Hope In Our Midst: Reflections on the 2007 Youth Triennium

The following was an article by Rev. Rebecca Fletcher that originally appeared in EMerge in July of 2007. Fletcher was the Co-Registrar for that event and shared her views of the 2007 Triennium. Fletcher was ordained in August of 2007 and is a chaplain at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul.

At 10:03 pm on Monday, July 16, two buses pulled away from Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, carrying 52 youth and 8 adults from the PTCA who were rolling along in faith towards the 2007 Triennium. Although a few of those present had been to one or more previous Trienniums, nobody was quite sure what to expect. From the opening recreation events to the very moving and inspiring closing worship, however, all 60 PTCA participants found an experience that was beyond anything they could have dreamed.

In a world where our young people are confronted by war, natural disasters on an epic scale, and senseless shootings in high schools and college campuses, the theme of Hope In Our Midst was an important and powerful one. Participants in this year’s Triennium were given permission to feel the pain that is a part of living in the modern world, but were also shown over and over again the numerous ways that we as Christians in this world find hope. We find hope in being connected as the body of Christ, a connection that is impressively demonstrated by over 4000 youth and adults singing, praying, and worshipping together. We find hope in the scriptures as they were interpreted in worship and studied in small groups. We find hope in other people who, despite being from far-away states and countries, have the same struggles and worries as we do. We find hope in caring adults who plan for and lead the activities of Triennium.

With two custom-designed shirts and a variety of pins to trade, our delegation was soon well-known on campus. Some people even thought we had a different T-shirt for each day of the week! (We did not, but we did have committed adults who washed the ones we had so we could wear them again!) Representing 16 churches in the PTCA, our delegation reflected the diversity of our part of the world and the changing face of the church as it looks for ways to include immigrants from different countries and incorporate different cultures in its worship and ministry.

When the buses pulled back into Rochester and Oak Grove on Sunday night, those who disembarked were tired, hungry, and hoarse, but they brought home true love for one another, an increased understanding of the church, loads of contact information for new friends from all across the country, and hearts burning and bursting with the hope of Christ. It was truly a transformative trip for all who went.

On behalf of every member of the PTCA delegation, I would like to express my deepest and sincerest gratitude to the Presbytery for its ongoing support of this event. The financial support of the Presbytery makes the trip possible; without it, the cost would be prohibitive for many of the young people who attend. By investing in its youth, the Presbytery ensures that there will continue to be new leadership in our churches, our Presbyteries, and our entire denomination. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Presbyterian Youth Triennium 2010 is July 19-24.  Please encourage youth in your congregation to apply for this great event.   If you have questions please contact Scott Dobovsky 612-986-9356 , scdobo@gmail.com. You can register and pay your deposit online by going to the PTCA Youth Triennium Page.

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