July 2006

The big tent on the south field of the Biola campus was billowing and rocking as Brethren National Youth Conference 2006 came to a close last evening (Thursday). Led by Todd Proctor and his band, the 2,000+ teens exuberantly praised God as the week came to a close. The closing evening’s program included a threefold […]

Scott Distler, pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Lititz, Pennsylvania, was the featured speaker for the Thursday morning general session of BNYC06. His assigned topic was to help teenagers deal with contemporary culture without letting media and other influences lower their standards and “pull them down.” He gave a number of practical, biblical techniques

Author/apologist Lee Strobel spoke to the Brethren National Youth Conference Wednesday evening in the main session. A former newspaper editor, pastor, and journalist, Strobel gave the teens some good advice on how to deal with doubt and how to obtain answers for the questions they and others may raise about Christ and the Christian faith.

With more than 3,000 photos from BNYC now available for browsing on www.bnyc.net, it’s obvious there are some skilled photographers at work. Perhaps a dozen are contributing but the majority are from Jeanine Russell from the Mukilteo, Washington, Grace Community Chapel and Jenna Hollinger (pictured), from the Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church. Jenna will

Following each of the evening sessions, teens split into small “youth groups” with others from their church or district. The BNYC printed program has discussion guides for the youth groups, and much of the discussion revolves around the evening session and lessons or questions issuing from it.

A number of teens are doing serious business with God at this year’s Brethren National Youth Conference. As the conference draws to a close tomorrow, prayer supporters are asked to pray for specific and lasting commitments on the part of many teens. If you have not signed up to pray in a specific time slot,

Rich Yauger, youth pastor at Grace Community Church in Goshen, Indiana, and his wife, Carol, gave a workshop in the Heritage Courtyard of the Biola campus entitled “Untouchables.” The couple discussed some of the “untouchable” issues in today’s world such as eating disorders, cutting, sexual abuse, pornography, addictions, and homosexuality. The workshop was part of

Sing it, Pastor Wayne! Wayne Ayer (blue shirt, middle), pastor of the Grace Brethren Church of Norwalk, California, loves to sing along with the Youth Choir as they practice and perform in the services at Brethren National Youth Conference.

Francis Chan, in his final address to the BNYC audience this year, challenged teens as to who was in control of their lives. Using a model car and a toy duck to illustrate, he forcefully made the point that even if we think we may be in control, God actually has all things under His

During the “Rescue” time this afternoon, approximately 100 of the BNYC students visited a Sikh temple and talked with officials there to explain the tenets of the Sikh religion. Here one of the students who participated reported to the BNYC audience in the Tuesday evening service. (Jenna Hollinger photo)