At CYC, each year we present a deserving young woman graduate with the Ann Hasseltine Award and a deserving young man graduate with the Adoniram Judson Award. The awardees are chosen by their directors but the counselors and third years give input. One piece of the process involves the graduating camper being interviewed by the staff of their camp.
It has been years -- ok, decades -- since I sat in on a Hasseltine Interview. A few snapshots of those events remain clear in my mind.
A standard question was to ask the young women what the purpose of the conference is. When we asked one candidate that question she became excited and said "Praise God!" After calming herself down she explained, " I really do believe that the purpose of the conference is to praise God."
I am not sure that I had ever thought of it that way, but it is a very good explanation of our overarching purpose. We exist to introduce teenagers to Jesus, to help develop church leaders, to provide a safe place for students to explore their faith and ask tough questions; but. in all of that, we are to praise God.
We praise by how we function as a community, by how we worship, by how we speak of Him. We praise Him by loving Him and each other and freely sharing our faith. We praise Him by doing our best for the teenagers who come our way.
That should be our purpose in all we do.
Where do you most praise God?
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CYC is a two week conference for high school youth, held on the beautiful southern coast of Maine, a quarter mile from a fabulous beach. We combine exciting worship, stimulating classes, oppurtunities to serve, friends, and fun to provide a quality leadership development program for teens. Website: http://www.cycop.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristianYouthConference Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cycop/
It has been years -- ok, decades -- since I sat in on a Hasseltine Interview. A few snapshots of those events remain clear in my mind.
A standard question was to ask the young women what the purpose of the conference is. When we asked one candidate that question she became excited and said "Praise God!" After calming herself down she explained, " I really do believe that the purpose of the conference is to praise God."
I am not sure that I had ever thought of it that way, but it is a very good explanation of our overarching purpose. We exist to introduce teenagers to Jesus, to help develop church leaders, to provide a safe place for students to explore their faith and ask tough questions; but. in all of that, we are to praise God.
We praise by how we function as a community, by how we worship, by how we speak of Him. We praise Him by loving Him and each other and freely sharing our faith. We praise Him by doing our best for the teenagers who come our way.
That should be our purpose in all we do.
Where do you most praise God?
********************************************************************************
CYC is a two week conference for high school youth, held on the beautiful southern coast of Maine, a quarter mile from a fabulous beach. We combine exciting worship, stimulating classes, oppurtunities to serve, friends, and fun to provide a quality leadership development program for teens. Website: http://www.cycop.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChristianYouthConference Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/cycop/
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