Citizens of heaven
a report on Abundant Springs, EMC’s biennial youth gathering, May 16–19, 2025, in Caronport, Sask.
As I reflect on Abundant Springs 2025, let me begin by taking you to the end. Our main speaker, Troy Lydiate (digital media director for Apologetics Canada, and hip hop artist) was wrapping up his fourth and final message to the nearly 750 students, leaders and support staff in attendance. He ended by reminding the group of their identity as followers of Jesus. Here is what was said:
Troy Lydiate (TL): When Jesus breathed his last, he said, it is finished. So, you know what you’re left with? Peace is your portion. Grace is your gift. Love is your language. Son or daughter is your identity. Heaven is your home. You are a citizen of heaven! Live like it. Live like it! …I need you to say it with me and I need you to stand on your feet in this moment because we’re gonna declare something right now…ready?
Youth: I am a citizen of heaven.
TL: Now, okay, now you think that scared anyone?... Come on!
Youth (growing in volume): I am a citizen of heaven!
TL: Now, I saw some of y’all screaming a little bit louder during basketball and all those other games and when you got candy. This right here, this right here is your calling card from now on. And if you truly believe it then you gotta get off the little Mennonite humility for a second and start yelling like it’s dinner time and mom put the perogies out!
Youth (shouting): I AM A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN!
This moment still shakes me: this group that I observed over the weekend in so many different situations now standing and shouting with confidence that they were citizens of heaven and choosing to live out that reality in the places they call home.
If you have ever been to Abundant Springs, the weekend schedule would have looked familiar. There were main sessions each evening that included singing together and hearing a challenging message inviting students and leaders to grow in their relationship with Jesus.
“I can’t wait to come back in two years! It was an amazing experience I will never forget! I have never been able to worship like this before! Praise our Lord!”
Saturday and Sunday morning included a wide variety of workshops that engaged students in the places where faith meets everyday life. There were tournaments and activities in the afternoons that were designed to be fun and to engage students in physical activity. There were lines for cafeteria style meals that while long, moved quickly to serve food to the large number of attendees. There were opportunities to meet new people in different ways and opportunity to spend time as a youth group processing the events of the day. But there were special moments that I will hold on to for the rest of my life.
Prior to our first main session, Troy and I talked about our desire that students would engage with Jesus on the first night. In the weeks leading up to Abundant Springs, there had been people praying that students would encounter Jesus on the first night so that they could enjoy a weekend of being with God. Our pastors had met together and prayed for students to have a hunger to experience the power of God even before arriving. The conversation was echoed almost word for word by the leader of our worship team, Tehillah Worship, during the main session. Tehillah Worship is a collective of worship leaders based out of the First Assembly Church in Calgary.
“[A] key point that stuck with me was from the discipleship workshop where the leader said, “When you know the character of the inviter, you can trust the invitation.” And we know God’s character is so, so good, so when he invites us to follow him, we know it’s safe and so worth it.”
It was clear that God was orchestrating and directing the events of the weekend. That worship time culminated in the whole group singing together the doxology. It was a divine moment of heartfelt and Spirit-filled worship as the group declared praise to God.
At the end of the Saturday evening session, Troy invited youth leaders to come to the front of the auditorium and then invited students to gather around and pray for them. Then there was a switch, and the leaders were invited to pray with students. Watching leaders and students gathered in prayer and respond to the invitation of growing relationship with Jesus was beautiful. It was clear that for many this was a time of reconnecting and strengthening their love and commitment to Christ.
Throughout the weekend, the joy that students experienced as they rode adult-sized tricycles, played nine-square, and overwhelmed the main area with the infectious “church clap” dance, stood in stark defiance to the belief that this generation is broken and depressed. And I believe that those of us who had the privilege of spending the weekend with these students were filled with a new hope for the future.
It would be easy to celebrate that this weekend was a transforming event for students and leaders alike. But I don’t want that to be the take home of this article. What I want to celebrate is the transforming power of God. As a National Youth Committee, our desire was for students and leaders to have a genuine experience with God. We sought to plan an event that gave opportunity for this to happen, but stepping into the weekend required much faith that God was going to use our offerings and the offerings of the nearly 60 amazing support staff to create this encounter. And God did it.
“[What stuck out from the messages is] that I’m a citizen of heaven ... not lowering the standards of myself for others, spreading the word of God around my community, and that I’m deeply loved and cared for by God.”
We are so grateful for the many people that covered this event in prayer prior to it taking place and during the weekend, and who continue to pray for the ongoing impact of set apart time with God.
And so, we waited for the ripples to expand. As we sent the group out on Monday morning my prayer was that the people we would interact with as we came home would recognize that we had been with God, that they would be inspired to ask about our experience, and that we would with confidence share God’s beautiful redemption story. We didn’t have to wait long. One of our leaders sent a text a few days later that one of their students that didn’t attend heard the testimonies of the students that had attended and chose to put their faith in Jesus. What else will this experience with Jesus bring to our churches, our conference, our country and our world? How will God use each of us to bring transformation to the broken, hurting and hungry world?
Dallas Willard has a quote that says, “When we see Jesus as he is, we must turn away or else shamelessly adore him” (The Divine Conspiracy). Let all of us who experienced the transcendent power of God shamelessly adore our Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s choose to hope in God’s work in the next generation.
Say it with me… “I AM A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN!
