ELECTIVES

I want someone to like me and, and maybe even one day to be married. I want to have fun and be adventurous. I want to feel good. I want to live a life full of meaning. I want to have friends. I want to be okay with who I am. I want to stop messing up. I want to take care of the world. I mean, who wouldn’t - these are really good things! But these things are too small. You were made for more. In this class we will explore the Bigger, Better Story into which God calls us to live, which helps us to make sense of our longings and gives us a framework to help us think about and approach the good things that we want out of life.

By God’s design, we are both body and soul. This is no accident, and it is good. Yet, our identity is directly linked to our bodies and we often struggle with the bodies we are in. Sports culture, social pressures, gender stereotypes, and medical needs can distort the goodness of God’s design for us. And body-positivity is just not enough. No matter the abilities of your physical body, there is a redemptive reality that moves and strengthens us. In this seminar, we will examine God’s design for bodies, identify what is wrong with our bodies, and be offered hope that only Jesus can restore to our bodies.

Who is God? In our knowledge of God, we often result to self-assessments of who God is: how we feel him and how we experience him. But, what does God reveal about himself? If the purpose of life is to glorify and enjoy God, then we must know who He is. In our time together, we will consider a few attributes of God that He revealed to us in the Bible and discuss how these attributes impact our lives today.

In my experience as a Christian, sometimes we need to get back to the basics and be reminded of how truly wonderful and glorious God is. In this seminar, we will take a look at the foundation of the Gospel and what this "Good News" means for us. Whether you've been a Christian forever or are still wondering what the Bible says, this seminar will walk you through what the Gospel really is, why we need it, what comes with it, and why we should we accept it!

It’s there when you look in the mirror. You’ll find it roaming the halls of your school. It tucks you in at night and greets you as you roll out of bed. You’ll read it and see it on social media. It’s in our conversations and is always rattling around in our minds. What is it? Insecurity. Insecurity is something all humans struggle with. Young and old, male and female, across the globe – insecurity has no boundaries. While it is a commonality among humanity, it doesn’t mean it’s something you have to live with. Insecurity is painful for many, but there is a greater fear to drown out this lesser one. Scripture tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It is in this greater fear, that we learn how to grow, live, and, possibly defeat, our insecurity.

Whether it's Taylor Swift, Hillsong, Drake, Noah Kahan, or Morgan Wallen, music streaming lets us choose from a wide variety of genres and artists. What does the Bible have to say about the songs we choose and what do these songs themselves teach us? Do we have to listen to only Christian music? In this elective we will learn about Biblical discernment and how to apply it to popular songs. Campers will get to help choose the songs we discuss!

We know the Sunday School answer of "read the Bible and pray more" is almost always the correct response. But that is often easier said than done. Growing in a relationship with God involves doing these practices, but it can sometimes be challenging knowing where and how to start. What am I supposed to say (or not say) when I pray? How do I wrap my head around all the different books and stories and rules from the Bible? Is it even possible to enjoy these practices? Equally difficult is figuring out our emotions. Especially as a teengager, being able to figure out what you feel, why you feel it, and how to properly express it feels nearly impossible. But, what if I told you there was a book in the Bible that could help us answer all of these questions? The Psalms are the biggest book in the Bible and one of the greatest tools given to Christians on how to talk to God. They teach us how to praise and lament, ask and forgive, be joyful and repent. They teach us that we can be honest with how we feel about God and trust that he hears and answers our prayers. This class will teach us how to read, pray, and even write your own Psalms. Join us as we learn how being open and honest is the key to growing in our relationship with God.

Join us as we journey through the world of relationships. In this elective class we will explore how and why God has created us as relational beings and how we can healthily maintain our many different relationships! Whether it’s a relationship with your parent, sibling, friend, neighbor, or even dating, God wants us to do togetherness well!

Have you been coming to RYM for years and never really known what the R even stands for? What makes RYM and your church different from other churches and other youth retreats? What if answering these questions has less to do with academic theological discussions and old dead church guys (both of which are awesome btw) and has more to do with the greatest news that you could ever hear in your life? Come discover for the first time or rediscover again what it means to be Reformed.

In a world where identities are often reduced to mere labels, how can we delve deeper into the essence of who we truly are? In this elective, we will explore the intricate process of identity formation, discern the nuances of the individual, and unpack how identity reveals a unique reflection of God’s design and purpose for your life.

Prayer sounds like a good idea. But we don’t really want to pray. We think it’s boring—or we don’t think it actually works. God uses prayer, however, to transform our real lives in very real ways. In this elective we’ll practice praying together, discover how prayer works, and learn how God uses it to transform our lives.