Onward & Upward: 2023 NAPF-HOPE Youth Conference, Milwaukee, WI
By Patrick Stewart, NAPF-HOPE Planning Team
NAPF-HOPE will be holding our annual conference in Milwaukee, WI on the campus of Averno College beginning the afternoon of Saturday, June 24th and concluding the morning of Thursday, June 29th.
For those of you not familiar with NAPF-HOPE, let me explain some of the basics. NAPF stands for National Association of Pilgrim Fellowship and is for any youth that have completed the 8th grade through their high school senior year. HOPE stands for Heritage Of Pilgrim Endeavor and is for any individual that has completed their high school senior year through age 26. A person that has completed their high school senior year has the option to either attend NAPF or HOPE. Youth Pastors, directors, and adult leaders are also welcome to attend along with their church youth.
The conference generally runs concurrently with the adult conference and both adult and youth conferences are in the same general vicinity, maybe half an hour or so apart. While the adults are generally staying in a hotel, the youth are staying on a local college campus that is willing to host our conference where we will stay in their dorms, have meals in their cafeteria, and use one of their meeting spaces for our activities.
During the conference, we will have a guest speaker, worship music, possibly by a local musician or band, mission work opportunities, team building, small groups, games, fun outings in the area, and getting together with the adults for Sunday worship and a large group activity.
The individuals that plan this conference, which takes several months and zoom meetings, are all volunteering their time and talents to create a wonderful week of fellowship, worship, mission projects, and activities. We have three adults, two HOPE Officers, and two NAPF Leaders In Training that make up the conference Planning Team.
This year, we decided our theme should be “Onward & Upward” which we used Philippians 3:12 as our verse of focus. We felt that with the past few years and all that has transpired, it was a great opportunity to focus on moving forward while keeping our eyes on Jesus. Our planning team is working diligently to put together another wonderful conference. We will be traveling to the adult conference on Sunday to be with the adults for Sunday worship service and also be doing a combined mission project that afternoon with Habitat For Humanity.
The cost to attend this conference is $615, which includes all meals, lodging in the dorms, and all activities during the conference. We also have scholarship funds available as well. Both the registration form and the scholarship application are available on the NACCC website.
Please pass this information on to your Youth Pastor, Director, and/or volunteer leaders and have them encourage their youth to attend this wonderful conference. They will make some life-long friends, be in a positive atmosphere, and will draw closer to God as we move Onward and Upward!
