Because I’m a public school teacher by day, I’ve been deeply invested in the success of young people for quite some time. I’ve always desired and attempted to apply the truths of the gospel within the subject area I teach, but in public school this has proven to be an area of frustration.

As my own three children enter into young adulthood, the need to apply the gospel has hit closer to home. How can we parents help our children move from under our direct authority to come alongside us as full-fledged members of the church? How can we, as the church, help young people within our congregations make the difficult transition from teenage years to adulthood? How do we disciple our children in the larger context of the denomination? I desired to serve Christ by working with young people in the church, but I really didn’t know where or how to begin.

That’s why when my pastor and brother, Aaron Goerner, asked Mike Kelly and me to serve our presbytery in the area of youth ministries, I jumped at the chance. The St. Lawrence Presbytery was looking for representatives to serve on the Youth Ministries Committee of Synod (YMCS). I wasn’t even aware that there was such a committee. It turns out that Synod has been hard at work through YMCS to help “presbyterianize” youth ministries within the denomination. This sounded like something I had been waiting for. In Oct. 2010, Mike Kelly and I were appointed to the committee.

We had the desire to serve. We had the motivation. We had the approval of the St. Lawrence Presbytery. We even had some money, because presbytery had blessed us with a generous budget. Now what were we going to do?

We needed some young people, and we needed guidance. After attending the Presbytery of the Alleghenies “Sprinter” retreat to see how it’s done, we began planning our first retreat. Thankfully, many great people stepped in to provide the help we so desperately needed.

In Oct. 2011 we held our first St. Lawrence youth retreat at Delta Lake Bible and Conference Center. The facilities are excellent. The days were chilly, and the nights were beginning to get cold. When the October frost hits, it’s nice to have warm conference and sleeping accommodations. Delta Lake provides excellent and plentiful food, and beautiful lakeside surroundings. Best of all, we were focused on wonderful teaching centered on God’s Word and its application to our lives in our individual circumstances.

Lucas Hanna, pastor of the Meadville, Pa., RPC was the speaker for the weekend. He gave three excellent and challenging lectures. Pastor Hanna encouraged us to rely on grace for our sanctification, instructed us about our personal responsibility in sanctification, and gave excellent practical suggestions regarding accountability. Many found the lectures to be the highlight of the weekend. One participant said, “It was a very positive experience. The talks all taught me a lot and were really useful. It was a very well put together retreat.”

Each lecture was followed by a time of discussion where counselors encouraged campers to think deeply about the material that was just presented to them. Several of the participants found these post-lecture discussions to be the highlight. One participant from Syracuse, N.Y., RPC said, “I really liked the discussion groups. They greatly helped me to understand what was being said.”

Another participant from Rochester, N.Y., RPC said, “I liked this retreat because it turned out to be way better than I expected. There were a lot of interactive meetings, which were very helpful. I think it connected me closer to God in some ways.”

Daily group devotions and private Bible reading and prayer were also a focus of the retreat. The discipline of personal devotion is essential in the Christian life, and we wanted the campers to be encouraged and strengthened in this discipline. Some campers found these devotional times to be the most significant experience of the weekend. A studious young woman from Christ Church RPC said, “I liked the midnight prayer. It was fun and relaxing. I also loved the time we had for personal devotions when we all gathered in one room. I was able to concentrate really well.”

Without a doubt, the counselors are the reason for the success of the discussions and for the success of the whole retreat. We couldn’t have asked for a better group of people for this daunting task. Taylor Gordon, the youth ministries coordinator for the Syracuse RPC, served as a counselor. He was joined by fellow Syracuse RPC counselors Sheralyn Wellman and Chayanne Robles. Steve Ray was our volunteer from Christ Church. Melissa Hanna, Pastor Lucas’ wife, was recruited into service at the last minute, and Justin Miller from the Hudson/St.-Lazare RPC joined us from Canada. Thanks to all of you for your excellent work!

As counselors and teachers often discover, our students aren’t the only ones who benefit from our work; we also benefit from our efforts with them. One counselor stated: “I am so very thankful for this experience I’ve been given. I’ve learned so much, and I had such a wonderful time working with these young people.”

Greg Wold and Bethany Ames from the Christ Church congregation in Whitesboro, N.Y., were in charge of organizing games and activities. They did an excellent job of providing entertainment options. Willing and justifiably reluctant participants had the opportunity to join in activities from balloon-stuffing to Israeli dodge ball to a food relay. Close calls? A minor rule infraction? Accusation of foul play? Those looking for sympathy were deeply disappointed. No sympathy was given when referee Greg Wold was around!

Supervision was a (surprisingly) pleasant part of the experience. The staff and directors of the Delta Lake camp made a special point of telling the whole group that, bar none, our group was the most pleasant and best-behaved teen camp they had seen that year. This is a great testimony to the work parents are doing raising their covenant children. It is especially a testimony to the wonderful covenantal work of God in their lives. Well-behaved young people made our job so much easier!

On the last evening of the retreat, Taylor Gordon gave the assembly his testimony. The testimony of God’s faithfulness in Taylor’s life is a powerful one to young people who will soon be going through the same things he is. Taylor was able to speak to the struggles that are particular to those who are raised in a covenant household. His testimony was a blessing to all of us.

The events of the weekend culminated in worship on the Lord’s Day morning. Lucas Hanna was joined by ruling elder Charles Lorraine from Christ Church to preside over worship. Lucas preached an excellent sermon about accountability, encouraging us from the book of Hebrews to persevere and to apply the Word we had been learning all weekend. Sheralyn Wellman from the Syracuse RPC and Hannah Folkerts from Rochester RPC assisted us in precenting.

After the conclusion of worship there was one last excellent lunch, a flurry of goodbyes, and a new collection for me of sleeping bags, hats, and other items left behind!

What’s next? St. Lawrence youth committee has another retreat planned for the weekend of Apr. 20 (before this issue goes to press). While our first retreat experience was fantastic, we feel confident that our next retreat will be even better.

From there, it’s on to the RP International Conference, where the YMCS will be taking on some new responsibilities. As you think about the ministry of the greater church, please remember the efforts of the YMCS to minister to the young people of the denomination. Please pray for us in our labors to help the next generation take up the faith of our fathers and become mature members of the body of Christ.