Tuesday Night - Celebrating the Ministry of Young People; Resolutions

Chris Bennett
The evening session kicked off with Keith Elgin Band of Christ Church in Fairfax Station.

According to the band's Web site, in January of 2005, Keith prayed hard for a breakthrough year. God answered his prayer quickly as he wrote his first three worship songs within a week. The ministry took off from there. By the end of 2005, Keith and his band had recorded a full length album in GRAMMY Award Winning Bias Studios and shared the stage with Chris Tomlin, Jars of Clay, and Ginny Owens. As they pray for direction, Keith Elgin band is constantly provided opportunities to share their music and testimony.

Tonight's worship service was planned by eight young clergy and certified professionals of the conference. Marianne Brown greeted the gathering and called the faithful to worship.

Carl Perez read the Scripture using Genesis 1:27, 2:18, 2:22

Newly-ordained elder Chris Bennett brought the message. "People have been telling me my life is about to change, and I'm beginning to believe them. You see, my wife and I are expecting our first child in about four weeks." They went to the doctor's last week and he told her not to go to conference. They are experiencing chaos. "It's been wonderful hearing parenting advice and how wonderful it is. We're scared to death."

"We are in chaos. On top of that, we have a baby coming into the house. I haven't met this baby. I love this baby," Bennett avowed, "but I don't know if we'll like the same music."

The Keith Elgin Band.
He asked, "What are the chaotic things in your lives. The good news is that we believe in a God that is present in the midst of chaos."

But "what about the people outside these walls. Where do they turn in chaos?" he asked

He related how he was in a coffee shop and asked one of the workers about her tatoos. They were all in memory of friends who had died. He had a young lady come to her and ask him, "Can God love me?" She was struggling over her health and the health of her unborn child.

"Those are extreme examples, but what about the everyday chaos of life?"

Bennett talked about the order that God created from chaos. He created Adam, and he saw it wasn't good that he was alone, so he created Eve. God is present.

Babies are born in chaos. Jesus was born in that chaos. But God is present in the midst of chaos. That's why the church exists, to proclaim that story, to live that story. "But are we sharing it?" Bennett asked.

Our churches are places where we come to worship God and then we are to go back out into the world and share that story. "How do we do that?" Bennett asked. He told a story about a college setting where they'd go out and have spreads of Taco Bell and KFC and greet them as they're coming home from nights out. A student was heard saying, "Man, if church was like this, I'd come." Mission outposts... that's we're called to be.

All ages enjoyed dancing to the songs of the
Keith Elgin band.
"We need to engage people in the culture around," he said. Barna has come up with statistics that says 2 or 3 people who profess to be Christian made that decision before age 18. "Many of us feel scared about meeting young people. My Space... what is My Space... this is my space. But the Gospel doesn't call us to be cool."

The last thing, and this is hard, Bennett said, that when the chaos comes, we need to ask people may I walk with you in that chaos. "That's what authentic relationship is all about. Being present with them."

He told the story about a man who met a woman who was self-mutiliating. They tried to check her into a hospital but they wouldn't check her in. He got friends and they stayed with her, taking her places, being her friend. They didn't leave her alone in her chaos. They stood vigilant.

"Does God leave people alone in the midst of chaos? Then neither should we."

Joe Torrence read the words from a service of baptism. "It is time we reclaim who we are. It is time, we, as a church of Jesus Christ, do what we have promised we are going to do."

"Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors... they aren't just open so people will come in. They're open so people will go out," Torrence said. "We have gathered here together to celebrate youth and young adults. I'm a youth pastor. I know the young people in my church are living in chaos. They are living the fear of not being pretty enough, or skinny enough, or strong enough. I believe that tonight I'm surrounded by a cloud of fellow believers who know we need to walk together." Each person was handed a mirrored card and marker on their way in. Torrence asked people to think of someone they knew who was in chaos and write their name on their card and to pray for them every day for a year.

Business Session

The bishop announced that the first report of the conference offering is $222,626.

In a moment of personal privilege, Portsmouth District Superintendent John Vest thanked the conference for the support his district received during April's tornadoes in that area. Beech Grove United Methodist Church and the United Methodist Committee on Relief were support stations during this time and brought others back to the church when they saw they work that was being done.

Jeanne Torrence Finley of the Board of Church and Society said the board voted to accept Resolution 1 in regard to the "Restoration of Voting Rights." The resolution passed as amended.

Beth Givens, representing the Committee on Resolutions, said the committee voted to accept Resolution2, "A Call for Prison Accountability." The resolution passed as amended.

Carol Gaston of the Board of Global Ministries asked that Kristen Holbrook of the board speak to Resolution 3, "Resolution for Ministries of Caring and "Sorrow-Bearing." The resolution passed as amended.