Winterfest: Not Just for the Younger Generation
An exhibitor at Winterfest discovers the rewards of spending a weekend ministering to young people.
Want a burst of inspiration? Consider joining thousands of teenagers at a Winterfest event for a great weekend packed with incredible worship and powerful teaching! That’s what a team of American Bible Society volunteers did over the weekend of January 28 in Arlington, Texas.
As Frontline Ministry Volunteers, Frankie Aryee and I joined Patricia Walker and Amanda Olsavsky in Texas to “work” the ABS booth at Winterfest Frontier, an annual youth event sponsored by the Church of God. We were joined by three special young adults, Lindy Bonin, Lauren Ramkissoon and Ryan Stigile, who are graduates of the ABS Bible Advocate Training program that launched in the summer of 2010.
Together, our team guided visitors through the ABS booth experience, showing them how to use the Share Your Story Now live recording booth and to express their thoughts on the Expression Wall, and urging them to Uncover God’s Word.
We also took teens through the newest addition to the booth: Consolatta’s audio journey. Consolatta is the young woman from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who has become the face of the “She’s My Sister” initiative. Those taking her journey used their cell phones to hear a pre-recorded message describing Consolatta’s tragic story of rape and abandonment and her ultimate victory when God showed her how to forgive those who betrayed her.
From the stage, our ministry partner Randall Parris with Church of God Youth and Discipleship, invited over 2,000 attendees to join the Uncover Movement and embark upon a seven-day text journey. According to initial reports, more than 20 percent of the audience has committed to begin their own personal journey into Scripture using this tool that American Bible Society makes possible.
There is something rewarding about spending your weekend focusing on ministry to young people. ABS is all about ministry, but it’s not necessarily part of our day-to-day jobs. Stepping out with the booth gave me a wonderful opportunity to serve and sent me back to the office fully refreshed and with renewed inspiration for the work we do.
–Barbara Delp
(For information on future Winterfest events across the country and around the world, visit www.mywinterfest.com).
