Well, all nine of us made it back from Massanetta. It took us 11.5 hours to travel the nearly 600 miles from Massanetta to Jackson, but it was well worth it! I am sure glad that I wrote my sermon for tomorrow a week ago
The last day at Massanetta Springs Middle School Conference 2007 was a half day. We woke up (some of us woke up-some of had to be woken up by the girls!!) around 7 a.m. to pack and then go to breakfast. After breakfast we finished packing, loading the vans, and cleaning our rooms. Some of us went to the Hotel Lobby to buy final parting souvenirs.
We then went to our respective "Encounter Groups" (small groups of 8-10) that we had been in all week long. We wrote affirmations for one another to take home, shared email and My Space addresses as well as filling out an evaluation for the whole week, and then ended with a prayer and a group hug.
The final worship service was awesome! It was more low key than the previous ones through the week. It was very Reformed yet 21st Century as well. I can't say it LOUDLY enough that you can still be Presbyterian and Reformed in worship while also responsibly using the technology that is available today without causing a distraction, but rather enhancing worship!!! Hey, we didn't even have to use bulletins and yet we still worshipped deeply.
In worship there was Holy Communion by intinction, confession of sins (new words that were sung to an old tune from the 1800's), reading of scripture, a message from the keynote speaker.
Our seven Middle Schoolers ARE the backbone of tomorrow's Senior High Group. We as parents and adult members of our church need to be "their Number One Fans". We need to remember that they are still kids going through lots of changes in their bodies and their lives in a changing culture. They were great! Massanetta was great, and I hope that we do it again next year.
As a group, the nine of us ( 7 Middle Schoolers + 2 Adult Chaperones) got closer to each other, grew in God's grace together, played, laughed, cried, and was God's family together.
God is Good!
P.S.
The MSMSC 2007 students were:
Talore Ellis
Stephanie Hegedus
Shantika Bates
Morggan Frankila
Hunter Arms
Jae Oliver
Trae Oliver
The MSMSC 2007 chaperones were:
Lynndy Frankila
pj (Pastor Jim Hegedus)