By: Sarah Davis | Echo
The sessions are awesome. The games are crazy. And the lines for chicken in the DC get really long. Youth Conference is upon us.
Approximately 100 students from across the country will flood into campus this weekend for the event.
Senior Kassi Chou has been involved with Youth Conference since her freshman year. Chou, along with fellow co-director and senior Zach West and the Youth Conference cabinet, has been planning this weekend for almost a year.
"We have worked really hard to make this an awesome time for the students, and I'm so excited for when they will arrive on campus," Chou said. "I can't wait to see all of their faces-their excitement makes me excited."
Every year, various Christian campuses dedicate a weekend to hosting high school students and pouring into their lives. Of these conferences, Taylor's is the longest running in the nation. This year's theme, "WIRED," focuses on how students can stay connected to God in their increasingly busy and technological lives.
Freshman Emma Hine joined Youth Conference cabinet this year and is a member of the activities committee.
"I wasn't sure what to expect at first, but I'm so glad I joined," Hine said. "These past few weeks, our cabinet has been praying specifically for each registered student who will be attending. We really believe in the purpose of the conference."
This year however, the mission behind the week has shifted to reflect the audience.
"The purpose of Youth Conference has always been to bring high school students from all over together in a common place and grow them in their walk with Jesus," Chou said. "But because so many students who attend already know the Gospel, this year we decided to focus less on evangelism and more on discipleship."
The four sessions are open to registered conference students as well as Taylor students and faculty. Pastor Jared McCaleb of Woodlands First Baptist Church in Texas will draw specifically from Ephesians 3:16-21, guiding the emphasis on discipleship through discussion of the deep love of Christ.
But perhaps the biggest draw for this year's conference is the concert by pop/rock band Gungor.
Lead guitarist Michael Gungor and wife and vocalist Lisa Gungor make up the duo. Their set will include songs from every album, including their most recent, "I Am Mountain." The show starts Saturday at 9 p.m. and will be opened by Taylor's very own Sun & Heir.
Tickets sold at the door are $7 for Taylor students and $10 for the general public.
Hine encourages Taylor students to recognize their influence during Youth Conference, even if they are not directly involved.
"Youth Conference gives us a unique opportunity to minister to an age group we don't have a lot of interaction with here at college," Hine said. "Even just being friendly and smiling at students around campus can be a testimony to our school and to Christ."
