CHIC 2006
I returned home from CHIC yesterday. CHIC is a youth event for the kids of our denomination. It is held every three years and is a big event for our students. This was my fourth CHIC as a youth pastor.
It was an exhausting week. CHIC was held at, as Johnny Agurkis accurately describes, "the less than lovely University of Tennessee." The campus is a good sized one, with a fair amount of hills and lots of walking. It was also quite hot. Mix in some racquetball, 5 or fewer hours of sleep each night (except for the last night where I got 2.5 hours) and you've got a draining week. Yet, that wasn't the hardest part.
The hardest part was being aware of some of the pain that several students were carrying. Some of the kids in my group have had to and continue to face some very difficult life situations. So you mix the wear of bearing those burdens, as well as the incredible high of of the worship time and seeing God break through to your students in a powerful way, and sensing the great kingdom potential for each student (not to mention some of the obstacles) and you've got an emotionally drained youth pastor. (Oh yeah, and there was that slight possibility that my wife, due in three weeks, 2 now, could go into labor hunders of miles away.) Add to that the opportunity to catch up with some old friends and connect with friends you don't see that often...lots of ups and downs in a week.
It was a hard week. Exhausting, really. Physically and emotionally.
And I loved it.
God is good.
It was an exhausting week. CHIC was held at, as Johnny Agurkis accurately describes, "the less than lovely University of Tennessee." The campus is a good sized one, with a fair amount of hills and lots of walking. It was also quite hot. Mix in some racquetball, 5 or fewer hours of sleep each night (except for the last night where I got 2.5 hours) and you've got a draining week. Yet, that wasn't the hardest part.
The hardest part was being aware of some of the pain that several students were carrying. Some of the kids in my group have had to and continue to face some very difficult life situations. So you mix the wear of bearing those burdens, as well as the incredible high of of the worship time and seeing God break through to your students in a powerful way, and sensing the great kingdom potential for each student (not to mention some of the obstacles) and you've got an emotionally drained youth pastor. (Oh yeah, and there was that slight possibility that my wife, due in three weeks, 2 now, could go into labor hunders of miles away.) Add to that the opportunity to catch up with some old friends and connect with friends you don't see that often...lots of ups and downs in a week.
It was a hard week. Exhausting, really. Physically and emotionally.
And I loved it.
God is good.
posted by Brian at 1:27 PM
1 Comments:
I'm with you my friend...drained to the max. But it's refreshing to know that in 2 weeks or so you'll be able to rest in recuperate.
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