Citation Connect 2013

 

My first concrete thought when we (the summer interns) first learned about Citation Connect was, “Cool!” followed by, “Wait, what? I’ll be leading a group in a city wide scavenger hunt? What if somebody gets hit by a car?!”

 

As you can imagine, the thought of hosting an event for thirty 18-23 year old Citation Achievers was pretty daunting but at the same time exciting. We were not sure of what to expect, but we knew that we were in for a lot of fun, interaction, and an opportunity to see how God has been at work and continues to work in the lives of these “young people” who, really, are our own peers.

 

What started out as the fascinating process of identifying faces with the names we had become familiar with prior to the event eventually became an enriching experience of getting to know the individuals for the people they are. With the whole purpose of Citation Connect being to literally connect the participants with one another, with the Lord, and also with the opportunities ahead of them, it was special to be able to observe how they warmed up to each other over the course of the four days and began to share their personal stories with one another. By the final night, they were trying out subtle tactics of requesting an extended curfew.

 

Unlike previous years where Citation Connect focused more on simply having fun with fellow Citation achievers, this year’s program was raised several notches with the  incorporation of developmental and leadership lessons into the fun. Recognizing that these participants have invested a valuable asset into their hearts and minds through Scripture memory, it made sense that this event be used to equip them for the next chapter of their lives – wherever they may be at this point.

 

Themed They Did It, four biblical lessons that delve into the lives of Moses, Esther, Hosea, and Timothy were specifically designed for this purpose. These lessons explore how God used and molded each of these unique characters through the different seasons in their lives in a way that impacted them in their personal development and growth, while being given the opportunity to be a part of God’s bigger plan for His Kingdom.

 

To further enhance these lessons, the participants were given some practical experiences including a pottery making session which tied in with the analogy of being formed, and a private chartered “pirate ship” boat tour on Lake Michigan to see the Chicago skyline. Out on the calm, open water where the hustle and bustle of the city could not reach our senses, what turned out to be a wonderfully relaxing two hours of getting to know each other better more importantly served as a tangible and memorable lesson on perspective.

 

During this time, I was given the chance to have an incredible conversation with four amazing young women about what they had learned so far at Citation Connect, and about the role that Awana has played in each of their lives. It was intriguing to see that they were seriously thinking about how the lessons applied to them individually and how each of the sessions thus far was a favorite of at least one person. A rather in-depth discussion about Awana led to the overall summation that Awana has indeed played an enormous role in each of their spiritual journeys, and they are excited to see how they can continue to be a part of this ministry. As it is, all of them are leaders in their respective Awana clubs.

 

While these sessions and talks were indeed powerful and priceless, we also didn’t want to overwhelm our participants. So when we were not stuffing our faces with some of Chicago’s finest delicacies (i.e. deep dish pizza, Chicago style hotdogs, a roasted pig, etc.) or having mind-blowing lessons, we were out having some hardcore fun. On Day 2, we spent two hours at Gameworks to get them prepared for the Windy City Dash, and the next morning, we were pulling out of headquarters by 8 a.m., ready to scavenge through and conquer the city! Well, at least, some of us were.

 

Unlike the winning team that ran the whole way, my team was happy to stop for bathroom breaks and help other people take pictures after they were so kind to take ours. In order to overcome my greatest fear, I established one rule at the beginning: No jaywalking! As expected, that order was met by some dramatic groans, but my team members were sweet enough to oblige this inexperienced mother hen and I am pleased to say that we all made it back to base breathing rather heavily and not smelling very pleasant, but very much alive.

 

All in all, the event was a huge success. On the final night, we gathered in our cozy, lamp lit meeting room and talked about the primary takeaways from the entire experience. As they presented their thoughts, it was evident that the lessons had not only been delivered, but processed and accepted. They were enthusiastic about putting into practice what they had learned and were excited to go forth from there. Truly, it was a joy to see so many people my own age or not much younger so eager to serve the Lord with their lives. Just like the four ladies I had spoken to earlier, most if not all of the participants are currently leaders at their Awana clubs and are interested in looking into more opportunities of being a part of Awana. Many of them also expressed that it was good and comforting to know that there were so many other people out there who were just like them and that they are not alone.

 

Thanks to technology, the ultimate farewell was not as sober as it would have been just several years ago. Out of their own initiative, a Citation Connect 2013 Facebook group is now in existence for further communication, and with #CitationConnect2013 on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, I am quite confident that our goal to connect these Citation achievers was accomplished!