Youth Worker's Training Weekend!

As we drove under the archway entrance, past a rice paddy and down a road lined with palm trees we arrived at Canaan Retreat Center. With such peaceful surroundings, I knew that this retreat center was going to be a place we would enjoy meeting youth and college ministers from around Hyderabad. We were in Ghatkesar, about 1 1/2 hours outside of Hyderabad.

This wasn't just any retreat for me (Donna), this was a retreat where we would teach the Teen Worker's Curriculum that I and other youth workers in the US have been developing for the past three years. This was our inaugural training in two ways, one- the material had never been taught to youth workers before anywhere in the world, and two- this was the first time that Here's LIfe Inner City has trained ministers in India.

We partnered with Youth for Christ and Campus Crusade India, Evangelical Union, Shining Stars and a couple of local churches, there were 33 of us in all. Some of the highlights for the youth worker's attending were the lessons on Biblical Manhood, Emotional Intelligence, What are your purpose and guiding values, Sharing the Good News with Teens and How to Prepare Young People for Marriage. We had several instructors, Tom, Megen, Jean, Myself and our host, Peter Wiig.

As we were watching the end of the retreat slideshow, I had such a great feeling in my heart that our hours of brainstorming, collaborating and writing for these lessons hasn't been in vain, but that finally the people who we have a heart to minister to, equip and empower have been touched with this material. I thank God that this is only the beginning of equipping passionate people to share the love of Christ with teens as they walk alongside them through life.

Thank you for your prayers for this retreat!