Momentum Youth Conference ended Saturday evening with a challenge from Grace Brethren pastor Jeff Bogue and a rousing worship set led by Steve Fee. Ed Short, consultant with CE National, commissioned the students to be “on mission” in their daily lives. Students who were willing to be “on mission” were given a wrist band that would help in starting spiritual conversations.
The night ended as the week had begun, with a light show using the Wham City Light app.
It was announced Saturday that $34,870 have been given the night before to help financially needy students attend youth conference through the LIFE program (Low Income Financial Encouragement). A donor has agreed to match gifts up to $25,000 in order to provide the scholarships. LIFE will provide scholarships to future Momentum conferences for students from impoverished areas.
Held at Indiana Wesleyan University (Marion, Ind.) from July 16-July 21, Momentum was a week marked by transparent speakers and worship leaders. Each shared from the heart and compelled students and others to put the words of John 3:30 into action: “He must increase, I must decrease.”
From beginning to end, “I am Second” was not just a theme at the 2013 Momentum Youth Conference. It was taught from the platform, practiced in needy communities around the host campus, and lived out in the lives of speakers, youth leaders, volunteers, and others.
Nearly 2,000 students, youth workers, volunteers, and others came from 14 states and provinces in North America. They came from as far away as British Columbia, the western United States, and Florida. They came to hear speakers like Francis Chan, Derwin Gray, Afshin Ziafat, Sean McDowell, Jim Brown, Keith Minier, Clayton King, and Jeff Bogue.
God used those men to move hearts. Hundreds of young people made decisions for Christ — for the first time or to serve him with their lives. Afternoons were packed with Your Day Your Way opportunities — sports tournaments, musical competition, Bible quizzing, and other activities.
But it’s probably safe to say the most satisfying activities were the daily Acts 1:8 opportunities that helped students take the gospel to the “Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Daily, groups left campus to minister. Saturday, except for about 75 who stayed to pack 1,000 WASH packs for Haiti, students headed to weed gardens, sort clothes, pick up trash, and other activities in the name of Jesus. A total of 2,952 individuals went to 62 different places. (Some went more than once.)
“We invited God to be here and I believe he was here,” said Ed Lewis, executive director of CE National.
Next year, Momentum heads to the Chicago area as the conference will be held July 22-27, 2014, at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill.
See photos from Momentum at the Momentum Facebook page.
Video testimonies are available at the Momentum Facebook page, as well.
Also, check out the Momentum videos on YouTube.