reGENERATION 2016 was an absolute blast and a blessing! 15 different churches from across MAYM and RMYM gathered at Camp Quaker Ridge for a time of worship, learning, relationship-building, playing, laughing, and much more. Thank you to everyone who worked and prayed for reGENERATION this year. Without you all, it wouldn’t have been the superb time that it was. – Adam Monaghan, Associate Superintendent, EFC-MAYM
Here are just a few of our student’s experiences and “takeaways” from reGENERATION in their own words:
Zack Leininger, Senior from Bethel Friends Church | Having reGENERATION 2016 at the beautiful Camp Quaker Ridge was not only great because of the people, but also because of the clear description of what God has created for us. Wherever you were at this camp, you had a perfect view of that creation. At reGENERATION I got to be on the worship team, while also being a student. Being able to use my musical gifts while also learning and diving deeper into God’s Word was a much needed “get-a-way” for me.
Having a weekend away from home and being surrounded by a large group of fellow believers is the best way to start a new year. During our small group discussion time that we had twice a day, we did not only learn more about each other, but we got to grow spiritually as well. These small group discussions and the silent periods of (on your own) bible study were the two things I enjoyed most. On the final day before we left, I openly shared in my small group that God was calling me to counsel at Camp Quaker Haven this summer and also be a part of the Saltshaker team that will be going to India/Bhutan from late June into early July.
Rosalinda Saenz, Junior from Northridge Friends Church | Hi my name is Rosalinda. I’m a junior and I was able to attend the 2016 reGENERATION. While there I really liked our main topics. I liked that they were all things we already knew but we were able to dive more into it (if that makes any sense). I learned a lot from the false narratives and saw just how much I believed them. I saw myself as a sinner and someone who needed to work their way to God.
One thing I really loved and learned from was our quiet time. This was surprising, because quiet time is usually hard for me. My mind tends to drift off. But they gave me different ways to keep my mind focused. They called them Spiritual Practices and my favorite was writing a letter to God. While doing this practice I really just let some things go and was able to write about things I had told myself that I didn’t care about. I think 4 days was a short time but reGENERATION definitely made me rethink my relationship with God. I’m glad I went and I can say that I saw and experienced God in many ways.
Lena Brown, Junior from Chandler Friends Church | reGENERATION 2016 wow! What an amazing time it was! I learned so much about God and myself during this retreat and what better setting than the beautiful mountains. I loved and learned so many things. Something I personally really loved about reGENERATION was that it really was a retreat type setting. It was a time to disconnect from the world and spend time just sitting at the feet of God. It was restful and insightful.
A quote that was in our book from reGENERATION by James Bryan Smith says, “As we spend time in quiet and rest and contemplation, sitting at the feet of Jesus, we gain strength to act in wisdom in the hustle and bustle of a busy world. In slowing down we can hear the spirit whisper that we are loved and then we begin to reflect the glory of Christ who is within us. We become the kind of people this frazzled and frightened world most needs.” I feel like this perfectly describes my experience at reGENERATION. We had the opportunity everyday to sit and practice being in God’s presence. Just to be still and listen to his wisdom. To take time out of my busy schedule and set it aside specifically for God is definitely something I took home. To just chat with him and hear what he has to say, and to become the kind of person this frazzled and frightened world needs.
Elaina Roher, Senior from Friendswood Friends Church | reGENERATION was an amazing break and a very unique and new way to experience Christ. Being in the mountains was a super amazing background for the way Jesus worked through and among everyone who went! Starting off mornings and ending evenings with common prayer was supernaturally powerful and served as a great bookend to the way Christ moved during the day. Having college students as the speakers made the message in some ways more powerful. College kids seem to understand my life more than an adult would. I would laugh and hang out with the same people who were speaking life and wisdom into me. Being reminded of what narratives are true was also much needed. Christ began what will be a long and painful process of removing false narratives from my life and replacing truth. The teachings were messages I have heard before, but Christ spoke in new ways. It was a true blessing to be able to go.
Joel Macy, Junior from Crossroads Friends Church | reGENERATION 2016 was an awesome experience for me. I grew closer to old friends, made some new ones, and most importantly grew closer to God. The workshops presented to us by the Friends University students were really cool, and I realized that I’ve made a lot of false narratives about God. One of the practices we did to grow closer to Him was to write a letter to Him. I thought it was really cool because it felt like I was communicating directly with God! Normally when I pray, I feel like I’m talking to myself, so this felt a lot more “real” to me. I plan to do this on my own time a lot more often, because I really enjoyed it. Quaker Ridge Camp was a really sweet place to reGENERATE, the staff was friendly, the food was really good, and the scenery was INCREDIBLE! I hope to go to next year’s reGENERATION for sure!
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