This weekend marks the first meeting of the Episcopal Youth Event Mission Planning Team. This is a fantastic group of youth and adults who are gathering with energy and enthusiasm to begin the process of dreaming and discerning EYE 2014 into reality.

Beginning Thursday night and continuing on Friday, we have gotten to know each other and shared our hopes for EYE and our lives as Christians and Episcopalians.

Digging into the work in front of us we reaffirmed the Core Values of EYE and embraced the 5 Marks of Mission. To review the Core Values, view the EYE 2011 Report to the Church.

We are fortunate to have with us Andrew Kellner, Canon for Youth Ministry for the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, which is to be our home diocese for EYE 2014. Since many of us have not yet visited Philadelphia, Andrew shared with our group a description of both Philadelphia and the diocese; helping us get the proverbial lay of the land.

We also reviewed the EYE 2011 report; reminding ourselves about the fantastic work done by the previous Planning Team and the outcomes of EYE 2011 – both our successes and challenges.

There’s much more to accomplish today.

As we continue to discern the spirit of EYE 2014, I ask your prayers for everyone participating in this weekend either in-person or virtually:

Casey, Maddy, Thomas, Whitney, Lillian, Roger, Kayden, Angela, Cydney, Ariana, Justin, Hauseng, Joe, Rosanna, Shannon, Arlette, Randy, Earl, Vincent Andrew, Cookie, Valerie, Dinorah, Abi, Randall and myself.