Today, young adults live in a world that rarely slows down. Study, work, church life and constant digital connection can leave little room to pause and reflect. Amid full calendars and competing expectations, rest can feel counter-intuitive. This is why the team behind the recent Churches of Christ network Young Adults Retreat, was passionate about providing a counter-cultural message.
The retreat was shaped by the conviction that for many young adults, even faith can quietly become about doing rather than being. Spiritual identity can tend to be shaped by performance rather than presence with God, and serving, leading and showing up can begin to define their worth. The message shared with our network’s next generation was clear in the sessions and conversations across the weekend – your value does not come from what you do for God, but from who you are as His child.
“Sometimes our value and our worth sit on what we do in our local church,” said retreat director Peter Sargent. “We love what we do, but that’s not where God values us. God values us as His children.”
Gathering at The Tops for a retreat themed ‘Selah’, which centred on Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God,” more than 70 young adults stepped into a shared space of rest, reflection and renewed identity.
“The whole theme of Selah was to pause and just wait and sit with God,” said retreat director Peter Sargent. “We really felt like this year was about creating room for Jesus to move.”
By the end of the weekend, Selah had become more than a theme. It became a commitment to return to daily life and local church with a renewed understanding of rest, identity and trust in God.
Courtesy of Garry Sanossian, Churches of Christ NSW & ACT