It’s hard to believe that after so much planning, preparation, fundraising, and group meetings the 2016 National Youth Gathering has now come and gone. This marks my 4th Gathering – twice I attended as a youth participant and twice now I have helped lead a group. And every trip, I never fail to see the powerful presence of God’s Spirit at work in the hearts of so many young people.

In case you’re not connected to this happening, the National Youth Gathering takes place every three years in various cities across the country, drawing in over 25,000 youth and leaders both nationally and internationally. All these teens and adults get together for the five day program to listen to speakers present on all kinds of engaging topics for youth today, to Bible study in the hotels we stay, to serve the city in some way, and to gather each night for the Mass Events (pictured above) where we sing praise, pray, and soak up God’s Word through awesome emcees.

It really is a mountaintop experience; the kind you don’t want to leave when all is said and done! I described the trip to some saying, “The days felt long but the week felt short.” Yes, there was plenty of walking, little sleep, and much to do…but by the end I was left craving more!

There’s something special about the mountaintop experience… 

At the end of Lord of the Rings:The Return of the King, Frodo, the protagonist, heads back with his companions to their homeland in the Shire. Together, they had taken one epic journey to their mountaintop experience of destroying the ring. It was full of ups and downs, and the journey itself left these companions changed forever. In one of the closing scenes, you see all four of the sitting together in the local pub. You can tell by the way they’re looking at everybody that something’s different. Yes, this is their home and they’re seeing all the same people they once knew- but it’s just not the same, because they are not the same. Their journey brought them through perils of life and death, they banded together to fight evil and protect the world around them. That journey transformed them and sent them back home, changed.

I think about all we were able to see and do down in New Orleans, LA. We talked about belonging to Christ and Christ alone as our source of identity, belonging, and hope. That this is a life and death matter- without Christ, we have and are nothing. But in Him we can do all things. As we come back, I hope and pray that the 33 students and 8 leaders from our group will never see things the same way, because we were once again reminded of how much we’ve changed. We are Christ’s Body. Our lives are not our own. We live in the world but are not of it. And as we journeyed up to this mountaintop, I know it was transformational for all involved.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your thoughts, prayers, and support for those attending this trip! It has truly been a joy and privilege to lead these amazing young people in this encounter to see Jesus. If you would like to see more from our experience, please follow THIS LINK and ask to join the NYG group.

It’s time to leave the mountain and take it back down to our valleys.

In Christ Alone,

Pastor Doug