all over Florida who do.  Our faith is a communal one; God uses our relationships to help us grow.  God might use one new friendship, contact, or conversation to do something new and exciting in your life.

3)      Have one experience of God.   I am not a person who very regularly and frequently has “mountaintop” experiences of God.  Sometimes I do.  But often, my faith is a day-to-day process of trusting that God is present even when I don’t necessarily feel it.  And so in times of uncertainty, it can be helpful to remember the marking-points in our lives when we know that we experienced God.  The hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” uses the Old Testament word “Ebenezer” (which means “stone of help”); God’s people erected these marking stones as monuments to God’s faithfulness, so that in times of uncertainty, they could have a visual reminder that God had helped them in the past, and would help them again.  Attending an event like Reclaim, setting aside a weekend of your life to connect with God, can become an Ebenezer for you.  I’m not promising you’ll have a mountaintop experience of emotion, but I believe that God has promised to be present when we gather together for worship, prayer, and Sacrament, and I trust that you’ll experience that in SOME way at Reclaim.  And once you do, you will have that experience to sustain you on the next phase of your journey.

Hate events?  Me too.  You’ll find me in the back row, probably not clapping along to the music, but looking for God’s guidance, God’s community, God’s presence in Reclaim.  Come join me.

Exclusive Evening Events for Reclaim 2012

You need to get excited Reclaim 2012 attendees!!! Because as a part of the Reclaim 2012 Gathering, we will be holding a private pre-screening of the never before seen film, “Blue Like Jazz: The Movie”. This film is yet to be released in theaters, and this is an opportunity only for Reclaim 2012 attendees!

Anyone who registers for Reclaim 2012, as a part of conference registration, will automatically receive tickets to this exclusive event! The screening will be held on the Friday evening of Reclaim.

If you’re interested in checking out more about the film or seeing a trailer, visit http://www.bluelikejazzthemovie.com.

We hope you’ll decide to join us at the Gathering in March!  It’s going to be a really awesome weekend! Check out the registration page to sign up today!

See you there!
The Reclaim Team

Reclaim 2012: Mission Opportunity in Cuba

Hello Reclaim!!  We wanted to take a quick minute to inform you of an awesome opportunity Reclaim has this year to be a part of the work of God around the world!

As a part of our conference this year we will be promoting a Conference-wide young adult trip to the Methodist Church in Cuba.  Those who attend the Cuba trip will be participating in a retreat for young adults (ages 17-32).  While in Cuba, a great deal of time will be spent building relationships with, and getting to know the young adults there, while helping to strengthen the partnership between the Florida UMC and the Cuba UMC.  The dates of this trip are July 28-August 5, 2012.  The cost of this trip is $1,400 and the deadline for application is April 7th.

If you are interested in getting more details about this mission opportunity please send an e-mail (with your name and contact information) to Haylee at haylee@campustocity.org.  Also, come prepared to fill out an application and turn in deposits at the Reclaim Gathering in March!  Looking forward to seeing you there!

Reclaim: For the rest of us

Reclaim is about reclaiming our place in the Church, the plan and people of God here on earth. It is less about figuring out how a generation lost their place (although that is a good conversation to have). It is more about a generation stepping up and back into the communal work of believers across the planet and being the Church in our day. It is about twenty-thirty somethings deciding that the kingdom of God still takes precedent over us figuring out what we are going to do with our lives.

This is a weekend to reclaim our place in the life of the Church, but it is not an exclusive gathering.

Often, the terms, calling or vocation are attached to thoughts of ordination and full time ministry. But what about the rest of us? What about young teachers and future CEO’s? Shouldn’t our law enforcement officials and health care workers feel a sense of kingdom calling in what they do everyday? Are scientists, politicians and free-lance artists exempt from exploring spirit-inspired vocations as they live in this world? If we are the Church, the “priesthood of all believers” and the “sent-out ones”, shouldn’t that sense of mission be felt by every single man and woman who call themselves a Christ-follower? I think so…and Reclaim is for everyone, especially those who feel called to careers outside the walls and structure of the Church.

Reclaim 2012 will be an environment for all young adults, and those who want to reach them. The goal is to create a space where all attending can remember and re-embrace the call that has been given to us in Christ, at our baptism and as the Church. We invite all who want to see this generation reclaim their role in the story of God, to join us for two days of inspiration, challenge and community. We believe that the Church’s best days are ahead and this generation has a role to play.

Space

We are about 60 days away from the 2012 Reclaim Gathering. As we finish up last minute preparations for this year’s conference, I have been reflecting on the reason for such a gathering to take place. There are so many reasons why Reclaim will happen again this year, although there is one reason that is burning strong on my heart these days. Put simply, we all need a space where we can discern again God’s call on our lives.

