This past weekend marked our annual New Wine USA conference. The USA conference sprang out of the original New Wine UK conference held ever summer which includes biblical teaching for all age groups. You can find more about it's history here it's encouraging to see how it's grown into a movement across the pond. St. Andrews holds the USA version every year which includes not only a great children's track but also a separate youth venue. I know some critics would push back and say why separate out the students to which I'd comment that you don't address a 60 year old the same way you address a 14 year old and still communicate effectively. I digress...
This year we incorporated several new aspects including our own worship team and missionary to Burundi Simon Guillbaud as our key note speaker. What struck me the most was something we did on Friday afternoon. Students were divided up into small groups all weekend. Each student on Friday was given $2 and told to pray over it as a group. Small groups were then released with the simple instructions to bless our city. It was great seeing all the groups head out and then flow back in with incredible stories.
The name "New Wine" comes from Acts 2 when the disciples were filled with the spirit they were rumored to be drunk on "new wine" We spent a good amount of time not only blessing our city but allowing students and leaders to examine what filled their hearts too. Finally a really great part of this years New Wine was how amazing our youth leaders were. They were an all-star team of servant leaders. Here's what one of them wrote on her blog following the weekend...
Giving and Receiving
The past few days, my church (St. Andrew's Mt. Pleasant) hosted a conference called New Wine. We've hosted it the past three years, and I've been going since we started. This year, I met with the youth ministers and jumped on board with the leadership team for the youth. I can't even explain to you the experience I had. Besides creating a life size angry birds game with angry bird stuffed animals, a water balloon launcher, and a cardboard box tower, it was amazing to build relationships with the students and witness how God was moving and working in their hearts throughout the weekend. It is crazy how God shows up when you ask him to. It's crazy how the Holy Spirit fills our hearts when we ask it to. It's crazy how we can learn so much about the heart of God if we meet him halfway and seek to get to know him. I was blown away this weekend by how much I received from giving. Who knew that giving and serving would be so rewarding.
I'll be sure to post some pics once I get them... (ehm ehmm Mr. Rutledge...)
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