Changing gears… cycling for Youth Ministry

I’ve included a number of posts lately about my own personal Cycling Retreat. The 150 miles embraced a wealth of experiences and enabled me to rejuvenate: emotionally, physically & spiritually. If you’d like to explore a short photo album from my trip, follow this link or click on this photo of riders who “joined me” as they participated in the Race for Sight sponsored by the Binghamton and Windsor Lions Clubs.

Today, though, I’m preparing for a different cycling adventure: our 11th annual Youth Bike Tour. We have over 50 registered teens and adults who will be pedaling 35-45 miles each day, sharing their faith experiences and really learning about being set aside from all of the “stuff” that bombards us each day. Joe McDonald founded the tour in 1997 with the “Diamond Mine Bike Tour”.  Since then we’ve grown to a family of youth and adult cyclists who return year-after-year. This year’s tour has been planned by a team of dedicated adults who have created what promises to be a tour blessed with sunny, warm weather as we bike across the incredibly beautiful countryside of central New York State.

This year we will tour in the Watkins Glen area for five days, including a tour on our bikes around the race track! On Wednesday we will take a break from cycling for a day of service to the community. Each day is bracketed by a morning “Reflections Break”, were small groups gather to discuss a theme for the day, and our evening campfires–complete with songs, awards and a great deal of enthusiastic sharing. This year’s tour them is Faith to the Finish.  Creating the reflections materials for the week is one of my contributions.  It’s something I look forward to and a very tangible way to extend my ministry to young people in a context that connects with them. You can look over our first three days of reflections by following this link: Faith to the Finish Reflections

I’ll be busy pedaling, sharing and exploring with a great group of young people this week. No blog posts until I return. In the meantime, keep us all in your prayers!