Indiana Ministries Update
December 7, 2009 - Vol 1, Issue 24
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Reflections on ISYC 2009 by Doug Talley
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 One of the highlights of my year as state pastor is going to
the ISYC (Indiana State Youth Convention).
It is packed with young people, energy and a passion for God. That is a tough combination to beat.
The 2009 ISYC was the weekend before Thanksgiving and the
theme was Pulse: What Makes Your Heart Beat? Over 1,200 teenagers invaded the Indianapolis
Convention Center to worship, learn about God, and be changed by His
Spirit. Stories are coming to us about
teens who gave their hearts to Christ and made significant life-changing
decisions. At the conclusion of each of
the services, teens went to the prayer area to talk with counselors and yield
to what God wanted to do in their lives.
It was awesome! I love hearing
the stories.
Some of the teens were able to attend because they received
financial scholarships at significant levels so they could attend. A story was shared with me of one student who
comes from a family that is economically challenged. This teen had never been to anything on the
scale of ISYC. When he left for the
convention, his mom made a huge financial sacrifice and gave him $10 to spend on
himself. On day one of the convention he
asked a counselor if he had change for the $10 bill. The counselor asked what he wanted change for
and the teen said he wanted to give half of it for a special missions offering
for Spread the Word. (The teens gave a
total of $3842.53 to this mission
ministry.) This same teen was given an
allowance for meals each day by his church.
One day he saw a homeless man and asked a counselor if he could use some
of his meal money to buy a taco for the homeless person. Folks, I am talking about a teenager who was
at a convention adjacent to Circle Center Mall and was unaccustomed to having any
money. Instead of hoarding what few
dollars he had or spending them on himself, he was giving money away to help
others. I was blown away by that
story. Talk about a generous heart!
Teens are NOT the church of tomorrow. They are the church of TODAY. Their passion
for God is contagious. Their courage to
step out on faith to try new things for God is inspiring. Their sensitivity to examine themselves with
the help of God's Spirit is convicting.
Their desire to change their worlds for Christ is awesome!
I am so thankful for the strong teen ministry that Indiana
has. Youth pastors and counselors freely
and generously invest their time and lives in teens so that they can come to
know Christ and His life-giving power.
These servants are making a difference for the Kingdom.
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