Illini for Christ

Community, encouragement, worship – Gulf Coast Getaway lasts only a weekend, but it provides a wonderful opportunity to engage with college age members of the church before the spring semester begins.

It had been several years since I could attend Gulf Coast in person, and I was excited to return to Panama City Beach. Our first day required a lengthy drive filled with traffic, food, and conversations. Worn out (and a few minutes late), we arrived at the conference center and received a warm greeting. We then transitioned to a room filled with hundreds of college students and received an immediate introduction to one of our weekend’s speakers and to the meeting’s theme, “The Great Reversal.” Throughout the weekend, each speaker discussed Jesus’s removal of our guilt and shame, his pursuit of our hearts, and our response to his love. After we received spiritual food for thought at the initial session, we quieted our rumbling stomachs (at least mine was rumbling) by grabbing dinner at Waffle House. The first day completed, I had no doubt God’s community, the church, was present.

Day two, the first full day, included morning and evening sessions of messages and worship along with midday breakout rooms where we could select a topical message or worship session of interest. This day also provided us with free time. After a long day before, several of us went for a walk on the beach to relax. Though chilly for Florida, the 45 degree weather suited us Midwesterners just fine as we walked with our toes in the sand. Ok, so maybe my southern-born toes struggled a bit, but the beautiful sunset over the ocean displayed the magnificence of God’s creation, an incredibly encouraging site.

Day three, the conference’s final day, had the same structure as day two, but like the final day three years prior, this one involved the weekend’s deepest worship for me. In the morning, with hundreds of brothers and sisters, I broke bread and drank the cup representing Christ’s sacrifice. Then, our group had a different sort of communion with the Purdue college ministry. Sharing a meal, chatting, and eating ice cream, we worshipped God with our fellowship. During the afternoon breakouts, I attended “contemplative worship,” an hour of meditation, prayer, listening, and restfulness, seeking God in the gentle whispers. My afternoon also involved meditation with a good book on our condo’s patio. That evening, in contrast, worship was loud. Our singing burst out as we knew the weekend was closing. Worship comes in many forms, and I experienced several unique ones that day. After the session and a silly card game, we went to bed briefly before beginning our trip home the next morning.

I took the first driving shift back, and in the stillness and rhythm of a car full of five sleeping adults and one awake driver, I was thankful for the community, encouragement, and worship that had filled my weekend. I will remember it fondly.