“A WEEK TO REMEMBER!”

This week we have been involved in our twelfth Preacher Training Camp here at Lewisville.  It has been my privilege to be a part of nine of them. There are many reasons I love PTC.

We have an amazing staff. The nineteen men who worked with us are all involved in ministry in some way. They take time out of their busy lives to give a week of their time to work with the young men who attend.

Their families allow them to be away during this week. They don’t get much sleep and they go beyond the call of duty in their work. They work with the young men on their sermons, they speak the Word of God to these young men. They eat meals with them, participate in the activities, and give great counsel to the young men. I love each of the men who work with us on this staff.

Along with the men we mentioned above we have a wonderful group of people who prepare meals, make sure the building is prepared for us, and who help in numerous other ways.

Our instructors are men who are well qualified to teach the young men how to preach. They are men who have given their lives to the preaching of the Gospel. They are a wonderful source of encouragement to the young men who attend PTC.

Most of all, I love PTC because of our campers. This year we had fifty-eight young men ages 15-25. Our campers were excited and passionate about the sermons they preached. They enjoyed each other and got along famously.

Everywhere we went they were well-behaved and people spoke of how much they were impressed by the attitudes as well as the actions of these young men.

As I sit and listen tonight during the final night of Spoken English, it is a tremendous blessing to see how they have grown during the week in their ability to communicate the Word. We have come to love and appreciate each one of them.

There are two thoughts expressed by a couple of our campers that stand out in my mind. The first was a question that one of our young men asked during our last assembly. He said, “Can we have another week of Preacher Training Camp?”  That question made the entire week worth everything that has been done.

My other favorite incident during the week occurred when one of our campers informed me that he has decided to transfer from his college to a Christian school to study for the ministry.

That discussion I had with my young friend made me thankful for PTC. He has a tremendous ability and his life-changing decision will result in many other lives being changed. It would be difficult to describe how much this means. It thrills my soul.

It is true that some young people are moving away from Christ and the church However, there are many, many young people are growing in their faith, they are growing in love for Christ, they are growing in their love for the church. They are growing in their relationship with God. Praise God for our week of PTC.

Dear Father in Heaven, thank You for the opportunities You give us to influence young lives. Thank You dear God, for young people who are committed to serving You, who love You, who love Your Word, and who are willing to be involved in the life of the church. Father, help us to give You the praise and glory for any good that is accomplished. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.