As I reflect back on our week in Denver, I am humbled at what God did and the life change he brought about in most all of us who were a part of this life-changing moment at IYC2012. I know there are other conferences and other places where God works, but he consistently shows up at IYC.

As many of you know, part of this is because of the amount of prayer that goes into this event—the hundreds who pray using the prayer guide for weeks before we get to the convention; the hundreds who pray for all the names of those who preregister; the four volunteer staff we have on site whose main responsibility is to pray over the convention; the local prayer partners and the nearly fifteen hundred students and leaders who walk the convention area the morning before IYC kicks off and pray for God’s work. Do you think there could be a correlation between prayer and God’s Spirit moving? That is one of our core values: we believe prayer unleashes God’s power.

The effort to get students to IYC can be monumental, but the life change that happens, the connection to something bigger than your local and state ministry, and the chance to do something big together, are worth the effort. If I didn’t believe it, we would cancel it. Yes, you can find conferences closer, and yes, you can find some with lower travel costs, but the stories we hear about changes that affect lives for generations and the community that happens at IYC are worth it.

As I said at IYC, the convention is just a launching pad: four days to get you ready to leave the place understanding what it really means to LIVE 8 (Romans 8)… when you go back to your communities.

If you missed IYC2012, don’t miss IYC2014. You can preregister now at IYC2004 prices at www.iyc2012.org. Also, you can get a free download of the thirty-day devotional from IYC focused on Romans 8—Living Free, Awakened, Empowered, and Connected.

God is at work as we work together to raise up a new generation of Christ-centered leaders,

LIVE FREE, AWAKENED, EMPOWERED, AND CONNECTED!

Andy Stephenson
Leader of Youth and Family Ministries
Andy can be reached at
AStephenson@jesusisthesubject.org

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Emerging Leaders is a community sharing the journey to discover the call to Christ-centered leadership. This year, at IYC2012, the Emerging Leaders Gathering was a huge success! How exciting it was to see more than six hundred emerging leaders pour into the gathering; they were met with applause and celebration by more than one hundred twenty adult leader coaches who have been trained to continue the journey with these students.

We believe that God is preparing students to do great things for him and his kingdom! God is calling students to vocational ministry, missions, and leadership, as well as to parachurch organizations. It is a very exciting time! Students are being called to do more and are answering the call.

Emerging Leaders is about the journey and some great resources, events, and opportunities, such as Leadership Summit, STW internships, and Intern Academy. On the website www.emergingleaders101.com, the hub of all things for emerging leaders, you will find information on opportunities, monthly leadership training, videos, and a brand-new resource called the ELP—the Emerging Leader Package. The ELP is an Emerging Leader Gathering in a box, with everything needed to have your own Emerging Leader gathering at your local or state event! It’s a free downloadable resource! Don’t miss it!

This is an incredible time in the lives of emerging leaders! Be excited! Be empowered!

For more information about Emerging Leaders and Leadership Summit, or to download the ELP, visit www.emergingleaders101.com.
 

Eric Reeder is a member of the Youth Ministry Team. He serves as the senior-high youth pastor at Madison Park Church of God in Anderson, Indiana since 2009. He can be reached at ereeder@madisonparkchurch.org.
 

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It’s truly incredible to ponder the adult leaders around the country who sacrifice so much to take students across the country to be a part of IYC! IYC is what it is because of them, and without them IYC wouldn’t exist and life change wouldn’t happen.

One of the convention favorites at each IYC is the time adult leaders get to spend with other adult leaders at the Youth Ministry Institute (YMI), where they receive encouragement and training and also take time to celebrate. This year’s theme for YMI was “Live for the Prize,” and the message was that the race we run for the cause of Christ and for teenagers will be well worth it when we receive our prize of eternity.

Our time together began with our own “Olympic Village” and “Olympic Events” fit only for student ministry leaders. From the Crab Walk Relay to the minute-to-win-it challenges to the medal ceremony pictures, leaders got in the Olympic spirit. Later, we worshiped with the incredible IYC High School Band, enjoyed the Skit Guys, received a baton vision handoff from Andy, honored two incredible volunteer youth leaders, and heard an inspiring message from Steve Fitzhugh.

To all the adult youth workers around the country, you are gold medal winners! Thanks for all you do!
 

Chip Taylor is a Youth Ministry Team member and the youth pastor at Bayside Community Church in Safety Harbor, Florida. He can be reached at Chip@baysidechurch.net.
 

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At the International Youth Convention in Denver, more than $44,000 in general offerings were given to Spread the Word to provide tools for evangelism around the world. This was an anniversary of sorts, since STW was launched at IYC in Denver ten years ago. During this decade of giving, STW has reached thirty-two countries and six continents around the globe. Church of God students are making a difference!

In addition to the offerings, students were encouraged to visit an exhibit booth featuring The Russia Project, where they could contribute funds specifically for the completion of a youth café in Chelyabinsk. Two Russian delegates, Tanya Vassilevykh and Anya Barannikova, were present at the convention and shared about the impact that this youth café will have on the students in their community. Approximately $11,000 was given toward this project, bringing the convention total to $55,000 for Spread the Word.

