Communion is taken during the July 8 service at FMYC 2014. (Photo by Jeff Finley)
One of the most important moments of the Free Methodist Youth Conference occurred July 8 when teens stood up and expressed newfound faith in Jesus Christ.
“The love of God for you is more than I can explain. The love of God over your life will never go away,” speaker Phil Manginelli told the new believers who then joined hundreds of other FMYC 2014 teens in taking Communion. “If you dig in and dive into this Jesus, He will change everything about you.”
The July 5–10 conference in Fort Collins, Colorado, served as an introduction to the basics of Christianity for some teens. Other teens came to the event as committed Christians, but they may not have known much about the FM part of FMYC.
“I’ve been a Free Methodist for four and a half years. Since I came here, I actually did learn more about what Free Methodists do — how they help other countries worldwide,” said Hasna Guasa, a member of the youth group at Praise Christian Fellowship in McAllen, Texas. “When I become older, I can go around the world and help other people as well.”
Taylor Butterfield, a member of the Spring Arbor (Michigan) FMC youth group, appreciated the opportunity to meet other Free Methodists at FMYC.
“You can connect more to the other people you wouldn’t normally see on a daily basis, like churches from New York, Kansas and Illinois,” she said. “It’s cool to meet new people here.”
FMYC 2014 allowed the teens to meet and learn from leading Free Methodists such as Bishops Matthew Thomas and David Kendall, Chief Operating Officer Larry Roberts, International Child Care Ministries Director Linda Adams, Kali Long of the Set Free Movement and Free Methodist World Missions, and Spring Arbor University’s Rick Morgan, the denomination’s former director of youth ministry.
Go to fmchr.ch/fmyc2014 for expanded coverage.
BRIEFS:
FRENCH EARNS NATIONAL HONOR
Glen Carbon, Illinois
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance honored A.J. French, a member of the Bridge FMC, with its 2014 Life Unlimited Award on Aug. 17, at the DBSA National Chapter Leadership Forum in Union, N.J. Go to fmchr.ch/ajunlimited to learn more about the honor and to fmchr.ch/ajfrench for past LLM coverage of French.
JOB CLUB OPENS SECOND SITE
Penwortham, Lancashire, England
Mark Willett, church delegate from King’s Church (Penwortham FMC), responded to Bishop David Roller’s call at the U.K. Annual Conference to take risks and try out new things. He partnered with others to establish Lancashire’s first Christians Against Poverty Job Club, and a new club opened May 2. Go to fmchr.ch/ukjobclub for more coverage.
HOPE AND SALVATION
Newberg, Oregon
Northside Community Church joined the My Hope With Billy Graham campaign and showed a film one Sunday morning last fall instead of a sermon. Eight people gave their lives to Jesus Christ that morning. Since then, at least 86 people have made commitments to Christ through the church’s ministry. Go to fmchr.ch/newbergfmc for more coverage.
CALLED AT FMYC
Hillsdale, Michigan
Emily Wagler shared with the Hillsdale FMC about the personal impact of FMYC 2014. “I knew, without a doubt in the world, that the Holy Spirit was prompting me to stand up in that moment and accept my call to missions,” Wagler said. Go to fmchr.ch/waglerfmyc to read Wagler’s testimony and watch video of it.
