Winterfest 2008

Winterfest 2008 was this weekend in Gatlinburg. Winterfest is a youth convention that is organized by members of the Church of Christ and has been led by minister Jeff Walling for the past several years. Today's worship was the largest gathering of the Church of Christ anywhere in the world with total attendance at about 16,000. The event is held in other cities as well but Gatlinburg has the largest attendance. Jeff leads the event in each city.

Our church youth group had 35 attend this weekend including about 10 adults. We rented a cabin for everyone to stay in and spent the weekend in Gatlinburg. The money to attend was raised working the concession stands at UT football games this past fall. As a result, no money came out of the church or the kids pockets. Delinda and Savannah went Friday night but didn't spend the night. Then I went with Savannah Saturday night and we stayed until Sunday afternoon. Two teens who went as visitors with our teens are being baptized this evening back at our building as a result of the time spent there this weekend.

The subjects taught were: know Christ, be Christ, see Christ-teaching the kids to learn how Jesus would want them to live their everyday lives as Christ would. Seeing others as "the least of these", not judging their sin but understanding their needs and serving them.
A missionary who is now in her 70s told her story of going to Papau, New Guinea in her 20s, learning the native language then translating the entire Bible over 23 years in that language for the tribes people who first thought she was a ghost because they had never seen anyone with white skin. Their "witch doctors" are called spitters because they chew up plants and herbs then spit the juice out and use it as medicine. The story of Jesus healing the blind man with dirt and spit was the point where everything clicked for them and they saw him as the "master spitter". It was a really impactful weekend for the kids and adults.