Hamstra Challenges Students During Senior Retreat

As the keynote speaker at Chicago Christian High School’s senior retreat this past week, Pastor Sam Hamstra challenged the students to consider “Courageous Commitment or Comfortable Complacency.” Born out of a short series of sermons on Esther that he preached at Living Hope Church in 2010, Pastor Hamstra spoke on three occasions to the group of 91 students at the YMCA Camp Tecumseh in Brookston, Indiana. Held January 6-7, 2011, the retreat takes place halfway through the students’ senior year to give them time to reflect on their experiences at CCHS.

Bob Payne, superintendent of Southwest Chicago Christian Schools and member of Living Hope Church, said that he asked Pastor Hamstra to be the speaker, in part because he knows how well he relates to high school students. Pastor Hamstra taught a Bible class at CCHS for a half semester last year—but also served as the first chaplain at Trinity Christian College. Payne said that when Pastor Hamstra preached on Esther—and realized she was a teenager facing tough choices—he knew it would be a good message for the students to hear.

“One student talked about looking for opportunities in everyday circumstances to be courageous,” Payne said. “It was a great time of music, reflecting, games, and relation building, and this is an area where Sam does great work.”