Saturday was the last day of the initial meeting for the Episcopal Youth Event 2014 Mission Planning Team. Considering that most of the Team arrived as strangers it is heartening how quickly these young people have undertaken the task of supporting each other and functioning as a real team.

Our day began with prayer, after which we got to work tackling the format of EYE, working through the various aspects of the event, starting with an examination of the differences between sermons and keynotes:

• Sermons engage the Scriptures,
• Keynotes engage big ideas.

Recognizing that a key EYE experience is feeling welcome and loved, we asked ourselves questions and about how the next EYE can help participants immediately feel welcome:

• What is hospitality?
• What does it mean to welcome all?
• When have you experienced hospitality that changed you – that really transformed your outlook?

Delving into our Episcopal identity we participated in an instructed Eucharist and each member of the team was commissioned for the ministry of hosting EYE. Finally, with time running short the Team got to the task of discerning sub-teams and choosing a passage of Scripture to guide our prayers for each other until we meet again next October.

We are very fortunate in the Episcopal Church to have youth who are bright, energetic and full of love for Jesus. This EYE Mission Planning Team exemplifies all that is good and right with the Church and with our faith. I leave the meeting feeling energized for EYE 2014 and full of hope, anticipating an impactful gathering in Philadelphia the summer of 2014.

We ask your ongoing prayers for the EYE 2014 Mission Planning Team as we continue to pray for each other and to pray for everyone who will be participating in the next EYE.