CBC Winter Retreat 2011:Counselor Training #1

Dear Counselors and Leaders: You have taken on a very sacred and exciting role. You get to help equip, train, and transform the lives of many youth with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a gift that not only the youth allow you to speak truth to them, but the parents, the church, the other leaders hand over the responsibility to you to carry out what they've been doing all year. We have prayed for you and now God has brought you to CBC Winter Retreat. So whether you are new or old to our youth group...we ask you to remember several things:


Remember: 

• That you are a counselor, leader, and/or musician because you were saved by the grace of God. That is your first identity - not in what you can do, or what you have to offer...you are first a child a God, adopted into his kingdom, were a slave to sin but redeemed by Jesus...Remember that it is never about achieving moral perfection but about admitting total surrender. This is not a "us" verses "them" mentality. Remember that at the end of the day...all that matters if your personal commitment to Jesus and the death to yourself. If you don't remember this this retreat is not for you and i'd ask you to humbly release your responsibilities.
  
• That you are here to serve to the best of your abilities. Please spend as much time equipping and training our youth for life AND holiness. Like Jesus, you are to have the thought that you come to serve rather than be served. And that you serve not because you "have to" but because you want to mimic your savior and be a servant to all. Please don't waste your time while you are there with us. Whatever needs to be done...please be the first to do it with expecting anything in return.
  
• Please leave your pride at the door. You no longer represent "UT" or "Baylor" or "A&M" or even "college student"...you represent a risen King. I'm begging you to be more about Jesus than you are about claiming worldly organizations. Teach them all day long about what Jesus is teaching you at college but never use it to point back to yourself and elevate your status.
  
• Live and Learn: as a counselor and leader...winter retreat is not a time where you discover yourself or for you to sort things out (i mean, it'll probably happen) but please have all that done before camp and be refueled and ready to give all you can to the students. If there are relationships that are broken, please go and fix those before camp. If there are issues that are present in your life...please begin to work on them before camp. Also, please brush up (keep up) with your spiritual growth - service, discipleship, bible study, etc. Come to camp spiritually ready counselors and leaders.
  

Assignment: Please take this assignment seriously as it is my intention to spur you into deeper growth. Consider it joy as you are challenged by this sermon and intellectually engage the material and ultimately put this into practice. 

• http://www.thevillagechurch.net/sermon/salt-of-the-earth/