So, if you have rooms reserved that you will not use, be sure to cancel them before June 1. It is also wise to make sure the reservations are not held with a debit card. On June 1, you will be charged for one night deposit on every room. The room can be transferred to someone else’s name, but the deposit is non-refundable. (So, whoever you transfer the room to will need to pay you for the deposit.)

Convention housing reservations can only be made by telephone or online. Links to hotel websites are listed at www.nafwb.org. No reservation for convention housing will be available before Monday, April 5, at 9:00 AM CST / 10 AM EST.

The map below may help you determine which hotel will best meet your needs. Some of the hotels offer various complimentary services. (There will be shuttle buses running on a regular schedule to the Cambria Suites, Embassy Suites, Hyatt Place, & Wyndham Gardens. Embassy Suites & Hampton Inn provide breakfast. Residence Inn includes breakfast and dinner. Some offer free Internet, etc. You may want check the hotel websites in advance to find out what each hotel offers.)

2010 National Youth Evangelistic Team:

Directed by Jeff and Sherri Sloan
Audrey Hollified (TN)
Kevin Strouth (VA)
Lauren Mitchell (GA)
Matthew Berry (FL)
Elizabeth Snow (TN)
Tyler Donaldson (SC)
Chesi Spriggs (KY)
Patrick Easley (MO)
Beth Ash (AR)
Tyler Cagle (AL)
Ashley Clark (KY)
John Palmer Rea (IL)

2009 National Youth Conference Overview

Registrants: 4,212 (6% increase)
Competition Entries: 969 (5% increase)
Buck-A-Week Offering: $4,044.33 (and counting)
Reach That Guy
• 175 volunteers
• 2,412 hours of labor
• 23 completed projects (several rained out on Wednesday)

Youth Worker of the Year: Josh Young, Porter FWB Church (OH)

Youth of the Year: Stephanie Sparks, Bloom FWB Church (OH)

Youth Group of the Year: First FWB Church, Fort Gibson (OK)

A pdf can be downloaded here.

We realize we have been entrusted with the responsibility to provide the curriculum that is used to teach the principles and application of God’s Word. We are conscious of the significance of this role. We endeavor to make sure that the content of our products is true to the teachings of Scripture.

Scripture teaches that homosexuality is a sin against God. Even though we all inherited a sin nature from Adam, we are not created by God to sin, nor are we born with a particular sin. Neither are we excused for our behavior for practicing sin. We also recognize that homosexuality is a particularly abhorrent sin with serious moral consequences. Still, we also believe that Jesus died to forgive all who will express faith in Him and repent of their sin and turn from their wickedness.

Understanding this topic to be a “hot-button” issue, careful research was done on the writings and perspective of the author. His articles for Exodus International and Boundless.org (a division of Focus on the Family) demonstrate a consistent practice of identifying homosexual behavior as sin and a behavior that is not pleasing to God, which should and can be abandoned. The author is sharing his testimony of his personal struggle and the deliverance God offers to those facing temptation. Some temptations are easier to understand, but ultimately, our response to all sin should be abhorrence.

I acknowledge there is a natural repulsion regarding the sin of homosexuality. Homosexuality is an abomination in the eyes of God. Leviticus 18 provides a list of abominations that include heterosexual sins, and Deuteronomy 18 adds various sins of witchcraft. Proverbs lists more sins that are abomination to a holy God, including “lying lips” (12:22) and “proud in heart” (16:5). While I in no means equate lying and pride with the devastating effects of sexual sins, I am beginning to see that the repulsion I have for homosexuality is a glimpse of the abhorrence God has for my sin. This understanding breaks my heart and motivates me to a more determined pursuit of holiness.

Researching the author’s articles made it abundantly clear that there are people who struggle with temptations that I cannot understand. However, despite their struggle, they recognize what God says about their sin and agree with Him that it is wrong. They strive for obedience to God’s word and seek personal holiness.

The Christian attitude toward people who are in sin does not vary depending on the sin. We are to show the same kind of love to the abominable homosexual as we do to the abominable adulterer and abominable practitioner of witchcraft. Some sinners are easier to love and forgive, but we must be consistent and show the love of Christ to all and offer them the hope of His forgiveness.

The article in Horizon explicitly states, “The Bible is clear that God did not create us to be homosexual, and He certainly doesn’t want us to do those things.” Homosexuality is not inborn. The next paragraph opens with “’Homosexuality is sin’ is not the only truth you need to know.” It points out there are other truths, while still asserting, “homosexual behavior is sin.” He also stresses, “God hates homosexuality because He is holy….”