If your life is anything like mine, life’s demands and stresses do a good job of ripping the sense of vocation and purpose from my days. Even though I, like many other young adults, am deeply involved in the life of my local church, sometimes even the regular haul of being faithful on Sundays has a way of thinning out the passion I once had. Sometimes I wonder if something is wrong with me…if I lack enough faith to motivate a vibrant response to all God has done for me in Jesus Christ. After a while, it becomes crystal clear to my heart — I need space.

Reclaim is about space…particularly for young adults who are trying to figure out what God is asking of them in this life. It is a space for quietness, but also proclamation and reclamation. We will set aside a couple of days for further instruction and teaching. It will be a chance for many to rediscover that inner pull and drive that compelled us to lay down our lives for a greater cause. Reclaim is about re-affirming the commitment we have made to Jesus so that we can continue to joyfully bring transformation to the world, for the glory of Christ.

If you need space, I invite you to join us March 23-24 in Jacksonville, Florida for the Reclaim Gathering. Our prayer is that we would create a space where you can reignite your passion for the things that truly matter. Hope to see you in a few weeks.

- Derrick Scott III

Why young adult ministry matters?

I work with over 100 college aged students each summer, at the Warren W. Willis United Methodist Camp. As a former youth director, I have seen students come through youth ministry, college, and graduation. I have even seen students of mine get married, and have their own children. Youth ministry plays a huge role in preparing students for life after high school. Far too often, life after high school begins a void in a young adult’s Christian community. Some take the transition in stride getting involved with a positive Christian community or campus ministry, others don’t have access to a community where they live, or don’t take the initiative to seek out a Christian community.

Of the counselors I work with, the ones who are in involved in young adult ministry during the year, are more likely to take on leadership roles, strive for excellence, and seek ministry opportunities while at camp. Each year we interview our returning staff in February. At that interview, it is clearly visible who is thriving in their faith life and feeling fulfilled, and who is struggling to find direction. Those who are thriving are always involved in a young adult ministry—particularly one that encourages service and leadership opportunities and promotes Christian community.

Joel Pancoast – Program Manager – Warren Willis United Methodist Camp

Young adult ministry matters because it provides community, provides opportunities of service, and promotes leadership. Out of high school these students need to be challenged, they need to exercise their faith, and they need to be a part of a community where they learn to take initiative through leadership and exploration of ideas and concepts that help form their faith.

A Note for Young Adults…

There have been a lot of posts lately about how young adult ministry matters, and I agree with them!  The Church needs to be doing all it can to reach out and minister to young adults! But today, I want to spend a few minutes and address young adults specifically…

Young adults! It is so easy to be discouraged when you look around at so many churches and don’t see a single young person there.  I (as a young adult myself) know what it’s like to go to a church, thoroughly look through the bulletin (and/or website), and not find a single thing for post-college young people; and what it’s like to want to plug in and find a community of people who are your age and in a somewhat similar period of life as you, but there’s nothing like that around.  It can be very discouraging to go to church after church and feel like there’s nowhere for you to be.

But, even in all of that, there is another thing I know.  I know that whether or not your church has “a place” for you, God wants to use you.  As a young adult, you can and should be in ministry, even when there seems to be no ministry for you.  Stop waiting for someone to lead a Bible study for you, or to host an event for you, or to pour their time and resources into you before you begin leveraging your life for the Kingdom of God!

In Exodus 33, we see that Joshua, “a young man”, stayed in the tent of the Lord, seeking the face of God for himself, even after Moses had gone home.  He did this of his own initiative.  He didn’t wait for Moses to teach him how to talk to God, or for someone to give him five points on how to hear from God, or even for a community of people to come around him and encourage him… he simply desired to know the Lord more, and so that’s what he did!  Young adults, why don’t we do that?  Why don’t we take the initiative to seek God, and then do the work of His Kingdom?  Why do we feel like we have to wait to minister until we have been ministered to?  It seems that if the rest of the Church looked around and saw young adults doing ministry, in droves, then maybe they would be more inspired to join in that. We (young adults) should be setting an example for the believers in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity!

And yes, we do need to be encouraged, we need community, we need all of the things that a young adult ministry can offer (hence the reason Young Adult Ministry Matters!).  But we also need to be the Hands and Feet of Jesus to a dying and broken world.  And when I look at what I already have in Jesus, I think it’s more than enough to get started doing just that!

- Anna Frederick – Reclaim 2012 Coordinator