This past long weekend was our annual high school student leadership retreat - SEMP (students equipped to minister to their peers). I was blown away by our sign ups. This was my third SEMP. The past two retreats we've taken 7 students each time. This year, we had 20 students sign up!! Awesome! We ended up taking 16 students (a few had to drop because of sickness and a few family things). Praise the Lord to have so many students desiring to grow in their faith and seek out ministry skills in reaching their peers with the Gospel.
Our speaker talked throughout the weekend on two things. One, knowing the Lord personally by spending time in the Scriptures and praying. He also talked a lot about knowing your strengths and how God has wired you in order to be able to use those gifts to minister to others.
Last night at youth group, one of my students told me she had a God conversation with another student at school. He was asking her a variety of questions and she didn't back down or shy away in answering them. She was really excited to have had the boldness to walk him through some verses in Romans and felt confident enough to explain what they meant! Praise God!
On the final night of the retreat, we did an experiential worship night. There were a variety of themed rooms set up for students to walk through. They included... a campus room for students to pray for their schools (peers/teachers), a silent room where scripture was displayed and students could sit quietly before the Lord, a candle room to symbolize being the light of the world, two artsy rooms for students to express their worship through writing and painting, a distraction room followed by a throne room where students thought about all that keeps them from pursuing Christ and then bright and quiet room that represented siting before the Lord in awe.
There was also an identity room where students could spend time with their staff. Each of us staff thought and prayed about each of our students and asked God what He wanted us to say to each of them. Most of my girls came to that room and it was a huge blessing and privilege to get to speak words of life to each of them. One girl came in and said, "I've never heard God speak to me, I don't know what I'm doing wrong." I looked her in the eye and I said, "Well, I've been praying that the Lord would give me verses to share with you and here's what He led me to." I reminded her that God speaks to us through His Word and often times through other people. So I read her the Scriptures I felt the Lord telling me to speak to her. It was powerful!
We came home from SEMP super tired, but joyful in the Lord and excited about what He's doing in our group. I'm really amazed at the growth taking place in our youth groups right now. I feel like God is working powerfully among our students and has really stirred a hunger in their hearts. For the third week in a row, we've had over 50 middle schoolers come to youth group. It's such an encouragement to know that students like coming to group and want their other friends to be there. We are almost done with Matthew's Gospel. In the coming weeks we'll be looking at what Christ did on the cross, celebrating His resurrection and challenging students with the Great Commission.
^Ramstein Students
^ The whole SEMP group
