In addition to the regular business of the federation Board, we are presently working on the upcoming convention and future conventions.  We are eagerly looking forward to the convention this year, which will be held at Hope PR church of Redlands, CA.  Their theme will be “Living in the Last Days” from 1 Thessalonians 5:1–8. One note on the convention: the Federation Board cannot feasibly organize widespread transportation for everyone this year.  You will have to get to Redlands on your own.  But we sincerely encourage everyone to go.  All of the work going into this convention is for your edification.  Not only will this convention be exciting, but it is our prayer that it will be spiritually profitable for you.

Planning a convention is a lot of work, especially for the host church.  One recently formed committee is working to establish a better process for hosting conventions.  We hope to develop a streamlined planning process to reduce the workload of host churches.  Another committee is working some of the kinks out of the present policies for convention travel subsidies.  Some of the guidelines for distribution need to be clarified, as well as a greater amount of money devoted to the travel subsidy.  We want all of our young people to be able to travel to the convention.

In addition to convention work, we are working with the Young Calvinists group to establish it permanently.  The Young Calvinist Committee has worked in close conjunction with our Youth Coordinator to bring edifying events to you for the past year on a trial run.  Our work as a Federation Board is to decide the most appropriate ways that the Young Calvinists can work with the Board  to serve the young people.  The Board faces many questions with taking on a new committee.  All of these questions must be sorted out to ensure the best possible outcome.

Closely related to the Young Calvinists is another important question: does the presence of the Young Calvinists indicate a need for more integration of the young adults, that is, our young people after high school?  Presently, the Young Adults societies of our churches are not united under one board, and it can be difficult to encourage participation in society life among young adults.  Young adults must be active in the church.  The presence of the Young Calvinists may indicate that more could be done for the Young Adults.  Thus a committee from the Federation Board is also looking into those future possibilities.

Over the next several months, as these committees continue to meet and the regular business of the Board is performed, pray for us.  Pray that our decisions will profit our churches.  Above all, pray that God will be given all the glory among us.