Convention attendees were challenged to make STW a part of their ministries at home and not just something they support at IYC. For more information about how you can give, visit www.chogy.org and click on Spread the Word.
 

Tami Byrd is a member of the Youth Ministry Team and the youth pastor at South Memorial Drive Church of God in New Castle, Indiana. She can be reached at tami@smdcog.org. She helps facilitate communication with STW and those on the field.

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If you had the opportunity to be led in worship by the IYC High School Band, then you experienced an incredible finale to a miraculous journey. It began a year ago when high school musicians from Church of God congregations all across the country sent in their auditions. While they waited and wondered, others prayerfully listened to every CD and DVD. A month later seven students were chosen. A band was formed, but they were far from really being a band. There was much work to be done; the journey had just begun.

The first step: getting to know each other. Through social media, these strangers started to get acquainted, sharing some history, music preferences, favorite worship songs, and other information. Songs were agreed on, sheet music sent out, and practicing began. Long before this band ever saw one another face-to-face, they were practicing.

The talent was clearly there, as was the heart for God. But would these seven high school students come together and gel as a band? We would soon find out, or would we? Our rehearsal weekend was rudely interrupted by a January blizzard, so all our well-laid plans were scrapped. The next available weekend for everyone would not come until mid-April. So with NAC and IYC just two months away, the band finally met.

The weekend seemed magical. Friendships formed so quickly as deep sharing occurred throughout the weekend. Incredible times of prayer and worship created a beautiful bond. And the music, wow! We were all aware that something special was happening. How can a group of musicians come together in one weekend and feel like they’ve been a band for years? God was doing something amazing!

What a joy to see so many students touched by the worship ministry of these seven students, first at NAC and then at IYC. God certainly is raising up a new generation of worship leaders with hearts for God! Soon we will begin all over again, bringing together a new band for IYC 2014 in Nashville. If you know of a high school student with great talent and a heart for God, encourage them to audition. An application is available online here.

PS: If you are interested in having the IYC2012 band lead worship at your state youth convention or retreat, let me know!
 

Chris Spitters is a Youth Ministry Team member and the youth pastor at First Church of God in St. Joseph Michigan. He can be reached at spitters@myfirstchurch.com.

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Life-change. It is what we pray happens for each of our students. We want our students to experience an empowered life that is surrendered to Christ. Few moments in ministry are as sweet as seeing a student who really “gets it” and starts to live it. This is Brittany’s story.

Brittany grew up attending church with her family and attending a Christian elementary school. Some years, she even won special awards for “Most Bible Verses Memorized” and “Most Likely to Be an Apostle” (or something close to that).

But when Brittany entered junior high, she entered into a year of depression, frustration, and loneliness. She had no friends at school, her family stopped going to church together, and her faith started to fade. Though she never attempted it, Brittany, the Bible-verse-memorizing future-apostle, started to have thoughts of suicide.

Little did Brittany know that this year of darkness at the beginning of junior high would become a powerful part of her testimony and her future calling to ministry. It was three years later, at IYC 2010 in Orlando, that the pieces started falling into place.

During one of the services, God revealed to Brittany the memories from her year of darkness that she had tried so hard to forget. But God had a plan. He told her that the difficult year she had survived was a part of her testimony and that he had a specific call for her life.

Brittany went back to high school not knowing what this call was, but knowing that God had something special for her. The following summer, Brittany attended Leadership Summit. It was there that she felt a clear calling from God to work with suicidal youth. The exact words she felt the Lord speak to her were, “Because you were one. You are not now.”

God had walked with Brittany through a year of darkness to lead her on a journey that will be spent walking in the Light.

God is in the business of life change work! Thank God that we get to be a part of his kingdom work. Who knows who the Brittanys are in your ministry? Keep praying and pushing toward the prize that God has called us to.

Adam Rentas is a Youth Ministry Team member and the youth pastor at First Church of God in Vero Beach, Florida. He can be reached at pastoradam12@hotmail.com.

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• IYC = Life Change
• Important Dates & Events
• IYC2014
• Featured Resource:
  Smooth Hand Offs
• IYC Leaders Win Olympic Gold
• Spread the Word at IYC
• U.S. and STW International
  Internships
• Leadership Summit
• IYC High School Band
• Thank You to Chip
• Introducing Adam
• Live in the Light
• IYC: Life-Change Stories
  from Denver

 

June 22–25, 2013 Global Gathering of the Church of God Anderson, IN www.jesusisthesubject.org
July 5–8, 2014 IYC2014, Gaylord Opryland Hotel Nashville, TN

YMT Members
Tami Byrd	Eric Reeder	Chris Spitters	Andy Stephenson	Adam Rentas

Thank you to Chip Words can’t express our gratitude for what Chip Taylor has done to help move the North American youth ministry vision to the next level. After almost fifteen years of service on the YNT/YMT (he came on before term limits) and the last six years as a YMT member, Chip has been a major leader in moving the vision forward. The development of the Intern Academy has largely been the result of Chip’s leadership. The Youth Ministry Institute for leaders at the last two IYCs has been lead by Chip and his team. Chip, we are going to miss you greatly. Thank you for your incredible leadership.

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