A celebration of heritage is not complete without catching a glimpse of the future being constructed on the foundation laid in the past. After all, what good is a heritage not passed to the next generation? The National Youth Conference provides a peek into the bright future of Free Will Baptists.

Service

This week, we watched Free Will Baptist young people grasp the concept of service. Whether it was the feetwashing service of Truth & Peace or the nearly 2,000 hours of community service volunteers donated through Reach That Guy projects, Free Will Baptist young people served others with grace and humility.

Photo: Truth & Peace attendees participate in a feetwashing service.

Not only do they have a heart to serve, they have also inherited a heart for missions. Students applauded the news of Tim and Amanda York going to Buffalo, New York, to help establish a church for the deaf. They contributed $3,738.85 to the Buck-A-Week missions offering and took home a thousand Buck-A-Week banks with a commitment to fill them in anticipation of reaching a $50,000 goal in 2012.

Any person or youth group who wants to join the challenge can email NYC@ RandallHouse.com to request a bank.

Competition

The next generation has a wealth of talent. Through the 972 competition entries, students demonstrated a wide variety of talents. Music, drama, and creative arts are but a few of the categories allowing FWB youth to discover, develop, and dedicate their talents to God’s service.

Photo: Anxious competitors await the next question.

Free Will Baptist colleges offered more than $100,000 in scholarship money to winners. A team of the top-scoring contestants was selected for the 2012 Youth Evangelistic Team, which will minister in home mission churches in Texas next summer.

Worship

A love for the Word of God is also evident. Students, youth leaders, and young adults flocked to worship services, reaching near-capacity crowds. More than 400 contestants participated in Bible memorization and Bible game events, including the new group memorization. An impressive amount of biblical content has been absorbed by participants in Bible competition.

Photo: Responding to the invitation at the National Youth Conference.

Values

Common values are being passed to those participating in the National Youth Conference. Students cheered during the screening of Courageous when the characters made good choices and took a stand for integrity. Throughout the week, they showed respect for their elders and lived up to the reputation others have set before them.

NYC Director Danny Conn summed up the convention in one quick statement: "I think it is safe to say the Free Will Baptist heritage is in good hands."

National Youth Conference at a Glance

Registration: 4,026

Truth & Peace: 105

Competition Entries: 972

Courageous Screening: 1,700

Reach That Guy
489 volunteers
1,953 volunteer hours
47 churches participating

Youth of the Year: Shelby Lynn Pruitt (Catlettsburg, KY)

Youth Group of the Year: Sulphur Springs Junior Youth (Northport, AL)
Youth Workers of the Year: Aaron and Casey Pontious (Nashville, TN)

Buck-A-Week offering: $3,738.85

2012 Projects: NorthPoint FWB Church in Buffalo, NY; student center in Nantes, France

American Red Cross Blood Drive
Donors 92
First-time donors 85
Units collected 93

2012 National YET Team
Michael Hollis (NC)
Lindsey Duncan (FL)
Evan Pell (GA)
Larissa Thomas (AR)
John Daniel Newland (TN)
Camille Driggers (SC)
Joshua Sloan (OK)
Rachel Ayers (AL)
Joseph Summerlin (AL)
Bridget Coffee (KY)
Kody Madden (AL)
Lane Murphy (OK)
Zuri Zuniga (AR)