When I was invited to CTG 2022, I hesitated to accept the invitation, although I had previously heard some great things about the meeting. My hesitation was probably because I hardly attended church ‘camp’ meetings or did not know what to expect fellowshipping with people I had never met. I did not want to be bored, and neither did I want to feel alone or left out. However, I decided to attend the meeting after a bit of persuasion. So on the first day of the meeting, I packed my bags and headed to the venue.

I arrived at the town and was picked up at the train station, which I appreciated. On getting to the venue, I was relieved when I saw a couple of youths in my age group and one or two familiar faces. The conference centre was a serene venue, and its beauty and serenity were one of the things that impressed me, and I found attractive. Then I met a couple of people, we had conversations, and I thought, “maybe coming here was not a bad idea after all”.

The sessions started, and I was mindblown. It did not take long for me to realize that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. The simplicity with which the teachings and messages were delivered was remarkable. Each session was relatable, educative and instructive, from the teaching about Living a Gospel shaped life to that of Justification by faith alone to the one about Giving and Building gospel-shaped relationships.

I learnt what it means to live a gospel-shaped life, a life, lifestyle and thought process aligned with and maintained by the gospel. I also learnt that rightness and wrongness must be interpreted only in the light of the gospel, and I should have zero tolerance for anything contrary to the gospel.

The session on Justification by faith alone taught me that Justification is what Christ has done for me, and faith is how I receive it. I learnt that we are justified by faith in Christ alone and not by (faith in) our works. It was, however, established that our works should be by-products of our Justification, as we cannot be justified and not get transformed.

The other sessions spoke about giving willingly and with the right heart posture, cultivating and navigating gospel-shaped relationships, key Christian beliefs, the reliability of the gospel and contentment in the gospel. There were Q&A sessions, and we spent ample time in worship and prayer.

I enjoyed most of the food served at the conference and found the environment conducive. I made new friends and met amazingggg people. I also appreciated that I could have conversations beyond spirituality with different people. Conversations about other areas of life spanning from career to navigating life as an international student and post-study plans. In fact, I got some guidance on a school-related issue I had been worried about.

When I got home, I couldn’t hoard everything I had learnt, so I called a few friends and shared my experience and lessons with them.

It was such an interesting time, a time of retreat and fellowship I did not realize I needed, and one I look forward to having over and over again.

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