Heading Home from Presbyterian Youth Triennium 2010

I finally took off my PYT2010 band around my wrist. I had a great time and I didn't want it to end. The whole delegation seemed to have grown in their faith while we were at Purdue University in Indiana for those few days. You can see it through their blog reflections below.

One thing I was suprised about was how many of the teenagers were actual elders. In my Small Group #143, (pictured here) we had approximately 30 people, 4 of them were teen-aged elders.

During the final worship on Saturday, over 100 teen-aged elders served communion to all of the 5,000 attendees. Picture here is Kendra Allen (Ankeny), she was on the college-aged work crew and helped prepare the communion elements for the worship.

Another thing I was suprised about was how many people it takes to put on one of these events. The Rev. Rick Carus, from Ankeny Presbyterian Church and his wife Sue worked in the Triennium Exhibit Hall. I really enjoyed spending time there to talk with others who know that the youth are not just the churches future. The youth definitely benefit from the overall experience of Triennium and it makes them the leaders of today's church.

I have lots of pins to show off. The next time you're in the Presbytery Office, ask to see them. A few that I'm proud of, are the ones from our international delegates. I have pins from Germany, Brazil, Columbia and Taiwan. I also had one from Korea, but another adult advisor came up to me and asked about it... wanting to trade for one of his pins. I asked why. He said, "Because I was station over in Korea when I was with the military." With that response, I immediately traded it for a Purdue pin he had purchased.

All in all, we were very happy that we all went. I was rather tired when I arrived home, but I only had a few hours to sleep, wash clothes and pack again. For the next day, I was heading north to Storm Lake, Iowa for Synod School 2010. Yeah, more dorm beds and great food!

Kim Coulter, adult advisor and
director of communications
Presbytery of Des Moines

Adventures of Sophomores @PYT2010

I would have to say that Triennium 2010 was the best week I have had this summer! It was an experience to see 5,000 other people worship in generally the same way we do. At our church, we will get probably around 100'ish people at every service. But to see 5,000 stand up and praise is truly an awesome thing to see!

Almost everything about this week I enjoyed. The sermons were all amazing, especially the last two we heard by Founder and Senior Pastor Rev. Graham Baird of Highlands Church, Paso Robles, California and the Rev. Dr. Tom Compolo, an Eastern College Sociology professor in Pennsylvania.

The food was good, we met new friends and became closer with old ones. Probably the best thing about the week was hearing the band, The Great Romance, play at the services. I don’t generally like Christian Rock bands, but there was something special about these guys. (Look them up.) I don’t regret this week in any way, and I hope to be there for Triennium 2013!

Emma Williams
Heartland Presbyterian Church, Clive

In the past year I have heard so many stories from my mother about her experience at the Presbyterian Youth Triennium. She told me how exciting it was to meet new people and how it was the first place she felt truly popular. Generally things that helped her grow socially.

My experience was almost completely different. Instead of new friends, I found a friend that I was convinced I would never see again as well as grew closer with my friends in the Des Moines Presbytery.

At age 15, this trip is about growing up. My personal growth is the pride in my faith. Something about being a pastor’s kid drives us to rebellion; we feel like just because people expect us and our faith to be perfect, it is our job to make it just the opposite.

Thankfully, I got through that phase pretty fast. But I was never really good at expressing my faith without fear of disapproval from my peers. Hopefully this week changed that. Seeing 5,000 other people my age, celebrating God with as much enthusiasm as we did, showed me that I am not alone in my faith. I don’t care anymore that I am the only one of my friends outside of my youth group that attends church regularly or is part of a youth group.

I used to think it was impossible to fully love God as a teenager because teenagers don’t know anything. We can’t really see the world or fully appreciate all of God’s creation, good or bad, because we haven’t had the chance to see it all. But in all truth, no one can ever understand everything. Faith is blind trust, and I realize that is just something I have to accept; it’s part of the package.

