Trinity Youth Conference

Trinity Youth Conference

Note: This essay was inspired by my visit to Trinity Youth Conference last summer.
Not far from the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Bedford exit, a driveway drops down a very steep hill, comes around a sharp turn and a beautiful, little valley opens up. It is an exquisitely beautiful spot in the hills of Pennsylvania surrounded all the way around by our steep, tree-covered Laurel Highland Mountains. This gorgeous valley is Camp Living Waters, owned by the United Church of Christ, and for many years the site of our Trinity Youth Conference. TYC, as its names implies, is one of the programs of our Synod of the Trinity from back in the days when our Synod was in the program business, an era that has since passed.

Jason Best, an energetic cheerleader and organizer for TYC, invited me to visit. This was convenient for me since I simply dropped in at the camp for a Thursday evening when I was running the Turnpike to Pittsburgh to be home. I arrived in time for dinner and was delighted to join a dining hall full of teenagers for their meal. Between being very involved in youth groups as a kid and always being a pastor with a focus on youth ministry, I have eaten my fair share of camp dinners, in camp dining halls, with teenagers. I love it. I love teenagers and love to be around them. I love their energy and creativity, their unlimited enthusiasm and bold, outlandish convictions. I love every flavor of guitar music. I love to talk with teenagers about politics and religion, the Bible and American culture. I like to argue with them by saying crazy things like, "I think tattoos are stupid and should be forbidden. That there is never a need for anyone to see anyone else’s underwear in public, and that all the boys should pull up their pants up and buy belts." Since I was with a group of strangers at TYC none of those topics came up. Actually, around our dinner table we talked about the Church, and several at table with me were very interested in my new job. I was impressed.

During dinner I remember pausing, sitting back in my chair, and just listening to the room for a moment. It felt different. It felt very different. I have been with large groups of teenagers many, many times. There is always loud, boisterous commotion, typically a threatened (seldom real) food fight, always a high energy of intimacy, fighting, teasing, complaining, love, disrespect and a generally disgraceful level of etiquette. Teenagers! Everyone knows what that means. I love it. But at dinner at TYC it was different. In fact, this was like a dining hall full of adults. The conversations were hushed and polite. Now I was really paying attention. There was a much, much higher level of politeness, courtesy, and maturity in this place. Many of them came and introduced themselves to me and welcomed me BEFORE I was introduced, and my esteemed position as Executive Presbyter explained. Wait a minute! These are not your ordinary teenagers. I filed the thought away, finished dinner and was invited to stay for their evening worship service.

And everything became very clear to me during worship. Worship at TYC that evening was deeply authentic, genuine and meaningful. I was very touched. These teenagers wanted to worship God. They were all gathered, and politely waiting, long before the sound system was prepared. Their singing was glorious. Everyone was seriously engaged with the sermon. The sermon was excellent, biblical, long, full, complete and sophisticated. The touches of creativity in worship with a shared prayer time and an innovative statement of faith were brilliant. As a personal conviction of my own understanding of ministry, I never hug teenagers. But when I turned during this worship service to shake hands and pass the peace of Christ, I was gently told, "We hug here." Indeed, the Passing of the Peace was an extended, very devout time of hugging. I think I was hugged thirty times!

I chatted with Charlie Best after worship. I told him I perceived a remarkable spirit and a very rich, spiritual maturity here. I asked how that happens. He said, "I’m not sure. But over the years of this Conference, some how, the expectations of what we do here together have risen very, very high. That seems to be the way everyone acts." Trinity Youth Conference is an extraordinary event which attracts some of the most extraordinary, gifted, devout, and intelligent teenagers I have ever seen all together in one place. Thanks be to God!

P.S. Because of the significant restructuring of the Synod of the Trinity, funding will no longer be available for programs like Trinity Youth Conference. Its funding is being gradually cut back and will be eliminated in time. For this program to continue, it will be necessary for congregations to establish and maintain it as part of their congregation’s youth ministry.