LIFE 2007, a wrap-up

It's Friday, and I'm finally able to breathe again after LIFE Conference in Orlando, FL. We had an amazing week with lots of really good growing opportunities, top-notch speakers, seminars, activities, and service projects. This year at LIFE, we had somewhere around 7,500 teens in attendance. Over 1,700 students came forward to commit their lives to full-time Christian service (3 from my group of 8 students).

Saturday morning, we took an offering for continued C&MA work in Africa that blew away all previous records: over $100,000. This didn't include the dozens of iPods, pieces of jewlry, diamond rings, and even a pair of shoes. You see, the students at LIFE were told to give sacrificially. Teens today want to make a real difference in the world by feeding the hungry, giving aid to the sick, and aiding the poor. I believe God is raising up a generation of not only givers, but a generation that is willing to put their actions where their money is and go. I was blown away by the generosity and sacrificial giving showcased in this year's LIFE Conference.

I am very excited to see how teens all around our country (and around the world) are going to step up and into the adventurous and abundant life that God our father promises to us his children. Heck, 38% of my student ministry has already committed to a lifetime of serving God. Imagine if just 38% of our churches became missionaries or pastors in their communities and around the world. In a church of 1,000, that would be 380 pastors and missionaries! AND THIS IS JUST THE START! God is good and I'm glad to be apart of what he is doing in the lives of the teenagers he has put in my care.