A few weekends ago, we held our annual Youth Fall Retreat at Camp Vesper Point. This year, we focused on three key theological concepts: Regeneration, Justification, and Sanctification, guided by our speaker, Dr. Henry Krabbendam. While most of our students are familiar with these concepts, we delved deeper to explore their meanings and applications in our everyday lives.
We examined what being born again looks like in everyday life and the necessity of a heart transplant—from one of stone to one of flesh. With a heart of flesh, we can become the creation our Father designed and called us to be. Dr. K emphasized that a new heart allows us not only to see Jesus for the first time but also to see others more clearly. This new perspective helps us love, care for, and witness to those around us in ways we never could before.
Dr. K also highlighted a staggering statistic: 80% of young people stop attending church after high school. During our Sunday worship service, Pastor Travis shared a poignant story about a friend who thought he was a Christian until he truly had to defend his faith. This reminded us that we often don't know the strength of our faith until it is tested. We want our students to deeply understand their beliefs and be able to defend their faith. Our goal is to equip, encourage, and challenge them to live out their faith both during and after their time in our Youth program.
Fostering lasting relationships among fellow believers is crucial to keeping our students engaged in the church. One of the main objectives of our retreats and youth events is to create a “safe space” for building new connections and nurturing existing ones. We believe these relationships will help our youth remain anchored in their faith and resist the trend of leaving the church.
As we reflect on this retreat, we are reminded of the importance of surrounding ourselves with a godly, supportive community. By cultivating these connections, our students will be better equipped to live out their faith.
We encourage you to engage with CPC students about their experiences during the retreat. Ask them what they learned and how they plan to apply these teachings in their daily lives. Let’s continue to support one another as we grow in faith together! Thank you for being part of our CPC community.
Heather Morrison, Assistant Youth Director
