Big Dig a Great Time
We had a great time in Shep at The Big Dig, and it was fantastic to meet lots of the young people from the area.
Saturday afternoon offered various electives at St David’s, including some really energetic dance by some of the Congolese, bible study, and a fantastic model church. The church had no fixed furniture so it could be flexible and change layout, was in the round so everyone could see each other, included lots of glass walls and ceiling sections so there were few barriers to separate people passing by, and environmentally sensible things like great swathes of cloth to let light in or keep hot sunshine out.
Dinner in the hall at Wesley was superb, delicious roast chicken served by suited waiters, and then two dessert trolleys that circulated laden with chocolcate ripple cake and berry jelly and fruit salad and other treats. During a break between courses I spoke about discipleship: it’s about you, and about God, and about everything else!
[Let me know if you’d like to read the text: I forgot to podcast myself.]
After dinner the Congolese group got up and sang and danced for us, and were mirrored by a bunch of the older folks having a great time. The energy and harmony were really great to be part of, and we all got up and joined in.
Later the disco started and the smoke machine cranked up and fog rolled out.
Next morning we met back at Wesley for morning church, where Paul Teusner spoke really well about the plumb-line image from Amos and the story of the just Samaritan, which was also enacted in a supermarket setting by a group. I was the store security guard!
Then people from the churches of Shep gathered for lunch together, which was a good opportunity to meet and talk and eat.
Thanks to the Shep crew for your hospitality and welcome. It was great to be part of the Big Dig, and I look foward to seeing you all again.
April 30th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
[…] I went up there for the North East Victoria Christian Youth Convention (NEVCYC) formally known as Goulburn Murray Christian Youth Convention, or The Big Dig. This years theme picked up on the Vic/Tas Youth Ministry dinners theme of The Tap. The weekend was packed with reflections about Drought and Water, small groups looking at images of God, Trivia Night and Amazing Race competition. Once again there was the formal dinner on Saturday night where Mel and I did a NCYC Promo when the technology worked! Then there was a disco in the dining room or the chance to listen to some classics out by the campfire. The night was topped off by waking up the next morning to a very damp ground after over night rain. The weekend finished with a worship service that all the campers had a part in organising. I with a couple of others wrote a prayer of confession that was inspired by the latest Schweppes advertisement […]