Every day that I have spent at either YAC or Winterfest/Weekend has changed my life in so many ways. The experience of being surrounded by people who truly want to enhance their relationship with God is incredible. The sense of joy and happiness you gain from learning from others who have lived through the same experiences that you have been through is encouraging and uplifting. While their are numerous times that I have been changed with God’s grace through camp, one time was particularly awesome.

This past Winter Weekend, their was a night that all of the post high got together and worshiped together and were hugging and dancing and just praising God. That may not seem like much, but to have an example like that for not only our peers, but for those younger than us… I couldn’t help but see how great of an impact young adults have on teens and children and how little we use this influence to make and impact. I am also starting to realize the power of prayer more now; that God can do anything and if you really pray from your heart about things and your intentions are Godly, you will get what you need to get through anything. So my experience just shows that God can use anyone, even a bunch of college kids who may or may not have a plan for their lives, to transform the lives of many people who God calls to be in His Kingdom.

Every worship service that I have ever participated in at either YAC or Winter Weekend has proven this more and more: the power of worship and prayer is strong but the power to spread worship and prayer to others is unstoppable.

The dates for Winter Weekend are set and we’re excited to have Pastor Doug Ranck from Santa Barbara, CA share with the jr/high school group and Chuck Jewell from New Castle, PA share with the post-high.

Pastor Ranck will be speaking with the theme of this year’s weekend is “Empty Words” and comes from I John 3:18: “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” Winterfest is once again taking place at Camp Allegheny in Ellwood City, PA on February 26-28, 2010.

The price this year to attend is $92.50 for early registration or $110 at the door. If you register early not only do you get a guaranteed t-shirt in your size, but it also costs less! In order to register early, you need to send in $35 with a completed registration form to Marian Barker (address listed on the form), which must be postmarked by January 25th. The remainder of the money must be sent and postmarked by February 21st to count for early registration.

Registration for Post-high can be downloaded here and all others can register with this form. Also, make sure that you download and fill out the Code of Conduct. We hope to see you there!!!

Come out and join us for some skating, sumo wrestling, live music, food, and a message from the Word of God. This event will be taking place at the Penn Skates Roller Rink in State College, PA on September 12, 2009. The event runs from 10:00am until 6:30pm and costs only $20 to attend!

There will also be a Paint-ball tournament for an additional cost of $30.00. This fee includes marker, air, goggles/facemask, pod pack, 200 paint balls, field fee, and field judges. Pre-registration and Permission/consent forms are required in order to participate by August 29, 2009. You can download the forms here.

Our goal of this event is to encourage our faith through fellowship, worship, and the Spoken Word. If you have any questions, please Contact usWe hope to see you there!

According to the National Youth Suicide Prevention Center in Washington, D.C., every hour of every day, approximately 228 teenagers in the United States attempt to take their lives. That is nearly 2 million a year. Teenagers who commit suicide do not do it because they are fully intent on dying, rather, it is the result of an emotional tug of war between life and death that is fought out in their minds. In an effort to escape the reality of a painful existence many teens choose death, not because they want to die, but because they want to get away from life. Read the rest of this entry »

Federal Guidelines for Religious Expression in Public Schools What are the ground rules for religious expression in public schools? Secretary of Education Richard Riley, at the direction of President Clinton, issued guidelines in 1995 and updated them in 1998 to reflect recent court decisions. The guidelines are as follows: Read the rest of this entry »

There is often confusion among students, teachers, administrators and even lawyers and judges concerning what religious activities are allowed on public school campuses these days. Often events on the news make it seem that nothing concerning religion is allowed anywhere near public places. Fortunately, this is not true. This summary, written and copyrighted by J.W. Brinkley and Roever Communications should help you to be aware of your rights in this area: Read the rest of this entry »

As you recognize Christ working in your life, you will want to tell others about Him and what He is doing for you. This can be relatively easy when the Holy Spirit is your guide and when you have a few Scriptures ready to share. God’s Word is like a seed which, when planted in the human heart, can bear fruit for eternal life (John 4:36). Here are a few suggestions to help you “plant the seed” of God’s Word: Read the rest of this entry »

If one of your unchurched friends was dying, wouldn’t you want to try and save them? If you happened to drive by their house, saw it was on fire and that your friend could not get out without help, wouldn’t you want to do everything you could to help save them from the fire? That is what you will be doing as you witness to friends about Jesus. You will be saving them from the fire of hell. How would you feel if you were trapped in a fire knowing that one of your friends could have helped to save you but didn’t? How would you feel if your friend ended up burning up when you could have tried to save them. Not everybody will want to be saved or will know that they need to be saved. It is up to you to tell them why they should be saved and how they can.

• Why am I here?
• How do I overcome this loneliness that I have?
• What makes my life so hard?
• Where is that one special relationship?
• Why don’t I seem to fit in anywhere?
• Why am I always unhappy?

These are just a few of the questions that teens ask themselves everyday. Do you keep searching for the meaning of your life? Have you ever wondered if there was more to life than what you are doing with it? Do you think that things in your life are out of control and that you have no way to stop them? Are you seeking peace and happiness and do not know where to find it? In such moments, you know there is something missing, something wrong in your world. Does every relationship leave you with a hole in your heart. We know that something is not right, but we just can not figure out what it is or how to fix it. But it does not ever have to be that way for you again. There is an answer to your search.
Read the rest of this entry »