KYL/C

Back from a week @ Katoomba for KYL/C and what can I say? AWESOME!!! Felt kinda sad leaving the KCC camp site at lunch today but I'll be back to do it all over again this time next year :) Before I dive into each conference separately, a HUGE thank you to d. for organising the whole thing. It can be tricky when running the logistics of something as big as this but you did a GREAT job!!! Rock on sis!

KYLC
First time for me so had no idea what to expect. When Raj, the KYLC chairperson asked us to write in the inside cover of our booklet our aims for the week I wrote: 'How to write a bible study'. Fair enough, I got that but I think I got alot more as well.

*Strand Groups - Went through the process of writing up a bible study. Here's the model they taught us: Read, re-read and re-read...(but don't forget to pray!)-->Context-->Content-->Implications. Haha sounds simple doesn't it. Not quite!! Anyway, we worked through this process with the goal of writing a study on Matt 21:33-46 (Parable of the tenants) and it was funny to see the dining hall on Thursday night packed with people and their Bibles/commentaries trying to come up with that 'perfect' bible study :)

*The 4 workshops - Probably what I enjoyed most out of KYLC. They were fun, challenging and quite practical. The first one was 'strategy for youth ministry' and as I sat in the 'tin shed' listening to Jodie McNeil I had all these ideas swarming in my head on how the stuff JM mentioned can be applied to our youth fellowship. Can't wait for Timothy Fellowship 2006 to start!!. 2nd talk was on 'personal life of a leader' and I think it was a very good 'kick-up-a-bum' talk about the way a youth leader should behave. YOUR character is on show and it means little even if you the most brilliant Sunday School teacher but lives a life that is ungodly. The sub-heading of the workshop summed it up nicely: "Godliness before giftedness". The last two workshops were 1-to-1 discipling and evangelism.

*Talks - A bit of a contrast here. Kirk Patston gave talks on Ezekiel and I must admit I didn't pay too much attention, constantly nodding off. Morning sessions are always the hardest I reckon :P Kirk also has a very different way of delivering talks that I have never experienced before so that didn't really help either. Scribbled down some notes but still a bit confused overall >.< Grant Retief on the otherhand gave talks from the gospel of Matthew and I was deeply challenged by the ways we should respond to Christ until the day He returns. With judgement day pending, you can't be neutral about Jesus. How do you treat Jesus as a king?

*Misc - Weather was crazy as usual. I was wearing a hoodie one day and found myself with peeling skin the next...Food was ok, we had steak one night and I think Tin-Jung and I had 10 pieces between the both of us :)...Fellowship was fun. Got to know some of the youth group kids a bit better and also people from the strand groups. Interesting to note we had quite a few strand group members from outside Sydney. Mudgee, Armidale and this place near Coffs Harbour, all here to study God's Word and be better equipped as a youth leader...Accomodation wasn't bad either. Apparently I sleep-talk. Hmmmmm.

KYC
KYC was on the topic 'Encountering God' with Sam Chan and Ray Galea speaking. Was reminded about the sovereignty and the glory of God as well as how we are to give up alot of things if we are serious followers of Christ. Sam is such an engaging speaker. He's clear, witty and loves paying out Americans :)

It was also cool to see so many people from the Newcastle beach mission: Sarah, Marty, Derek, Faith, Michelle, and mah fellow iron-chefs James and Jeremy. Hehe, sorta like a mini reunion. Thanks heaps for the gifts!!

What does it all mean??
It's so easy to just rock up to conferences, listen to talks, jot down a few notes, have good fellowship and when you leave, forget everything you've learnt. So I think there's a big challenge for me this year to apply some of the things I've been taught this past week:

~The way I live as a youth leader.
~How will I respond to Jesus this year
~Are there things I'm holding onto in life that is preventing me from following Christ?
~How am I reading the Bible? For the head-knowledge or to learn more about Jesus?