Prattville High School student Charles Darr said the Youth Evangelism Conference helped him realize the importance of being consistent in his faith if he wants to reach his classmates for Christ.
Darr, 17, was one of more than 2,000 junior high and high school students from across the state who attended the recent conference at The Church at Brook Hills, Birmingham, in Birmingham Baptist Association.
“They stressed that it is important you’re not a different person at school and a different person at church — you’re the same person the whole time,” said Darr, who was among 14 students from First Baptist Church, Prattville, at the conference.
Some students attended the conference July 26–27, ending with lunch on the second day, and another group participated in the same program July 27–28. This year’s theme was Unlocked.
“The content of the program was probably the strongest that we’ve had in the three years that my office has had responsibility for it,” said Keith Loomis, an associate in the office of collegiate and student ministries for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions. “Everything from the speaking to the music to the drama all seemed to flow very well.”
He said speaker Mike Satterfield, pastor of The Church at Shelby Crossings, Calera, was effective in encouraging students to be bold about sharing their faith.
“The real impact of the conference was to serve as a catalyst to those
students to go back into their communities and to share the gospel,” Loomis said. “Mike’s challenge to take the good news of Jesus Christ back to their communities is something that was very memorable to me.”
Students also heard from Wes Hamilton, teaching pastor at Lake Pointe Church, Rockwall, Texas, and Scott Kindig, a youth ministry consultant for the Georgia Baptist Convention with 20-years experience in youth ministry. Worship was led by singer/songwriter Matt Papa and drama troupe From the Branch.
Jim Coskrey, minister of students at Mount Gilead Baptist Church, Dothan, said the conference convinced his students that their witness to others could be compromised if they are not sincere about their relationship with God. “I was sitting behind them at the conference, and I could see their reactions to what was said. And they looked at each other because they could think of themselves.”
Talking to his students after one of the sessions, Coskrey said they agreed how important it is to always live out their faith. “They made a commitment to be consistent and not just live one way at church and live another outside church,” he said of the 23 students he took to the conference.
During both evening sessions, students were encouraged to make a public commitment in whatever decisions God had led them to during the conference. Loomis said commitment cards were collected, which will be organized and sent back to students’ churches for follow-up. Nearly 170 made first-time professions of faith in Christ.
He noted that being with others from around the state inspired the students.
“I think the gathering of students — when they looked around the room and saw several thousand students from all over the state that love the Lord and that have a heart for reaching other students — I think it’s encouragement to them,” Loomis said.
“It’s encouragement that they have a common vision of reaching their friends for Christ.”
Share with others: