by Natalie Shiels
Graduation, college, moving out, branching out, internships, relationships, finding jobs, finding your identity in Christ—all while learning to live on your own. For young adults, life is busy and often chaotic.
Regeneration 2024 was the perfect respite. Captains Willow and Darell Houseton and Captains Jen and Josh Polanco showed us how to dwell with God intentionally in our everyday lives. Worship was led by The Band Jaren, incredible musicians who are based in Nashville, Tenn.
“Life is worship, and worship is life,” Captain Willow declared in the Friday night keynote.
Taking us through John 1:9-16, she challenged us each intentionally to set aside time throughout the day to seek the Lord. She encouraged us to think about what it means to “know and move in the Spirit while existing in a broken world.” After the meeting, we enjoyed a silent disco with two DJs and a photo booth.
In the Saturday morning session, Captain Jen urged us to step away from things that keep us busy and instead sit with God. While acknowledging corporate worship is great and outreach is impactful, she emphasized the need to spend personal “hidden away” time listening to God.
“We, as The Salvation Army, function well as believers who are doing things and reading the Word, but many of us don’t know how to just be,” she said.
Focusing on 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, Captain Jen encouraged us to find how we each dwell best. A perfect transition, workshops allowed many options to explore how we hear God from looking at artwork to creating it.
In the afternoon, Captains Chrissie and Enrique Coreano introduced a model for discipleship groups through an app called Discipleship Bands. It focuses on holding one another accountable for our faith walks, checking in with honesty and kindness.
That evening, after a wonderful time of worship led by The Band Jaren, Captain Josh walked us through Matthew 6:5-10, describing what it means to pray with humility.
“It is not about you; it is about God,” he said. “It is about coming to God when you need Him.”
Captain Josh shared how submitting humbly to God’s will directed his life. This was followed by a call for young adults to show their submission to God’s will. We were led in a hymn sing by the Territorial Worship Collective. Through powerful testimonies and songs, the Holy Spirit moved during this service which lasted until after midnight.
On Sunday morning, Captain Darell talked about burnout and “managing business” versus working with what God has in store for us. He read through Ezekiel 47:1-12, explaining how unimportant tasks tend to pile up faster and faster, but the things from God will produce fruit.
“Someone’s assignment for you,” Captain Darell said, “is not God’s call for you. He does not call you to be burned out. He will give you everything you need to complete the task.”
We also heard from Peggy McGee, territorial youth leadership and development director, who planned this incredible weekend. She pushed delegates to respond to God’s call, whether to be an officer or something else He lays on our hearts.
“You are all called to move,” she insisted, “so do it.” Peggy’s words led to a stirring time of submission and conversations throughout the chapel.
In a young adult’s season of change, chaos and confusion, this weekend provided not only a respite but inspiration and solid instruction from loving Christian leaders. I believe young adults in the territory are fired up to create change, both in the Church and in the world, by spending more time one-on-one with God to better hear His voice and then more effectively reach others.
