Having fun in their own way
By Richard Winford

Mention the words “Camp Meeting” or “North American Convention” to any young person who has grown up in the Church of God and immediately images of a hot, stuffy, crowded auditorium set in the 1920s pop into their heads. This past week while the “grown-ups” were enjoying speakers like Andy Stephenson, Milton Grannum, and Don Riley, and reflecting upon the past one hundred years of missions, the youth were able to have fun in their own way. Every night following the main services, the youth had opportunities to reflect and connect with one another.

To start the convention, about ninety hyper and energetic young people crowded into the Crossroad Auditorium of Madison Park Church of God for a night of fun while playing countless different games ranging from “pull up” to an unusual take on musical chairs. Sunday night, the energy level was still high, yet more focused as recent Anderson University graduate Preston Kegley performed an outstanding concert combining high energy with a phenomenal testimony. Although youth always have energy, things did calm down a bit Monday night. As an opportunity to have some time for relaxation from the intense weekend, chairs were rolled out and everyone settled in to enjoy some popcorn and watch Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda. The energy level surged again on Tuesday night as Christian alternative band Sidewalk Prophets drew approximately 150 people. Finally, on the convention’s closing night, Anderson University student John Tibbs brought together high school students from across Indiana and led the youth in an intense night of worship. Looking back, the week was an incredible combination of unifying young people from across the country and focusing their passion upon God.

A version of this article appears in the Thursday, July 2, 2009, edition of the NAC roundup/09 newsletter.  To view the newsletter in its entirety, click here (1.24 MB). The document is in PDF format and requires Adobe Acrobat in order to read and/or print it. If you do not have Acrobat installed on your computer, you can download a free copy of Acrobat Reader here.