This week I had an opportunity to be a group shepherd at Sonlife's new Merge conference for students. Merge is their replacement for SEMP. Merge is a spiritual formation conference that helps students to "Merge" with God's story. Having been through it once now, I have to say that it has tons of potential, but still needs lots of fine tuning. I think it made a real difference in the lives of students attending it.On a different note... can I just say that SEMP changed my life. I know that is not really true... that it is God who changed my life... and that it just happened to happen so clearly at this crazy conference of 1000 plus teens that I attended in 1991 (Whatever it takes...). It was the teaching... and the worship... and the crazy service and sharing opportunities... and the exposure to so many awesome Christians and youth pastors... It was the "hitting the streets" and the awesome youth group times... I remember crying with 45 people from my youth group one night as we all considered how far we had to go and how far Christ had gone for us... I remember the crazy and real and beautiful way that God would speak to me there... he would confront and comfort and challenge me. I am a youth pastor now, and my experience at the SEMP conference is largely responsible for that decision. I was given the opportunity to see that Christianity was real... that it was livable.. and that God had a purpose for me... as backward and awkward and bazaar as I was... I was his... I had a reason to live that was bigger than myself... I was to live to make the world a better place... just like Jesus did. I was forever changed. Even though I like MERGE... I am sad that SEMP is no longer... It leaves a little empty spot in my heart.
