25 began as a way to refresh, encourage, and equip students during the long winter season as we work to provide engaging and real moments to encounter the Lord. It’s amazing what God can do through one weekend of unplugging from distractions and taking time to soak in the truth of God’s word and build community together. Even though 25 has looked a little different year to year, it is clear that the Lord desires for our students to see Him, worship Him, and show Him to others. Weekends like 25 help recenter our wandering hearts and equip our students to live a lifestyle of worship on mission.
Events like 25 also reflect the beauty of the body of Christ with so many volunteers, leaders, musicians, and parents who work together to accomplish one goal of pointing our students to a deeper relationship with Christ. Acts 2 gives us a glimpse of the early local church as believers “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer.” This past weekend at Camp Merriwood, we saw our students engage in God’s word through dynamic teaching, live openly in small groups, give tough love to each other in dodgeball, share family style meals, and approach the Lord in prayer. It’s amazing to see that we serve a sovereign God who used never-ending rain to make sure our students were closely doing life together. Only the Lord can take flooding, tight spaces, smelly teenagers, and basketball to glorify Him and do a good work in us.
The God who does a great work over a weekend is a God who also uses 25 for a lifetime.
The God who does a great work over a weekend is a God who also uses 25 for a lifetime. 25 is just the name of a once a year event but the fruit of God’s working doesn’t end on that Saturday evening. Every week our Student Ministry meets to engage in the Word, be changed through the Word, and live out the Word to our friends and community. Many of the leaders that served at 25 spend every Sunday morning or evening walking through life with our students towards Christ. Our goal is for students to take the momentum and passion they experienced over the weekend and live life so abundantly on a daily basis that their transformed hearts can’t help but worship our Lord and Savior.
We are so thankful for everyone that worked so hard to be available for God to use them at 25 and for how God created a weekend that was simply about Him. Be in prayer for our students and leaders as we gather weekly to worship and grow.