Winterfest 2026
Better late than never, right?
Another Winterfest has come and gone.
I really think it has been one of the best yet. Both with the actual sessions, and the trip overall. I absolutely adore getting to spend time with these teens and watch them grow in God.
This year’s theme was “Greater Than”, from 1 John 4:4. And these are far from thoughts on entire sessions. They were just my own takeaways as I took it all in.
The first session was focusing on “How Great is Our God.” We heard about the vastness of the universe, and asked why is it so vast. What if the universe is as large as it is - and constantly expanding - not to display His power or creativity, but because His love is so immense it requires this great expansive universe? His love is uncontained, unrestrained, and ever expanding. His creativity and power is also great, but think of the love He has for His creation. Just as an artist pours himself into his work, so has God poured Himself into His creation. So much so we can’t even comprehend just how great is our God.
Saturday morning was about “He Must Be Greater.” As John said in John 3:30, “He must become greater; I must become less.” We learned to not just think about humility, but “HIMility,” putting Him first and thinking of ourselves less. Some key phrases and reflections I listed were:
“I boast in knowing Him.”
“I am too small in your heart right now".”
“What is holding back your HIMility?
“What greater thing do You want to do in my life?”
“Believe God for the more.”
If He is greater, why does He feel smaller in our daily attention?
Greater might not be louder. It might be steadier.
What if the “greater” is becoming unshakable instead of unforgettable?
Sometimes “more” is: more surrender; more courage; more holiness; more dependence; more fruit no one sees.
“Lord, if You want to do something greater in me,
make my heart big enough to hold it
and small enough to center You.”
The third session on Saturday night was “You Will Do Greater Things Than These.” We learned that the math of heaven is strange - it ignores headcount and measures presence. Majority is not about how many stand with you, but Who stands with you.
We talked about how worship is not just singing, but what gets your first thought in the morning and what gets your strongest emotion. It’s what you obey without argument. It’s easy to experience something once and then build a theology around that entire moment.
One thought that really stood out to me was the imagery of a relocated river. Just as a hurricane can relocate the flow of a river, the Spirit can work through us to accomplish His purpose. He doesn’t work around us, but through us. And it is a flowing river, not a reservoir. We are not to be still and stagnant, but letting the Spirit flow through us, like a moving current that continues to fill and refresh.
Final session Sunday was “The Greatest Must Become a Servant.” We were presented with the idea of “hero complex” and wanting to do great things and be recognized for it. But when we win the hero complex game and feel superior, we get farther from God. You can never ultimately win the hero complex game. However, when you recognize the game, you can reject it and refuse to play anymore. We learn to become a “window person,” looking at the world around us, instead of a “mirror person” only looking inward on ourselves. Becoming “great” means putting others first. “Great people elevate people.”
Some more takeaways:
Hero complex says, “Look what I carried.” Humility says, “Look Who carried me.”
The Bible does not cast us as saviors. It casts us as recipients.
The Rescuer is not auditioning for backup. The cross was not a group project.
Greater is not becoming the hero of the story. It’s trusting the One who already is.
On the trip overall, the kids had so much fun hanging out with each other, and so did the adults. Late nights chatting and playing cards. Roaming the streets of Gatlinburg. Singing praise songs and playing games in the tunnel waiting on the doors to open. Prayer circle on Saturday night where we all connected and opened up. It was a beautiful weekend.
And now, the photos…
