Reflection on Converge 2023

Back in October, myself and an assortment of other youth leaders from across our diocese organized and executed a youth retreat at St. Christopher’s Episcopal Church in Spartanburg. Within this retreat, we centered our program around an excerpt from scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:15 “seek to do good.” In doing so, we aimed to help guide the next generation of middle schoolers in the way of Christ through fun activities, bonding, and fun. To that end, our mission was very effective: by the time we left for the weekend, a new group of participants found themselves in a community with their peers that many had never met prior to the weekend. Each of the participants was a joy to be around, and I am very thankful for the experience of leading them that weekend. I was responsible for the primary organization of the weekend as the convener. This role involved leading the planning of the program, schedule, and activities of the weekend. Thankfully, I was not alone in this endeavor; my fellow DYLC members and our diocesan sponsor Katelyn helped me throughout the process. This retreat went very well, and I am very thankful for the role that I was given to play in it.