By Anne Macdonald
On what was the hottest day of the year so far, 20th June 2025, the Free Church Teens’ Conference began. A group of 26 young people, in Fifth and Sixth years, arrived at Lendrick Muir ready to learn about what it means to be ‘One with Jesus: The Blessing of Being in Christ’. Our speaker, Rev Robin Gray, delivered three talks helping us reflect on how being united to Christ defines our identity. As we focussed on Ephesians 1, we learned about how we have received every spiritual blessing in Christ: that we are chosen, redeemed, adopted and sealed by the Spirit as a result of our union with Him. After each instalment, we discussed in groups how we should respond to these rich realities and how we can live out this identity in every area of our lives. It was an absolute joy to see the teens grasp the wonder and security that comes from understanding this beautiful doctrine, like watching them put on fresh lenses with which to see their relationship with the Lord.
The teens also had a choice of interactive seminars: A Better Story: What the Bible has to say about sex and relationships and School’s Out! Remaining rooted in Jesus in the next adventure.
There was plenty of down time too. Saturday afternoon was a chance for an epic wide game and water balloon fight followed by a ceilidh in the evening.
Not only were we spiritually well-fed over the weekend but we were thoroughly spoiled by our excellent cooks. Homemade pancakes for breakfast, spaghetti Bolognese, chicken curry and Hazel’s legendary pavlova meant we dined like kings!
As leaders, we were so encouraged by this group of teens. From their desire to learn, their willingness to include one another and their thoughtful contributions to discussions, we are excited by what God is doing in these young lives.
We asked the teens to share some of what they took away from the weekend: One said they’d learnt “What being “in Christ” really means” while another said: “The whole question of how do we know if we are chosen and how when we receive the Lord into our lives that we are sealed in the Holy Spirit.”
Dates for your diary 2026
- Next year’s Teens’ Conference will be 12th-14th June 2026 so, if you’re in S5 or 6, put it in your diaries!
