Team Debriefs

My favorite moments of the week happen every night when our team all heads out after dinner for our “Team Debrief.” These Debriefs take place all over L.A. locations, such as: Echo Park, Griffith Park Observatory, USC, and Dockwieler Beach. We all gather and share what we have been learning and talk about our experiences.Tons of friendships are built or forged during that hour of conversation.

Here’s some highlights...

Wednesday Night Debrief

We met at Echo Park during sunset. We sat on the lawn, and everybody went around and prayed out loud for someone special to them that they met during the week. It was one of the favorite time of the week! After prayer, we just randomly started worshipping with a guitar we brought. We sang “Our God is Greater” and “Mighty To Save”, in the middle of the park in front of everybody around. Students kept signing in the Vans that night as well as the walk back home. God truly moved that night.

Friday Night Debrief

After dinner Friday night we drove to Dockweiler Beach for our affirmation night. Affirmation night is where all the student have the opportunity to affirm and encourage their team mates with how they saw God move in them during the week. I can honestly say that it is one of the best moments I have had as a youth pastor. The students went all-out on the affirmations to the point where I had to stop them so that we could move on to affirm the next person. There were tears, laughs, and moments I will never forgot. After the affirmations, the students were challenged to grab a rock off the beach to represent the moment that Jesus showed up to them this week, just like Israel was challenged to grab stones after God parted the water of the Jordan in Joshua 4. These rocks will be memorials of how God moved in each of their hearts.