So thank you to Triennium; the staff, the design team, the actors, all the leaders who brought us there and took care of us, all the youth, my small group, and most of all thanks to God for letting me find my faith on my own time and loving me regardless of my insecurities in Him.
Madeleine King
Windsor Presbyterian Church, Windsor Heights

Triennium was a great experience for me, from learning more about my faith, to making lifelong friends, and seeing old and dear friends from other church camps;o) I would really enjoy going back everytime, for the rest of my life and making more friends and seeing the old ones.
Erica Coulter
Westminster Presbyterian Church, Des Moines

Presbyterian Youth Triennium was in the top 5 experiences that I have had in my life. Seeing over 5,000 youth worship and play as one, was an incredible sight that I may never have again in my life. I thank the Lord and everyone else who made this outstanding event take place.

Paige Klinkenborg
Heartland Presbyterian Church, Clive

More Reflections from our High School Graduates @PYT2010

So far, the Presbyterian Youth Triennium 2010 has been a great experience for me and all of the youth here. I am pumped for tomorrow morning because I get to serve communion with 100 hundred other teenaged elders!

Pictured here are (left to right): Emma Williams, Matt Kilian and Paige Klinkenborg all from Heartland Presbyterian Church in Clive.

Anyone reading this should definitely go on the next trip in three years. I know that I am going - probably being a small group leader or on the college-aged work crew. Young or old can go - don't be discouraged. I came with an open mind and I definitely had a great time and loved it!

Matt Kilian
Heartland Presbyterian Church, Clive

Our small group was really awesome, we worked well together. It may have something to do with being such a small room. The closeness helped make everyone work together to get our assignments and projects done.

Picture here at lunch are (left to right): Kasey Booth (Sharpsburg, United); Jeff Ewing (Dallas Center, First); Danielle Cross (Des Moines, Clifton Heights); and adult advisor Kim Coulter (Des Moines, Westminster).

Worship was a great experience. I was able to rehearse and sing with a special choir that sung on Friday evening and Saturday morning. It was largest group (nearly 250 members) that I ever sang it. It was amazing. The sound was rich and loud at the same time. The director was impressed with how quickly we got the songs memorized for worship.

Kasey Booth
Sharpsburg United Presbyterian Church

For Such a Time as This @PYT2010

The week began with the first of five daily worship services. Over 5,000 youth plus adult leaders filed into the Elliott Hall of Music anticipating a long two-hour start to a long week. Our group sat in the first balcony. Lights of all colors spotted the stage, which was set with various risers, platforms and tall scaffolding.

All of a sudden, music burst out and a group of students and adult leaders ran onto the stage. We did several energizers and then The Great Romance, our worship band, lead us in some sound shattering songs, which were followed by a scripture-drama and a wonderful sermon from the 218th GA Moderator Rev. Dr. Bruce Reyes-Chow telling us that 'This Is Our Time'. The band came out and played a final song, and then the lights came back up. It had seemed less like two hours and more like 10 minutes.

Over the next few days, we had two more amazing services with two more amazing challenges from Rev. Debra Matthews to 'Step Into Greatness' and from Rev. Dr. Mitzi Minor to 'Hear The Call'. Whether you are from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or Cumberland Presbyterian Church, young or old, worship so far has moved everyone to move and sway to the same beat.

Jeff Ewing, PYT Participant
Dallas Center, First Presbyterian Church

(worship video taken by Jeff Ewing)

Reflection on Small Groups @PYT2010

For many of the participants at the Presbyterian Youth Triennium 2010, the heart of the experience is a smaller group that becomes "home base."

(Pictured here is Small Group #143 Leader Rev. Dr. Charles Reese from the Cumberland Presbyterian Church of America. He is currently serving as senior pastor at the Faith Comberland Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas.)

For me, Small Group #73 became the place where I could get to know young people and reflect with them on God's word. How did that happen? Well...

Much of what we did was designed to help us move more deeply into the theme of the week: "For such a time as this." (based on Esther 4:14)

• Had we ever stood up for someone or something?
• Where do we identify with Esther's predicament?
• How do Esther's decision and Jesus' response to his temptation speak to us?

