Staff Training Recap

The first TeenPact class in 1994 had eighteen students in total. This past week at our annual TeenPact Staff Training event, we welcomed more than 200 participants, over 170 of which were State Class staffers. Over a six day period, they diligently prepared to serve 2800+ students at more than 50 State Classes this year.

Ada Lodge is a quaint setting for this event, an hour drive south of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. From Alaska and Hawaii to Florida and Maine, we welcomed staffers from all across the country.

Serena Walker, TeenPact’s Director of Staff Development, led the event full of sessions taught by members of our Traveling Intern Team and National Office Staff. Serena shared after the event that one of the sweetest takeaways was the unity that we each experienced as we served side-by-side.

Every morning and evening, our staff gathered for worship, prayer, and teaching. While many of the sessions were focused on how to teach our TeenPact State Class curriculum, we took the opportunity in the evenings to focus the minds and hearts of our staffers on the mission and vision of TeenPact. We did this primarily through evening sessions about our Ministry Distinctives. We intend to share more with you about these sessions in future TeenPact Blog posts this season!

On Tuesday, staffers piled into several TeenPact vans and buses and headed into the Oklahoma Capitol. We had the incredible opportunity of starting our day on the floor of the House of Representatives and learning each of the State Class Field Experiences first-hand at a State Capitol. Many staffers came away from this experience sharing how much better prepared they would be to teach students this year after having experiencing the training themselves.

On the last full day of the event, staffers again headed for Oklahoma City. Instead of arriving at the Capitol dressed in professional attire, they served at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, which helps to serve more than 100,000 hungry Oklahomans each week. It was so good to see the hearts of these staffers shine, as they served with their hearts and with their hands. Several staffers shared that this really set the tone for the season, that their classes are opportunities to serve not to be served.

We concluded the week with a set of worship songs, none of which that were more powerful than the words of Hillsong’s O Praise the Name.

He shall return in robes of white, 
The blazing Son shall pierce the night. 
And I will rise among the saints,
My gaze transfixed on Jesus’ face

 

O praise the name of the Lord our God
O praise His name forever more
For endless days we will sing Your praise
Oh Lord, oh Lord our God

This anthem of a song really set our hearts and minds on the Kingdom of God and what He is up to this year. We are excited to go out to our State Classes around the country to be used by God. It’s almost unbelievable to think about this thought, but God continues to use TeenPact to change lives to change the world! Thanks for joining us.

See all the photos from the week at teenpact.smugmug.com.