Connect Welcomed at Marae
What an incredibly special weekend we have just had at our National Marae, Te Maungarongo where we had our National Youth Leaders Conference; Connect. And Connect is what we did! On all levels. We reconnected back with our whanau at Te Maungarongo, we connected with our fellow youth leaders and we connected with God.
150 youth leaders from all over the country received wonderful hospitality from the local people. Their welcome was warm. The food was amazing. And the conversations were life giving. We were blessed by some amazing speakers and workshop presenters who encouraged us and challenged us in our own faith journeys and in our ministry to young people.
Karo from Weston, Oamaru said “as a Connect veteran, I really enjoyed that there was the opportunity for something different this year, in being on the Marae. The speakers were totally different this year, with a much more personal approach to the keynote sessions, which I really enjoyed!”
Connect is about equipping and encouraging those serving in our youth ministries across the country. Tasha from Invercargill said she felt privileged to be able to spend a weekend away with our fellow Presbyterians that are passionate about seeing Young people come to Christ...the weekend was packed with opportunities for everyone. Gordon and Matt did us proud with this excellent event full of fun, training and resources that will make all our churches and youth ministries stronger.”
And if you still need some more encouragement to convince you that you should get your youth leaders to Connect next year, then some words from Vanessa, (youth leader at Knox Church, Dunedin)..."Connect was a wonderful way to get to know other youth leaders while learning skills to apply to both our youth and ourselves for developing and anchoring faith and community. It was a fantastic weekend and I can't wait for the next one!"
See you at Connect 2020!