(Pictured here are members of the Westminster Presbyterian Church in Des Moines (left to right): Emily Hansen, Christian Education Director Kellie Johnson and Bethany .)

Our group leader used a variety of approaches to help us explore these things. We shared random pertinent facts about ourselves. We read Scripture and created role plays. We viewed historic artist's renderings of Esther and The Temptation. We played, prayed, and talked.

Like other Small Groups, ours divided into smaller Purim Groups. Mine included Mary, Shelby, Dez, Adam, and Lindsay. Inescapably, the theme came back again and again (for me, at least) to the dreadful, wondrous decisions that are being laid before us, no matter that our age.

(Pictured here are (L to R) Maddie Culp and Jordan Rhodes of Westminster Presbyterian Church.)

Author's Aside:

Clearly, one of the issues I imagine to be behind the selection of this theme is the crisis that is upon the church in this millenial age:

• Can we still embody the hope and power of the gospel of Jesus Christ?
• Will we be able to use but not be used by the revolution in networking and communication?
• Are we able as an older, tradition-based institution to genuinely respond to the needs of our young people?
• And perhaps most importantly: Will we step aside and let the new thing happen that God would have happen among us?

You ought to see all of these young people (and their leaders!) readying themselves to step up to be God's people - for their time.

For a time such as this.

Rev. Stephen Bowie, adult advisor
Bloomfield Christian Church

(Pictured here are members of (2nd from left) Adult Advisor Kim Coulter's Purmin Small Group #143.)

PYT 2010 has Plenty of Time

The joy is that there are two delegations from the Presbytery of Des Moines at Triennium: a group of 30 from Westminster Presbyterian Church, and a more motley crew of 10 of us from several places around south central Iowa. We motleys arrived around 5 p.m., after a nicely benign day of travel in our 15 passenger van. Settling in Wiley Hall and then dinner happened at the Ford dining hall - and then, Oh! Worship!

I was in the second balcony on the Purdue University Hall of Music as it unfolded. The theme for the PYT gathering is "For Such a Time As This." We are all Esther, is the suggestion, of course. A worship troupe led us into the story dramatically. Staging captured eye and accompaniments ear. An ensemble as able as any 5-piece rock band could be, kept 6,000 worshippers on their feet. Former GA Moderator the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, preaching, invited participants to throw themselves into the story.

A bit of late-night recreation, meeting with the adult advisors, and a final check-in with the kids before bed. To sleep, perchance to dream. With a new day hours away.

This is very, very good.

Rev. Steve Bowie, Presbytery of member at-large
Bloomfield Christian Church

Excitement is building for PYT Delegation

Although statistics generated by the Religious Conference Management Association suggested that Presbyterian Youth Triennium 2010 numbers would be at an all-time low due to the economic downturn, more than 4,700 Presbyterian youth will gather this summer For Such A Time As This!

Discover why the energy is higher than ever on PYT’s Facebook or Twitter pages. Find out what is new at Triennium, for example the Ambassadors, a mentor ministry where senior adults and young people will experience and share faith together at Presbyterian Youth Triennium 2010. Also, watch the Des Moines Presbytery’s Blog for daily updates!

Prayers are needed for safe travel and spiritual insight for the delegations going to the Presbyterian Youth Triennium (PYT), Purdue University, LaFayette, Indiana.

The Des Moines Presbytery is sending 10 people: Erica Coulter (DM, Westminster); Danielle Cross (DM, Clifton Heights); Kasey Booth (Sharpsburg); Jeff Ewing (Dallas Center, First); Matt Kilian, Paige Klinkenborg and Emma Williams (Clive, Heartland); and Madeleine King (Windsor Heights, Windsor). Adult advisors are: Rev. Stephen Bowie (Bloomfield, Christian Church) and Kim Coulter (DM Westminster).

Others going include: Small Group leader Martie Larsen, CLP (Clive, Heartland), Rev. Rick & Sue Carus and Kendra Allen (Ankeny). Rick and Sue are part of the support staff and Kendra is on the College-Age Work Crew. Westminster Presbyterian Church in Des Moines is also taking a church delegation with 19 kids, and four adults.