Of course, homosexual behavior has greater consequences than gossip and lying. But the point of the paragraph was to illustrate that temptation is a “desire for something God calls sin.” It was not trying to downgrade the significance of a type of sin, but to illustrate the common struggle with temptation that all Christians experience.

The intent of the article was to advise students about how to respond to the Day of Silence. We realize this was not clear and seek to correct that error. The article intentionally leads with the title, “Breaking the Silence,” which opposes the intent of the protest and challenges Christian teens to speak the truth. The author pointed out that teachers and students would be saying, “homosexuality is normal, good, healthy, and not a sin.” He followed with, “These things aren’t true and you shouldn’t pretend like they are.” He explicitly refutes the idea that homosexuality is normal.

Students were not encouraged to accept or think of the sinful behavior, but to comprehend the fear and confusion as a result of a personal struggle. This article intentionally followed the lesson and devotion on compassion. Christians are challenged to show compassion to the world–that includes people who are mired in the depths of sin. Not to excuse sin or tolerate sin, but we demonstrate the compassion of Christ to draw people to Him so they can be delivered of their sin. Paul testified this is possible when he reminded the believers in Corinth of the sins from which they had been delivered–“such were some of you” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

We can demonstrate kindness and compassion as a platform for sharing the message of Jesus. This is consistent with how Jesus treated the adulterous woman at the well. While all others shunned her to the point that she was ostracized, Jesus joined in conversation with her without diminishing her sin. The final challenge for the students was, “tell the bold truth-the truth about God, about you, and about the wonderful hope you have in Jesus.”

These are the elements of the article that stood out to me. While I agree this is a subject that causes me to be uncomfortable, we cannot ignore it. We must equip young people with a plan of action that is consistent with Biblical principles and the character of Jesus Christ. This article was an effort toward that purpose.

Obviously, there are some points that have been misunderstood, and we regret that. We will be diligent to communicate more clearly. Still there are specific points to recall. It identifies homosexual behavior as sin against a holy God. It warns students to not accept the untrue statements from those promoting homosexuality. It challenges Christian students to be kind and compassionate and boldly share the truth of God’s word and the hope we have in Christ. We consistently affirm these scriptural teachings.

Homosexuality is an escalating issue in teen culture. This article can give parents and pastors an opportunity to address this matter with their teens. They are facing these issues and need to know how Christians should respond biblically and in a Christ-like manner. We are careful to avoid overwhelming younger teens with some of these issues, so we did not include this article in the Direction magazine. We also included a “What’s Up?” page in the Horizon Teaching Essentials to inform parents and teachers about this upcoming article in the magazine. We also included a web link to additional resources to help inform people about this issue.

It would be quite easy to avoid all controversial issues and be safe. But this would be disconnecting our faith from life and ignoring that the Bible has the answers to the difficult questions. We choose to face these issues from a biblical perspective and deal with the problems of this fallen world. The editorial staff is dedicated to high standards in the treatment of tough issues with practical instruction and doctrinal integrity.

Please let me know if you have other questions. Please share this post with others and encourage them to contact me if they have additional concerns.

Thank you,

Danny Conn
Editorial Director
Randall House Publications

download the article here: breaking-the-silence

Then Saturday, March 7, there is a Bible competition Workshop at the White Oaks FWB Church in Macon, GA. Drop in if you are in the area and interested in the updates in the Competition Guidelines or want to know more about using this activity as a tool for ministry development in your church.

A game will consist of 25 questions (instead of 20 minutes).
Team members will be allowed 15 seconds to confer before selecting an answer (instead of 20 seconds).

The missing page will be available at www.fwbnyc.com or can be downloaded here: explorers-guide-lesson-text.

QUESTIONS FOR DANNY CONN, NYC DIRECTOR

Danny, as you look back over this year’s National Youth Conference, what is the highlight for you?
“The thing that amazed me most was the cooperation parents and students exhibited while working together to make the competition happen in the limited space available. Doors were left open for people to flow through, but crowds remained orderly, quiet, and respectful. I appreciate the efforts our attendees made.”

What was the biggest surprise you encountered this week?
“We were surprised and pleased to see the great response to Bible Millionaire. The competition was exciting, and we look forward to seeing this great new program grow and improve.”

What would you say to a church considering taking part in the conference next year?
“I am so pleased that people are taking advantage of the Bible and fine arts competition as a training tool to help young people discover, develop, and dedicate their talents to God’s service. I encourage every church to take advantage of this program in the coming year.”

What would you say to students who were part of this year’s conference?
“The depth of talent and eagerness of service that our young people demonstrate is truly inspiring, especially in the Truth & Peace, RTG, and NYET programs. Our denomination has a wealth of talented young people, and we can be confident that the future of our denomination is bright. I thank God for our young leaders.”