Youth Conferences

[Sophie]

I'll never forget the year my youth group went to the annual Teen Spectacular (also known as "Teen Spec") conference in Gaylord, MI. The theme that year was 'For King and Country', so the promotional vids featured lots of clips of knights and cavalries, stolen from worldly movies like LotR.

There were lots of guest speakers, so of course there were lots of cowboy anecdotes and goofy skits. Bro. Tony Hutson's idea of fine entertainment was calling a volunteer up on stage so he could repeatedly throw a sweaty hanky on his face.

Did your fundy youth group ever go to this conference? Or a similar one?

[Perry]

Is that conference ran by Jon Jenkins of Grace Baptist College? I've never been to the meeting, but I have heard him preach at a youth meeting at a fundy church before. He promoted the college quite a bit, and a lot of the teenagers from that particular fundy church go to that college.

My fundy church was a large church that held its own conference that had 2,000 people every year. We usually had the same speakers every year but sometimes had different ones. Each year there was a distinct theme, and the skits went along with that theme. One year the theme was something like "I'll Stick With The Old Stuff" and the skits were about the youth conference mascot guy having a dream that the church had gone contemporary. Of course, the skits ridiculed such horrendous transgressions as praise teams, CCM, other Bible versions, and having a glass pulpit in the church (because glass pulpits are straight from Hell!). A lot of people in our city who attended that didn't go to the church got mad about it. It was really ridiculous and judgmental of people who lived Christianity in a different way. I have been thinking for months about whether or not to share the videos I have of it here, but if I do, it won't be until after I leave the church.

[Sophie]

Yep, that's the one. And yeah, the college was brought up quite a lot over the course of the conference. In fact, on the way home I kinda felt as if the whole purpose of the conference was to reel in more students.

Wow, that sounds like something I'd have to see to believe! Would you be against sending me the videos in a PM?

[Scorpio]

Don't you mean The Most Holy Great How Can He Be A Mere Man John Jenkins? Never went to anything of his but he was revered in the IFB circles I was in. So full of himself. He loved to hear himself talk. There are skeletons in Grace Baptist's closet too.

[Bill]

Retreats at The Wilds were common for me. I hate bonfires to this day. When I got older and broke away from the Bob, I went to more normal stuff like Luis Palau and Josh MacDowell youth conferences. College was Campus Outreach conferences.

[seenthelight]

Bill Gothard seminars in Tampa. Need I say more? No, but I will!!! We were required to go once a year with our Christian school. We had to follow school rules (fundy, of course) for dress then had to sit and listen to BG go on and on about how girls should dress, guys' hair length, etc. As if people who exhibited those "problems" ever went to BG and as if those of us there needed yet another weekend of sermons on it!

Our required senior trip was to the Wilds which was my only time there. My family was from up north and the fundy church there went to The Bill Rice Ranch. I learned quickly that you could still get the free watermelon from the daily, hot, uphill mountain "Watermelon March." All you had to do was (and I did this every day!) show up when the group got back. Mingle with lots of people being oh-so-friendly, and talk/act as if you had actually gone on the stupid long hike. Every week at BRR they had a "talent contest." I still remember a boy who dared to compete with a song that was NOT a hymn!!! It was honestly the first time I'd heard something like that. It was still slow enough and Jesus-enough to be approved, but I remember it caused quite a stir b/c it was modern. None of the youth leaders liked anything modern even if it was completely appropriate.

[Perry]

(08-03-2012 08:29 PM)Sophie Wrote:  Wow, that sounds like something I'd have to see to believe! Would you be against sending me the videos in a PM?

Not necessarily. I'll have to put the videos on YouTube and set them to unlisted so that only those who have the link can see them. If I decide to do it I'll let you know.

[M Go Blue]

I used to sing in a quartet and we sang at a teen conference called "Teen Explosion" I believe two years in a row in small town in Michigan. That was about 10 years ago, I believe and I don't think that church does it anymore. We thought it odd that they didn't bother to do any new skits or games from one year to the next. Perhaps they thought the kids too stupid not to remember what happened the previous year.

[hac84]

Been to at least 5 Hammond Youth conferences. At the first one I was called to preach and save America when communist rebels rushed in and shot my hero, Dave Hyles with an AR15. (Dang, they were only blanks.)

[hac84]

Been to at least 5 Hammond Youth conferences. At the first one I was called to preach and save America when communist rebels rushed in and shot my hero, Dave Hyles with an AR15. (Dang, they were only blanks.)