True Confessions of a Conference Leader

Intense is probably the best way to describe the last few weeks months of my life.

For better or worse- lots of things are changing in my life and lots of events have been occurring. For instance:

• My dear little sister is expecting her first child and I'm going to be an auntie again! 
• I almost took a mission trip.
• The friend I've partnered with for the past two years in Bright Lights is getting married and I've taken over leadership in that group as she moves away.
• For the first time in my life I'm searching for a 'real' job, one that brings in some real dough for the family.
• I planned a bridal shower and organized group gifts for my BL friend, Dani, in just a month's time.
• And, I took a trip and worked with the traveling team from Bright Lights headquarters!

That last thing is what I want to share with you now. I know my whole (BL) group, and many friends, were praying for me and for the Bright Lights Conferences and so I wanted to run through the five days that I spent in Pataskala.

The beginning of August had three big things on my calendar: Our regular BL meeting which was gong to be my first full time teaching day, Dani's shower that same day (!), and then the next morning leaving for the Conference! It was quite the busy, stressful week!

Before the trip even got going though it was on rocky ground! I had originally planned to be traveling and working along side Dani, the expert Bright Lights traveling team member! :) However, Dani had been a bit tied up with wedding plans and wasn't able to make the trip! So there was the need to make other plans. :) Additionally, I'm not the kind of person to be too keen on experiences that put me outside of my comfort zone! So I took the only sensible approach and put the whole thing out of my mind until the Friday morning of the trip when I began to pack for fear I'd call the whole thing off! :)  

Friday, I had a lovely trip to Pataskala with three of the four Thompsen ladies of Daughters of Decision! These wonderful sisters in Christ are also fellow BL leaders in the area and have been a great source of inspiration and encouragement for me.

 

We got to the host church mid afternoon and were welcomed by several of the girls from the team. For the five days we were teaching I would be staying alongside the group at the church- another new experience for me! (I've never slept...erm...I've never spent the night in a church before! :D) I quickly got to snag myself a spot to make camp for the weekend in the large youth room the girls were sharing and continued to meet new people most of which when I met them went "Oh, you're Dani's Hannah!" Even at the leader's cool-down meeting that night Sarah Mally (the BL head cheese) asked the group during her announcements "Has everybody met Dani's Hannah?" It seemed that a girl's reputation proceeded her.....!


Sarah teaching...

Sarah's sister Grace leading the singing...

Jumping right into the Conference I discovered I had been paired with a girl named Nickie and we would be working with a group of 16-17 year old girls for the Radiant Purity sessions that night and the next day. The girls were great! I was a little surprised at how intent they were and how obviously they were there for answers! I hope they were able to get some as we worked with them.

One of the best parts of the conferences are the skits the team uses to drive home the principles.

On Saturday afternoon as Sarah talked about waiting for God's choice in your life a familiar face popped up!

On Sunday our group was treated to a really special dinner prepared by a lady from the church. Everything was set out in high style and the plates that were set down before us were a real treat! 
They included a Cornish Game Hen, a foil swan wrapped baked potato, salad & rolls, a yummy cherry cream dessert, and raspberry iced tea! It was fantastic- and so was the lady, Miss Judy, who prepared it!

 

 

Later that afternoon the whole Bright Lights group was shipped out to a nearby park for 'relaxation'. For myself, I'm used to a nice quiet Sunday and being able to take a nap and do restful things like reading and movie watching. I'm not really up for sports and wasn't interested in conversation so I found a nice shady tree and parked myself under it for the rest of the afternoon/evening. I started a new book on my Kindle app (for my iPad) and indulged in my own brand of relaxation while everyone else tired themselves out playing ultimate Frisbee. :)

Monday morning brought a late start and some great leaders training led by the stalwart Bekah. I was thrilled to be pared with my friend Melanie and that we would be leading a group of 10-11 year old girls!  I took lead on the group this time around and we had a great afternoon of planning out the time we would have with our young charges. :) Here is a few photos of our little band:

 

Melanie!

The 'Candles' small group making prayer journals!

Nickie and Bekah

I was so thankful that Melanie (who has taught at conferences before) had planned ahead and brought little cards for each girl telling her how much we loved having her in our group and how to contact us if she wanted to! With most of the work done I just had to write in my own info and sign it! I'm really glad that especially with this (age) group of girls that I was able to make that contact with them, I have fond remembrances of getting notes from leaders of similar bible conferences that my family attended when I was that age- and it was the highlight of my week! I really looked up to those girls, they made me feel special and I hope that I will hear from some of the BL conference girls too!

It truly amazing that while time can drag on in your down moments that once you hit the beginning of a conference that period of time can wiz by! Once you have caught the momentum of the wave you are carried along through to the finish like riding on air! Before I knew it the conference was done and it was time to head home!

Sarah doing a 'chalk talk' presentation...

My experience at the Bright Lights Conferences is one that I will not soon forget. It was by turns exhilarating and overwhelming. I love teaching, the more I do it I find the more I love it! Call it the big sister in me but I love standing in front of a group of people, engaging their attention, and communicating a truth. It's a feeling of terror, and excitement, and pleasure all at the same time and locking eyes with another soul and seeing that you are inside their head is one of the best feelings I've ever experienced! I love knowing that expositing truth brings about a mental turning point and readjustment.
On the other hand, there can be downsides to putting yourself out there like that. A teacher has great responsibility and the knowledge that they must expend effort in knowing and in living the truth that they teach. What's perhaps larger in some ways is that to make the most impact on a person you teach you must be willing to pour yourself into that other person. Discipleship isn't for sissies. At one point in one of our lessons I used a reference from Paul (I think in Romans but I can't find it again tonight) where he is talking about being poured out like a drink offering on the alter of sacrifice to God. It struck me in that moment that during the conference that is exactly what I had been experiencing. That final afternoon I was drained. Now, yes, there was that wave I was riding- one of momentum- of going whether or not by choice- and being swept through the time. But under that there was an undercurrent of bone weary, mental, and Spiritual exhaustion. The teaching was hard work, yes, but all the 'new' and 'uncomfortable' was worse. It was a rough couple of days for me because it seems that I teetered on the edge of being a known and unknown person to the group I was working with. Have you ever been in that position? To be just familiar enough to someone that they feel beyond small talk with you, but not familiar enough to you that you want to delve deeper with them? That is where I found myself. Multiplied by 15+ people... So I spent a lot of time answering a lot of questions...

Going to the Bright Lights Conferences were a real experience. An experience where it was good to learn as well as to teach. And isn't it just like God to put us in those positions? We go for one thing- and as great as that turns out to be- we're there for something else too...

• Over those 5 days I learned what it was like to be the younger sibling. (You know, the one kid who has a phenomenally awesome older sibling that everyone loves?) I took away a greater sensitivity to my younger brothers and sister, and to those I serve where I'm dealing with ministering to both the older and younger from a family. Everyone deserves to be judged on their own merit and first hand character.
• I learned that God hears my fears...and complaints, and chooses to give me blessings anyway. (I think He likes to hear "You were right" from our lips :)) I took away that my plan is smaller than His plans and my trust is sometimes very small indeed... 
• I learned that laughter, and warmth, and common interest, and kindred spirits can be found in the most unexpected places! 

So that about wraps it up! For everyone who wanted to hear about my trip I hope you enjoyed hearing a bit of the behind-the-scenes of what a conference is like for a (or at least this) leader! Leave me a comment if I've forgotten anything!

Also, thought I know the next couple of weeks are going to be busy for me (starting BSF again!! woohoo!) I have several posts on my mind and several new 'blogger' books in my stack so be sure to check back with me soon for those reviews! :)