TRBC Youth Blog

Well kids, I'm fighting off a horrendous flu that will lay me out and take my voice with it (I'll come back a semitone lower, all the better for the alto section), prepping for the trip, and writing a journal article for publication, so I think I'd best put up a list of prayer pointers so you can be praying too. You can cut and paste and send to your friends and other church members.


1) Praise God for being sovereign and showing - no, HUMBLING the committee members by showing that He truly is in charge of the camp. Pray that we will not be like the Israelites and forget His goodness once things get tough again. (We should think about compiling a war journal for thanksgiving purposes!)

2) FOR GOD TO MOVE MIGHTILY IN THE PREPARATION, EXECUTION, AND COMPLETION OF THIS CAMP. Pray that God will prepare the hearts, souls and minds of the people who have signed up - as well as the people who are thinking about signing up. Ask God to call His people back to His fold. Praise God for the 56 confirmed participants, and the 20-odd persons who are considering attending. (Numbers correct as of 10 May 2005.)

3) Pray for the non-Christians who are attending. That God will open their minds to the truth, and nothing less. Pray that they will see our sincerity, and know that the message God offers through us is the only thing that is true in a world which is built on shifting sand. Pray that they not see us as "having a hidden agenda" and "only wanting to convert them", but that all we offer is God's love, forgiveness, and truth.

4) In the same vein, pray that our own members will be kind and including when we hold our activities. It's very easy to fall into the comfort-zone of hanging out with only your friends, and excluding the people you don't know. Pray that our youth will rise to the occasion, and make this a camp where lifelong friendships are made. Pray that we will be conscious and alert to anyone who may be feeling left-out, and for sensitivity. Pray that our words will be seasoned with salt. Pray that we truly live out the camp title: Impress! Being Impressed! means allowing God to make an impact in your life, and leaving footprints in the lives of others. That's what we are asking God to show us in this coming retreat.

5) Pray for the committee members. We have seen people drop out of the committee, unable to join the camp, and are facing increasing pressure as the date of the camp looms ever-nearer. Pray that we press on in this last lap, and for encouragement to be sent to us. Pray for greater cohesion and cooperation between comm. members. Pray AGAINST any mishaps or miscommunication that could so easily occur. Pray for the strength from God that will allow us to soar tirelessly, as eagles' wings do.

6) Pray for the speaker, Dr. Benjamin Loo, and his wife, Irene Loo. They will be speaking on the camp topic: The Attributes of God. It's heavy-going, but very important: what could be more important than knowing God more? (Remember Mary and Martha?) Pray that God will give them the ability to connect with, and touch the hearts and minds of our campers, both during the messages and outside. Pray that they will be able to make the subject matter engaging, and that campers will be blessed by the message, and not just "nod in agreement". ;-)

7) Pray that God will provide us with strong group and assistant group leaders for the camp. They have yet to be selected, and asked if they can serve in this manner. Pray that the right people will be chosen to serve, and that God will call them to serve. Pray that they will answer this call.

8) Pray for excellent weather for the duration of the camp. Rainy weather will waste the beachside resort that we have booked!