2010 Presbyterian Youth Triennium Update by Miranda Wheeler

Ever wanted to know what it would be like to be with 5,000 other kids your age worshipping God in the same building?

Triennium Youth Choir

I got to experience that over the past summer. Every three years, Purdue University in Indiana hosts the Presbyterian Youth Triennium (PYT for short). High school members of the Presbyterian Church are encouraged to apply to go. Applying for PYT is similar to applying to college in a way. You have to get two letters of recommendation from your pastor(s) or youth leader(s) and answer questions about why you want to go and what you will do with what you learn.


What is the Presbyterian Youth Triennium?

It’s a big gathering of Presbyterian high school youth from all over the country and the world, who worship and learn about God together for a week. The theme for this year was For Such a Time as This. Throughout the week, we learned about the story of Esther. Although she was scared to speak out against the new law that Haman tricked the king into signing, Esther trusted God and saved the Jewish people. We also learned that God’s plan isn’t always what we have in mind, but we still need to trust Him. God has things that are bigger than we can imagine planned for us- all as long as we trust in Him.

One of the other things they talked about at PYT was that we are the generation that can make a change. Our generation is able to get involved and make a difference in the world. Dr. Tony Campolo gave a very moving presentation on the last day. He said that we know all of the issues in today’s world and that we have to make a difference. A few other pastors preached as well, and all of their sermons were very inspiring. The whole theme of PYT was knowing that our generation is able to make a difference, and that we have the desire to change the world as well.

                                                                 My "small" group
I learned so many things at the 2010 Presbyterian Youth Triennium, like how to use a map, how to figure out which way was north without mountains, and how to be independent. However, many things that I learned went deeper than just practical lessons in life. The pastors told us that we don’t have to be a certain age to make a difference. Our generation can flip the whole world around as long as we have the drive to do so. I learned that God wants us to live our lives in a certain way. To live as God wants us to live, we have to “Trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and lean not on our own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

Like Esther, we need to take a stand for God, even though we might be scared to death at the thought of it and we might face serious consequences if we try and act out. Esther faced death for asking the king for a favor, even though she was a queen. If the king did not approve, she would be beheaded. However, even though these threats loomed over her, God called her to stand up to the king and ask for the freedom of the Jewish people. Esther realized that she had to do something, so she trusted God and ended up saving all of the Jews. Likewise, our generation has to fully put our trust in God as well.
Throughout PYT, my relationship with God was strengthened, and my faith was deepened. I got to meet thousands of other kids my age who are also members of the Presbyterian Church. The Triennium was an amazing experience, and I hope to return in 3 more years and learn even more.