II Timothy 2:3-4

!e Christian life is "lled with hardships. Our struggle for godliness sometimes seems overwhelming. We are tempted to give up and give in. God steels the hearts of weary believers for battle by calling us to endure hardships as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Amazingly, when we endure hardships, we also enjoy the privilege of pleasing God. As we make it our goal to please God in all things, we also experience deep satisfaction in Him.

Join us as we explore how to make this Mission Possible at the 2013 RYS Youth Convention to be held July 22-26 at Northwestern College in St. Paul, MN, Lord willing. A total of 11 workshops including our popular guys/girls only seminars will supplement our main theme. See you there!

Looking for thrills and excitement? We’ve got them for you at Valleyfair Amusement Park, this year’s day away activity. With more than 75 rides and attractions, Valleyfair o#ers something for everyone. For coaster lovers, there are seven thrilling roller coasters that will get your heart pumping. Some entertaining live shows at the Galaxy !eatre will appeal to others. Also included in your admission is Whitewater Country Waterpark, featuring a variety of entertaining water rides. And as always, we will hold our guys and girls 3-on-3 basketball tournament and co-ed volleyball tourney. Plus, we plan to have our "rst-ever RYS Fishing Tournament as well as our usual non-athletic games and activities. !e week will conclude with the talent show so start planning to perform today!

Rev. Bill Boekestein has been the pastor of Covenant Reformed Church in Carbondale, PA since 2008. Pastor Boekestein led workshops in 2010 and 2011 and has written three books for children based on Reformational themes. Rev. Greg Lubbers has been the pastor of Covenant United Reformed Church in Byron Center, MI since 2005. Pastor Lubbers has spoken at RYS high school retreats and LOGOS conferences and led a workshop at last year’s convention.

Prince or Punk? Are you a prince or a punk? In today’s culture of gender blending and macho mania it is easy to get dazed and confused about manhood that pleases the Lord. !is workshop will set forth a clear picture of manhood drawn with a Biblical pencil. Rev. Paul Murphy is the pastor of Messiah’s Reformed Fellowship in New York City, New York.

Please select "ve of your favorites from the top nine workshop descriptions.Reserve your preferences online! You will be assigned four plus the mandatoryguys/girls only seminarsdescribed immediately le$.

A!er High School, "en What?Ever wonder how to discover God’s will for your life a$er graduation? Perhaps you’ve had lots of people asking about your plans but few discussions about how to discern what those plans ought to be. !is workshop will seek to answer questions about God’s will related to college, vocation and direction.

Have You Forsaken Me?Why is this happening to me? Where is God now? How could He let this happen? Can I blame Him? Should I plaster on a smile and keep on going.? How do I get to to the point of praising God even through the pain?

Recruits for Christ Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to become a slave to righteousness. Mission Impossible? Using Romans 6 as the Service Manual, Secret Agent Double “OO” RD will explain how the transition is made possible. Great bene"ts. An equal opportunity employer. Rev. Wybren Oord is a pastor at Trinity Reformed Church in Lethbridge, AB.

Ready to Defend Your Faith?How would you talk to Alfred Atheist or Pete Postmodern to show him that the Christian life is true? In this workshop we will look at unbelief through the lenses of Scripture and what God calls us as believers to do when our faith is challenged.

Waiting on the LordWaiting can be hard. But the Lord, in His goodness and wisdom, places us in the classroom of waiting in order to teach us some valuable lessons. Let us learn to embrace the wait, being patient for God’s perfect timing in our lives.

Get RealLife is a mixture of joys and sorrows. Because of this, many would rather escape to a fantasy life. !e other option is to live as a deliberate Christian in the real world. Yes, we will still experience both joy and disappointment, but the rewards are great and eternal.

"e Depths of DepressionMany Christians face depression, sadness and intense sorrow. From young Christians to older ones, depression is a plague that Christians have to deal with. In this workshop, we aim to equip you with the necessary tools to "ght against the foe of depression.

Grow Up!In many ways, Christianity in the United States is immature. Christian radio, movies and sermons o$en make the Christian faith look shallow and unintelligent. In this workshop, Pastor Lems will encourage youth to “grow up” and mature -- in the Christian faith.

Breaking with IdolatryI John 5:21 says: “Keep yourself from idols!” Idolatry is placing someone or something alongside of or above God as our ultimate source of happiness or pleasure. We’ll explore how this applies to relationships, money, things and technology and how we can begin to identify and break with idolatrous attitudes and patterns of behavior.

Princess or Diva?Comparing and contrasting the worldlyDiva with the Biblical worldview of a daughter of the King of Kings, we will strive to tear down the facade of beauty of the Diva and unveil the lovely splendor of a daughter of Christ.

Registration must be done on the RYS website: www. reformedyouthservices.org.Log in (password required) and click on the 2013 convention link. Complete the Registration form, including

making "ve workshop selections and roommate choices. Note: All roommates must list each other on the RYSregistration website; two roommates are permitted this year as most of the rooms will consist of three persons. If roommates do not name each other they will be designated as “potluck,” and housed at the discretion of the housing committee. !ere is married couples housing for sponsors, which will be available on a "rst-come, "rst-serve basis, as is the housing for students.

If you order a convention sweatshirt ($30) or RYS %eece ($35) on the website Registration form, a separate check MUST be submitted with your form. A limited number of sweatshirts and %eece will be available at the convention, for an additional $10.00 over the stated price.

A$er completing the Registration form, you must print o# the Rules Acknowledgement & Medical Release forms. !ese forms must be completed and signed by a parent or legal guardian to be accepted. Sponsors, please also review the enclosed sponsor letter as some important new information is included.

A Group Registration Form was included in your church’s registration packet. It must be completed and returned with all signed forms and payment. Please mail all forms, group registration check, group sweatshirt/%eece check, and a $25 check for the key deposit to: RYS, 2025 Baldwin, Jenison, MI 49428. Registrations are not o&cial until ALL forms, signatures and payments are received.

All forms must be received by RYS and postmarked no later than April 30 to qualify for the $365.00 per person supporting member church rate.

Registrations postmarked May 1 - 15 will incur a $50 late fee ($415.00 total per person--supporting member church rate, $445.00 total per person non-supporting church rate). See cover letter for more explanation on determining your church’s rate. Forms received a$er May 15 will be placed on a waiting list. Cancellations before June 15 will require a $50.00 fee. No refunds granted or transfers accepted a$er June 15.

Conventioneers must have completed at least grade 9 in school but no more than grade 12. Students may attend a total of four conventions. Sponsors must be at least 21 by convention.

Check-in time is from 1-5 p.m. (C.S.T.), Monday, July 22. RYS has no pre-event or post-event housing available.Travel is your own responsibility. !e convention concludes by 1 p.m., Friday, July 26, 2013.

Adult sponsors are required to attend the convention with their students. RYS strongly recommends groups adhere to a 5 to 1 student/sponsor ratio.

Northwestern College is located approximately a half hour from the Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) airport. No shuttle service will be available as travel arrangements are your own responsibility.

Group Leader Reminder: Please complete the Group Registration Form includedwith the brochures along with all signed Rules Ack-knowledgement and MedicalRelease Forms plus your grouppayment (only one registration-check per church) and the $25 key deposit. Please contact RYSDirector Ed DeGraaf at rys@iserv.net or 616-667-0694 withany convention-relatedquestions.