Youth Program

By Janelle Bender

I have to admit, I had my doubts. Back around June when Anthony, the youth pastor here at Cherry Glade, asked how many people would be interested in going to Conference, my hand was one of the first to shoot up. I thought a road trip with my youth group sounded like fun. But when the details began to work out, I wasn't quite as sure.

I mean, to a seventeen-year-old, 3:30 AM is a little too early to be arriving at the church and crawling into a squished van, anticipating a four-and-a-half-hour trip. Yet I told myself the time would speed by and we'd make it to Conference safely and quickly. Then my youth pastor made the wrong turn out of our church parking lot!

Miraculously, two Cherry Glade vans pulled up to Pleasant View Mennonite Church that Friday morning around 9:30. We were a little late but ready for our first taste of the 1999 Conservative Mennonite Conference.

The youth speaker, John Schmid, turned out to be one of the best I've heard. The topic of the weekend was prayer, and John had broken that down into three categories: the purpose, the practice, and the power of prayer. During the first morning session, he discussed how one of the most basic mistakes Christians make is not praying. He explained that prayer is necessary for many reasons, a few of which were to commune with God, develop intimacy with Jesus, resist Satan, and to evangelize. By the end of his talk I was starting to think Conference wouldn't be half bad.

A group lunch preceded the second session. Despite my yawns from lack of sleep and the heat that was oozing through the crammed building due to a broken air conditioner, session number two was still a treat. After some praise and worship and a little drama, John spoke on the practice of prayer. He used the Lord's Prayer as an example, describing how each part can be included in our own personal prayers. From "hallowing" God's name, to forgiving others, to getting our daily bread, and right on through to the "amen," John covered all the bases.

As well-done as the first two sessions were, my favorite was by far the third and final youth session held Saturday afternoon. The last place I expected to have one of the best praise and worship experiences was at a Conservative Mennonite Conference, but God surely taught me a lesson! I had anticipated the singing to consist of number 606 in the Mennonite Hymnal--no more, no less. But once again, I was wrong. And the good stuff didn't end there. John talked about prayer as though it was a window through which we have the opportunity to cash a check that we hold. By cashing that check, God will deliver what is best, as several people testified after the sermon.

I'll admit it--Conference was great. I loved the sessions, met some new people, got to stay with one of the nicest families I've ever met, and had tons of fun at the youth activities (mini-golf, volleyball, and a movie.) And that's not to mention the new adventures I had with my youth group--like visiting Heini's Cheese Chalet and tolerating a youth pastor who insists on brake checks and who squealed the tires a total of six times during the weekend.

So did I have a good time? Most definitely. Did I learn anything new? Of course. Would I go again next year? No doubt!

Janelle is the daughter of Carl and Martha Bender. She is a member of the Cherry Glade congregation in Accident, Maryland. Janelle graduated in June as valedictorian of Northern Garrett County High School, class of '99.

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