Project Revolution celebrates 5th year

10/2/2012

By Marvé Ralston, special contributor
Excitement was bubbling up from members of the Five Rivers District Council of Youth Ministry (DCYM) for months before the 2012 Project Revolution, the Five Rivers District youth rally. This year, the rally was at Worden United Methodist Church Sept. 8-9. This was the fifth year for the event. 

Every year, lessons are learned as Project Revolution grows, and a new group of youth leaders plans it. This year, the attendance was the highest yet at 146 youth from 15 different churches.

The band, Perfectly Broken, perform at the 2012 Project Revolution, the Five Rivers District annual youth rally. (photo by Marvé Ralston)
Project Revolution is an overnight lock-in with games, outside activities, grilled burgers and hotdogs, and the highlight is a live band. The planning committee for the activities this year chose challenge courses that required small groups to work together to complete an activity led by a member of the DCYM. They were randomly numbered at registration so that they could make new friends from other churches.
 
The DCYM group chooses a new band each year for variety, and the band chosen this year was Perfectly Broken from Ottawa. The band played mostly contemporary Christian songs as well as a few they had written.
 
The worship started in the sanctuary after the concert, with several youth testimonies that were quite powerful and honest. At the close was reflection and time of prayer in the gym, which had 300 candles lit in the shape of a cross. No words were spoken and the effect was quite powerful.
 
Much thanks goes to the youth coordinators, Tami Clark (Lawrence First UMC) and Matt Stuckey (Iola Wesley UMC), to Laura Ramsey (Lyndon UMC) and Eva Durand (Baldwin City First UMC).
 
There were many adult youth leaders, parents and family members who helped this year with clean-up, grilling, supervision and many other things.

Thanks also to the Worden UMC congregation and Pastor Bud Tuxhorn for providing the space for the rally and to Scott Swanson (Worden UMC) for providing the sound system help.

Everyone chipped in and gave their best for the Five Rivers District youth. Thanks for all the prayers before the rally for the success of this district youth event.
 
Marvé Ralston is the Five Rivers District administrative assistant.