This past weekend our high school students had the opportunity to travel up to Bluegrass Christian Camp for our winter retreat. It marked the first of many joint retreats/trips between both Southland campuses. The theme for the retreat was FIVE, taken from Ephesians 4:11 which reads, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers..." Between the two campuses, there were around 90 students and 20 leaders in attendance. 

It was an amazing weekend for all who got to experience it. It was particularly awesome for our campus since it was really our first off site trip. It was great to see both students and leaders from different campuses coming together for worship and community. It really was our ONE church, MANY locations philosophy lived out. I can't wait until a few years from now when we have 3 or 4 campuses coming together!

More than just coming together to worship and experience God, I really feel like our students we're equipped. Each student took a fivefold assesment to identify how God has gifted them and to identify which of the five gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4 is their primary gift. As Christians, we have access to all five of the gifts but the reality is that God has wired each of us to really be tuned in to one or two of the five in a deeper way. Learning and understanding which of the gifts is your primary gift allows you to really thrive in that area and have a bigger impact on the kingdom. Leaving last Sunday, I saw many of our students excited because for the first time, they felt like they had insight into how God had wired them and to how God wants to use them in his church. 

If you're a high school student, or the parent of a high school student, who missed out on this retreat, then CIY is the next trip you want to put on your calendar. CIY will be July 11-15 on the campus of Lee University in Tennessee. It will be a weeklong experience full of modern worship, relevant teaching and dynamic community. You'll hear more details as we get closer to summer but go ahead and save the date!

Jon Hall, Age Level Leader, Danville