2008 National Gathering of American Baptist Youth

"More Than…A Week"

Estes Park, Colorado

The theme for this year's gathering is about going deeper in our faith and discipleship and how God always calls us to more than we could ever believe possible. Each day’s activities (worship, workshops, and small groups) focused on a particular theme.

Sunday, July 6th

More Than … Just OK

Rev. Duffy Robbins spoke regarding Peter’s call to discipleship. After all, Peter was pretty average, unpopular, and not so pretty. He was often doing the right things but at the wrong time. But Christ saw MORE!

Three members of our group (Tom, Ashleigh & Abby), helped to organize the discipleship small groups and other activities for our week in Estes Park.

Our Youth reconnected with friends. They really enjoyed the speaker, Duffy Robbins, and how he engaged them and kept their attention to his message. "Grab somebody!"

Monday, July 7th

More Than…What You’ve Heard

The speaker was Rev. Emmett Dunn, a native Liberian, Director of the Youth Department of the Baptist World Alliance. He proclaimed that the true value of the Church lies in what happens outside of the Church, not what happens within it. To do good mission work requires all of us to get outside of our comfort zones. Only when we are transforming lives, are we true disciples. He warned the youth about receiving this call to action, and the rude reality that our Churches back home don’t see these possibilities. "Some Churches need a good spanking" to remind them of the work that needs to be done.

During the evening service, many of our young people were deeply moved by the message. They witnessed the coming forward of many of their peers to commit themselves to Christ for the first time in their lives.

"Poem by poem,rhyme by rhyme; I wrote down these words to last throughout time. So love one another, fulfill your true voice. But always remember that it is your choice." - Tom Burnett
Tuesday, July 8th

More Than…What You Want
Happy Birthday Matt Chaney! We celebrated Matt's birthday. Matt commented that he has had his birthday at camp since he was 6 years old!

Rev. Yamina Apolinaris, Puerto Rican Executive Minister (1989-2000), spoke about how God wants us to receive life and joy NOW, not when it is convenient for us. He calls us to discipleship now. The road of life is where we meet God.

Feeling the Spirit’s momentum, many of our Youth from First Baptist Church came forward during the evening service to recommit their lives to Christ.

Wednesday, July 9th

More Than…A Mountain
Happy Birthday Theo Stephen! The group celebrated Theo's birthday with brownies and whipped cream...even the cream was filled with the spirit of the occassion and it was flying everywhere!

"Although I came to More Than a Week expecting only to have a fun time, I came away with so much more. Being a peer leader helped me to be comfortable leading Bible Study groups and interacting with new people. I have met many intelligent and interesting youth and adults who have shared their stories about accepting Christ. Because I was so moved by all that has happened here, I have joyfully dedicated myself to living a life trusting and walking within Jesus Christ." -- Ashleigh Thompson

Rev. Eboni Marshall, Assistant Minister for youth at Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City, spoke to our souls. The greatest commandment of our God is to love him with all our hearts, souls, and minds. To love with our minds seems to be the most difficult challenge for many of us. We must resist our society's influence on our minds to stray from acting out our love of God. "A mind is a terrible thing to waste", she reminded us. If we all would remember our "ABCs" of Scripture, we would properly prioritize our actions and decisions in life..loving our God with our minds as well as our hearts and souls. Thursday, July 10th

More Than…on the way
"My experience this week so far has been life changing. I have built new relationships with new people, people I have known forever, and most importantly, Jesus. It has been a mountain top experience that will last more than a week!" - Eliza Borysiuk

Shane Claiborne was today's speaker. Shane is a founding partner of The Simple Way, a faith community that seeks to follow Christ's early Church, and to incarnate the "Kingdom of God" -- a way of life standing in stark contrast to the world of militarism and materialism.

"This week's experience has been very moving and exciting. I have made some great friends, and a better relationship with Jesus that will last a lifetime." - Ashley Roth

In the closing worship session this evening, the Youth received a special 21-day journal. The booklet contains a scripture for each of the 21 days. The Shepherding Team for MTW prays that our Youth will seek to understand each scripture and to apply it in their daily lives. The journal is meant to capture the experience. After 21 days are over it is expected that the daily reading will have become a habit and our Youth leaders will be ready to provide the encouragement needed to maintain the discipline. Friday, July 11th

More Than…MTW at Estes Park
"Ask, search, knock. How can I find what will not look for me? If there is one thing I wish it is to see. To open my eyes to the world so that I can be hurt. As the Lord, I will open the doors and let the pain of this world in. I must envelope myself in the wrong doings of the human mind. for it is from here, this place of hate, sadness, and pain, that there is only one thing left to find...light. This light, this never ending whisper of the world's lost passion, where ideas are meaningless and thoughts are endless. But one light will not change the world. for dark begets dark, and light begets light. So push the world away and hold the light close. For without light, we are merely ghosts." - Tom Burnett

Today we come home! We will be the same people you remember, but at the same time, our view of the world and our role in it has been forever changed. We pray that our Church family will help us to maintain our enthusiasm and engagement in the work of the Living God. There is so much MORE that we can do in our home communities to transform people's lives through effective service and Missions. We want to work shoulder to shoulder with our church leaders to help evolve our Church toward the inter-generational body of Christ it needs to become.