Aaron E. Ziebarth, Executive Director
This weekend we just hosted the fall 4.12 Leadership Training Summit. All 115 students are invited and enjoy the intensive seminars, small group sessions and large group teachings.
On Sunday morning I was leading the level three students through the Demolishing Strongholds material. I asked them the question, “How would you respond if someone told you, “How can you be so dumb as to be a Christian and believe all that stuff?” Each student had an opportunity to share their answer, and they were good. They evidenced minds that had been engaging with truth, prepared to defend their faith while helping to lead others to truth.
Unfortunately across our country many students are not able to defend their faith and thus leaving the church. I recently read a national news article addressing this topic Young Christians are leaving the church, here’s why: The author then surmised that “Ex-Christians often leave the Church because they don’t think anyone in the Church can answer their questions or make a case.” He stated that “It’s time for believers to accept their responsibility to explain what Christianity proposes and why these propositions are true, especially when interacting with young people who have legitimate questions.”
Joy El is committed to doing this in our camps and retreats, Bible adventure and 4.12 Leadership Training Program. As our volunteers were equipped for the start of the year in the Bible Adventure Program, we had Bryan Osborne from the Apologetics ministry Answers in Genesis come and share “Quick answers to tough questions that Students ask”. You can watch the training here (click on the equipping videos tab).
Rather than embracing a blind or unreasonable faith, Joy El is committed to helping students develop an informed, forensic faith that can stand up in the marketplace of ideas.
Additional Resources for those who want to help children answer questions:
+ Why Do So Many Kids Leave the Church? By Family life
+ Sticky faith: What keeps kids connected to church?
+. 10 Reasons Kids Leave the Church by Jim Daly
Join us for a Christian Retreat this fall! Start Here
- Mother -Daughter
- Father-Son
- Momentum Retreats (Middle and High School)
- Men’s Retreat
- Bible Adventure weekend (2-6th Grade)
Joy El Camps and Retreats, is a Christian Camp in PA, we offer Christian camps and retreats year-round in PA and we are a retreat center in Pennsylvania since 1974. Our focus on making disciples is seen in Bible Adventure and the 4.12 Leadership Training Program
