BCYAYM annual Fall Conference took place this past Thanksgiving Weekend at St Saviour’s Penticton.  There were over 90 people who attended and took part over the weekend. of Fr. Bill Cliffs theme sessions on “The Bible Says… WHAT!?”  Cameron Gutjahr, a member of the council, shares his thoughts on the weekend.

Wow, conference 2011 is over.  As we return to our lives back in the “real world”; to school, work, our hometowns, let us not forget that we are no longer the same as we were before. 

We have had an amazing weekend where we got to spend time with friends new and old (over 90 of them!).  We gathered food for our Thanksgiving dinner centerpiece (and for local food banks), we played the Amazing Race across Penticton and we danced our hearts out as heroes. 

We participated in some amazing worship and sang that “We are God’s beloved Children, we are God’s own.  We are God’s beloved children, we are God’s own.” We were offered healing and empowerment at two amazing services.  

We were blest to have a speaker like Fr. Bill Cliff who prodded us, listened to us and challenged us in the ways that we read, interpret and understand the Bible and the crazy things it says.  We were told to never forget that:

1. The gospel is ALWAYS astonishing,
2. The gospel is NOT fair (it has rather a lot to do with grace and mercy instead) and..
3. God ALWAYS acts first

We were truly astonished in Penticton this weekend; the Good Samaritan, the pearl, the treasure in the field, the Canaanite woman being called a puppy, all parts of the Bible that we looked at together and got to say: “ The Bible says… WHAT!?”.

From amongst all the amazing things that you get to take away from this weekend remember this: that if God can use the feet of four lepers to defeat an entire army, what can God do with you, the delegates of BCYAYM conference?  People in positions of power depend on hearing the truth from those on the fringe.  Ask yourselves, are you willing to be the voice of God, now, not tomorrow? Le us find our voice (Paraphrase from Fr. Bill Cliff)

To everyone who wasn’t at this weekend, we missed having you as part of our community this year.  However, know that you are always welcome to BCYAYM, a place that welcomes, accepts and loves you as you are, as Jesus calls us to do.

God Bless,

-Cameron Gutjahr

Check out this video as Herald enters the room of the BCYAYM delegates.  When our voices become one in worship.  One of the highlights of the weekend.

Our new council this year is: Consultative – Mike LeNoble, Bailey Adams, Linnea Breitkreutz, Alex Erikson and Mike Lafferty.  Executive – Jon Borgens, David Taylor, Cameron Gutjahr, Luke Frymire, Kim Blair, Lauren Krakau, Katie Lukow, Amanda Millar, Duncan Chalmers, Jonny Stuchbery.  Our next meeting will be November 10-12 in Victoria, any are welcome to attend our meeting.  If you are interested, please contact us at bcyaym@gmail.com

Leave a comment below about your favorite memory of BCYAYM Fall Conference 2011!