“So, brothers and sisters, because of God’s mercies, I encourage you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. This is your appropriate priestly service. Don’t be conformed to the patterns of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds so that you can figure out what God’s will is—what is good and pleasing and mature.”

Dear Trinity Family & Friends,

This coming weekend, our youth will gather for Discovery Weekend, a time set apart for worship, community, and the powerful presence of God. From Friday night through Sunday morning, we will create a space for our students to be loved, to belong, and to listen. And in that sacred space, we will also remember our purpose: to love God and love others.

Reason being, when we live into our God-given purpose, something happens. We are transformed - and through us, God begins to transform the world. This is not an accident. It doesn’t happen by chance. It happens when we choose intentionally and prayerfully to live differently - to step away from the noise of the world and let God renew our hearts and minds.

Friday night we will kick off the weekend focusing on rest. We aren't doing this just because it is a nice opener, but because it is foundational. When we’re exhausted, overscheduled, and running on empty, we have no capacity left to love anyone well, including God. But when we slow down, even for just a moment, we begin to create space for God to move in us and through us. Purpose is a series of small, intentional decisions, and every one of those decisions has the power to shape who we become.

What would it look like if, before every decision, we stopped and asked: Does this help me love God and love others? Throughout the weekend, our 6th-12th grade students will lean into this question and call. They will laugh and learn. They will pray and worship. They will open up, support one another, and be ready to step out in faith. As we close the weekend Sunday morning in worship together with our entire church family, our prayer is that the weekend will be a launching pad, a reset, a chance to remember who we all are: loved, called, and made with purpose.

Small Group Discussion Questions:

1. What does it mean to “live life on purpose” through the lens of faith?
2. How have you experienced transformation in your own life? How can you tell God is still working in you?
3. What are some patterns of the world that distract you from loving God and others well?
4. What is one intentional step you can take this week to renew your mind and create space for God?

We all love moments of transformation, seeing how far we’ve come in a photo, a memory, a story. But transformation isn’t just something to look back on. It’s something God is doing in us right now.

Keep our students and leaders in your prayers this week. We can't wait to worship with you Sunday morning!

With gratitude,

Kristi Sanford

Director of Youth Ministry