A new batch!

For the 9th graders school has begun, confirmation is no longer required on Wednesday nights, sports have taken over and all their church requirements are completed (for the most part). Now what....we take a confirmation retreat and the following weekend we make it all official. Sounds like a massive amount of steps to call yourself a confirmed member of a church. But is it?

Requirements aside the youth in 9th grade are now required to make the decision for themselves as to what Christ means in their life. They are saying thanks to their parents for bring them up in the church and giving them rides every Wednesday and Sunday to Word of Peace Lutheran Church. They put on their robe and walk down the isle fretting about the Apostle's Creed and whether they have it memorized or not...."what was that one part after 'I believe'"?

But more than all that....more than the confirmation service, more than the retreat, more than the party and the family that come from all over, more than all that it is about LOVE.

This past weekend we took 66 youth to Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp in Iowa and the message of the weekend was non other than LOVE. I could not count the number of times the youth were told they were loved. And not only by God but by complete strangers because of God's love. It was amazing. The theme couldn't have been more applicable for those sitting in the chairs.

This message is one we all need to hear every day and then spread. Imagine if the world loved first like God first loved us....imagine. It's not impossible.

This was a great weekend and I am looking forward to seeing the seeds that were planted this past weekend grow and mature....because it's going to be amazing.