More than 750 Alabama Acteens discovered a “priceless” event at First Baptist Church, Prattville, March 17-18.
This year’s Acteens Pizzazz, an annual statewide Acteens meeting, took place under the theme, “Priceless!”
“We focused on three different aspects,” said Candace McIntosh, youth and missions ministry consultant at the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. The threefold theme included a priceless salvation, a priceless relationship with God and a priceless individual.
McIntosh said the theme encouraged girls from almost 100 Alabama Baptist churches to think about things in their lives that are priceless.
The teens had a chance “to realize their worth in Jesus Christ and to know they can do whatever He’s called them to do through His strength.”
“It was an awesome weekend,” McIntosh said. “It was rewarding to see how God put together all the pieces to encourage the girls. I do believe lives were changed because of this weekend.”
Each large group session dealt with a different aspect of pricelessness. Featured speakers were Miss Alabama Julie Smith; Lenora Pate, a Birmingham attorney and Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU) trustee; and Barbara Joiner, chairman of the board of trustees of the Alabama WMU, writer and retreat leader.
Cheri Keaggy, a contemporary Christian musician from Nashville, led in worship. Samford Word Players, a drama team from Samford University, performed skits related to the “Priceless!” theme.
Jenny Hardy, a member of Spring Hill Baptist Church, Mobile, and Jennifer Edgar, a member of Underwood Baptist Church, Florence, made up the Alabama ACTeens Challenge Team, seeking to encourage and strengthen Acteens groups by sharing personal experiences from their Christian walk. “They were a vital part of Pizzazz,” McIntosh said.
Workshops were held both days. Continuing the theme, these four sessions were full of options focusing on investments. Workshop session were “Getting Ready for the Investment,” “Preparing to Invest,” “Making an Investment,” Avoiding Bad Investments” and “Meet Priceless Investors” — featuring missionaries serving at home and abroad.
The North American Mission Board missionaries were Jeff and Thea Ford, resort missions missionaries serving in Gulf Shores.
International Mission Board missionaries Robert and Deborah Nichols, who are serving in Uruguay, also shared their experiences.
Suzannah Raffield, a student at Beeson Divinity School, Birmingham, who served in the Middle East, shared the similarities and differences between girls there and the United States.
Tara Taylor, a student at Samford University, shared her experiences ministering in a country closed to the gospel.
“This opened the girls’ eyes to things going on around the world,” McIntosh said.
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