From October 10-12, the Sr. High YG traveled to Biddeford, ME for their annual fall retreat. The weather was absolutely gorgeous: peak fall foliage, temps in the 70’s, and bright blue skies in a coastal New England town. It was a beautiful locale in which to study the Word of God, make music videos with townies (it doesn’t take much to entertain us), and enjoy each other’s fellowship. Here are some highlights…

• Our theme was “The Two-Handed Gospel” (Matthew 25:40). What are the “two hands” of the Gospel? Glad you asked. With one hand we offer physical bread (i.e. we meet physical needs), while with the other we offer spiritual bread (i.e. we offer salvation through faith in Christ). If we neglect physical needs, then we offer words without the tangible love of Christ. By meeting people’s physical needs, they also become more open to hearing and accepting the Gospel. On the other hand, if we fail to proclaim the Gospel with our words, choosing only to love through our actions, then it’s just a matter of time before we forget the Gospel altogether and succumb to a form of the “social Gospel”/liberation theology. So, throughout the weekend, we focused on the various forms of oppression in the world, seeking to address them through the dual lenses of Scripture and a curriculum called The Justice Mission, which is based on the work of International Justice Mission (IJM).
• Here is a look at IJM in their own words: “In the tradition of abolitionist William Wilberforce and transformational leaders like Mother Theresa and Martin Luther King, Jr., IJM’s work is founded on the Christian call to justice articulated in the Bible (Isaiah 1:17): Seek justice, protect the oppressed, defend the orphan, plead for the widow. IJM seeks to restore to victims of oppression the things that God intends for them: their lives, their liberty, their dignity, the fruits of their labor. By defending and protecting individual human rights, IJM seeks to engender hope and transformation for those it serves and restore a witness of courage in places of oppressive violence. IJM helps victims of oppression regardless of their religion, ethnicity, or gender.” Once children are freed from brothels, slaves are freed from bondage, and innocent prisoners are freed from their cells, these people are lovingly nurtured by local Christians who help restore their dignity by giving them effective work skills and by giving them the best news of all: the offer of redemption in Christ.
• The second annual Here’s Watching You was again remarkably successful and hilarious! The teens were divided into groups, after which they ventured out with a leader and an assigned song for several hours with one mission: script, cast, and shoot an 80’s music video! This year’s songs: 1) “Video Killed the Radio Star”; 2) “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” (Bob Gautier was “the boy”); and 3) “Love Stinks.” Best cameo: the skater dude from Biddeford. Best poncho (who wore ponchos in the 80’s?!): Mike Falcone. Best mullet: Dana Smith. Best dancer: No comment.
• Be on the lookout for a new YG project in support of IJM's work: Loose Change to Loosen Chains (LC2LC).