Wow! Amazing! Glorious!
Three words I would use to describe the Beacon District’s Youth Beach Retreat held February 21-23rd. We had seventy-eight middle and high school students, along with chaperones, converge on the Kill Devil Hills Ramada Inn from Friday evening to Sunday morning.
We believe that this event goes back thirty years. Every February, youth from all over Northeastern North Carolina would converge for a weekend of spirit-filled worship, fellowship, fun, and occasionally a polar plunge. The last Beach Retreat occurred in February of 2020 just before the world shut down due to the COVID pandemic in March. After a four-year hiatus, Beacon District Youth Coordinator Angela Lofty dreamed of bringing it back! Praise God!
The theme this year was Choices. Jesse Ruby, a peer support specialist with Dare County, gave his testimony of how Christ freed him from an addiction that began when he was a teenager.
We welcomed home our very own, Danny Peck, who serves in ministry as Soapstone UMC’s Director of Family Ministries. Danny’s family still lives in Elizabeth City, and it was wonderful to have him back in the Beacon District! Danny attended Beach Retreat as a youth and was instrumental in helping to organize past weekends.
Danny used the story of Daniel, Shadrack, Meshach, and Abenego’s choices to share his testimony of how the youth group helped form his Christian Walk. He also spoke of church mentors and how The United Methodist Church has been formative to his walk with Christ.
Rev. Amanda Hedden (Hatteras UMC Charge) brought a wonderful message reminding the youth of the harmful impact of bullying.
Saturday night, Rev. Arthur Manigault acted as DJ, “spinning” songs for the students to dance the night away!
Throughout the weekend, Pastor Bruce Miller and another member of St. John UMC’s Praise and Worship Team, Bonnie Williams, provided music for worship.
On Sunday, I preached about the parable of the Prodigal Son and how, despite our often-poor choices, God the Father is always scanning the horizon, looking for us to return home to Him.
I received a text message a few days after the weekend from one of the pastors in attendance. He wrote:
“Just wanted to pass along a text I received from one of our high schoolers, who’s been coming to youth a few months now: (it reads)
‘I just wanna say thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to go to this retreat. I feel like it has changed me so so much.'”
The mother of a youth who attended recently shared with Angela that her middle school daughter has been reading her Bible every day since attending Beach Retreat. To God be the glory!
Was the weekend exhausting? Yes!
But was it worth it? You bet!
In His Grip,
Gina
Photo credit: Gina Miller