Keep Me

Morning came quickly after an exciting night of debate and voting. As students hustled into morning session, one could feel the anticipation building for the day.

Following the morning show which once again left students on the edge of their seats, a special speaker from Operation Christmas Child, Yuliya Shubani, spoke on the sovereignty of God. As she shared her personal story of the Lord seeking and finding her, she explained that God seeks His own even in countries that seem completely closed off from the gospel. She shared the verse from Ezekiel 34 that has become precious to many hearts this week “I, Myself, will find my sheep”.  Yuliya concluded with these words, “God does not promise us safety, He promises to be with us and keep us.”

Several other inspirational stories were shared throughout the afternoon as the outgoing Student Body President and Vice President inducted three new members into TeenPact’s Hall of Fame and the Jimmy Brazell Community Impact Scholarships were awarded. The Jimmy Brazell scholarships were given to three inspiring individuals who are impacting others in their communities. Students listened to the stories of each recipient, leaving encouraged and motivated to begin impacting their communities in tangible ways upon returning home.

Alumni Park was filled with many activities during the afternoon. A time of trivia had a crowd of several hundred students gathered around the gazebo while a few feet away a game of “Do you love your neighbor?” was taking place. Following these was the annual show called “TeenPact’s Got Talent”. It was a great hit and hundreds had opportunity to watch gifted performers and vote for their favorites.

Campus was buzzing as excitement continued to grow for the night’s election results. There was still much uncertainty as to who the new elected officials would be, but students looked forward with much expectation to the evening’s events.

Worship was a unique time of contemplation, conviction and renewal. After singing “Great is Thy Faithfulness”, Quinton Cools came forward and challenged the students about if they believe God is real and if God is good. After sharing from Psalm 3, Quinton laid out a unique narrative of the crucifixion that exposed students to the heart of the gospel. Upon sharing the gospel, he called students to respond by reciting Romans 10:9, “if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

It appeared that God saw fit to seek and find many students in response to this good news, and the joy from these powerful moments took hold as we sang the words of Psalm 23 and proclaimed “I am chosen, not forsaken, I am who You say I am. You are for me, not against me, I am who you say I am. Who the Son sets free, Oh is free indeed. I’m a child of God. Yes I am.” Hallelujah!

The students returned to their seats, anticipating the crowning moment of TeenPact Elections. The crowd went wild after a promo video revealed the 25th Anniversary Cruise that is set for the 2019 season. This exciting announcement was quickly followed by the entrance of the TPN News anchors. It was time for Elections.

First on the stage were the campaign managers for each of the presidential nominees. After sharing some of their campaign strategies and thoughts on the election, the audience was led into the first break.

Everyone rose to their feet to their feet as several interns and staff performed a dance sequence to a popular Greatest Showman song both on screen and on stage. Several other commercials brought smiles and applause throughout the night and offered comedic relief to the high intensity of the election result process.

It was a tight race until close to the end when the quick succession of states clearly showed the results of a landslide by the Gould/Demoss. Streamers and confetti fluttered down upon the audience and warm congratulations were freely given. Newly elected President Carissa Gould and Vice President Toby DeMoss expressed their thanks to the TeenPact Nation and once again shared their campaign message of living life in extravagant love for and extreme submission to Christ.

As the night was brought to a close through a time of Coffeehouse and Rendezvous, students processed the days events and their thoughts on how the Lord keeps us. In a world where pain, suffering, and struggle are ever-present forces, it is crucial to look to Christ. God truly is the one who gives rest, sustains us, and gives us courage. He is our Shepherd and the One who keeps His people.

Please join us in praying, “Keep me.”