Jesus Notices Me -Stef Tropf , Findlay City Life
Following the Memorial Day holiday, we had the opportunity to invite and take our High School students on a three-day retreat a few hours away to the city of Cleveland! Three ministry sites, three vans, ministry leaders, twenty-five students, and lots of snacks; we made the trek towards the city.
Our first stop was in the beautiful Cuyahoga Valley National Park where students hiked and connected with nature. It was here that we drew near for the first time as a group to hear the name of Jesus echo off the walls of the astonishing rock formations called “the ledges.” We introduced who Jesus was to these students and that he notices each one of us personally. That Jesus was a man who went out of his way to spend time with people that often got left out and that when he sees us, he sees more than what the world sees, and that includes wanting a relationship with us.
Even though this was just the beginning of our trip, God set the stage for relationships to grow between each other, and for new ones to form as students explored and prayed for God to be close. Even though each one of the students that attended this trip fell into a different place spiritually, it was evident that the Lord was connecting hearts and capturing attention.
As we broke off into small groups, our girls and guys had time to spend in prayer with their peers and leaders. Our City Life students in particular, many who are lost, were able to ask questions and follow the life of who Jesus was. These questions have continued to lead to conversations that we’ve had since returning home and the door is being opened weekly as we meet together. We praise God for all he’s done and continues to do!