LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (ABP) — More than 2,200 Christian teenagers — Baptists, Episcopalians and Presbyterians — explored common and distinct dimensions of their faith during the first “Faith in 3D” conference Jan. 13-16 at the Disney World Resort.
With high-energy worship and intentionally diverse small groups, youth were exposed to three expressions of Christianity while enjoying and learning in the Disney theme parks. Produced by Passport, “Faith in 3D” was sponsored by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Presbyterian Church USA and the Episcopal Church.
The conference also raised more than $11,500 through a special offering that will be divided between Hurricane Katrina relief efforts and Watering Malawi, a well-digging and irrigation project.
The opening night worship time was an up-tempo service led by a praise band especially assembled for the conference. The theme “Faith Meets Me” was interpreted by an Asheville, N.C., drama group assembled for the conference, with two members from each denomination.
“The most memorable moment I'll take away from this event was on Friday night when the youth drama team was up there saying this is what we're proud of as Episcopalians and Presbyterians and Baptists,” said conference organizer David Burroughs, founder and president of Passport, a camp ministry for youth and children. “For the first time maybe in their entire lives, they were able to stand and cheer for who they are as Baptists.”
Saturday night's worship was sponsored by the Fellowship. Singer/songwriter Kyle Matthews challenged the audience with a mix of Matthews' probing songs and his fervent words about freedom and responsibility.
“What Moses and Esther did is what you and I have to do — set people free,” Matthews said. “… You and I are part of the problem. We are part of the oppressive system. When you pay $75 for a pair of jeans because of the label instead of spending $25 for jeans and sending the other $50 to fight poverty, you are the oppressor.”
The worship on Saturday concluded a day spent in the theme parks during which the teenagers participated in Disney's Youth Education Series. The topics included ocean discoveries, properties of motion, animal behavior and animation.
Sunday's worship times in the morning and evening were led by the Episcopal Church and featured a full celebration of the Episcopal Eucharist, or communion, with an explanation of each step in the liturgy.
The Eucharist was served at stations around the room, with a person from each denomination assisting. For 17-year-old Mary Melissa Yohn of First Baptist Church, Auburn, Ala., the opportunity to serve during that service was meaningful. “It was a great experience,” Yohn said. “I think that's when I got the point of the whole conference.”
“The defining experience for me was the Sunday worship time,” said Rick Bennett, the Fellowship's associate coordinator of congregational life and CBF's representative on the design team. “The Episcopalians call it the Eucharist, the Presbyterians call it Communion and Baptists refer to it as the Lord's Supper. Even though we call the meal by different names, everybody came together at table.”
Altragracia Perez, rector of the Holy Faith Episcopal Church in Inglewood, Calif., delivered the morning's sermon on the theme “Faith Meets World,” a stiff challenge to the audience to fight injustice wherever it appears.
“Faith is believing that God would use even us,” she said. “If you think you can't do it, then you are qualified to be a leader. Moses told God he couldn't do it. He told God to send his brother, Aaron, because he was a smooth talker. If you think you can't, that's what makes you a leader. It makes you a prophet. … There is not one of you in this room God has not called.”
Participants visited the World Showcase at Disney's Epcot Center for a program called “Faith Around the World” in which they learned about other cultures and the missions work ongoing in the countries represented at Epcot. Melissa Browning, one of CBF's missionaries, wrote the “Faith Around the World” program, and Passport produced it.
“We were able to talk about the differences in Islam,” said former CBF missionary to the Middle East Merrie Harding, who co-led a presentation in Epcot's Morocco area. “At this conference, the kids were seeing the differences in Christian denominations. So it really hit home with them that not all Muslims are terrorists. I think they began to see Muslims from another perspective.”
The conference ended on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Herbert Nelson, pastor of the Presbyterian congregation Liberation Community Church in Memphis, Tenn., used the example of King to call the teens to engage in a “revolution of values.”
“You are more than labels. You are more than brand names,” Nelson said. “You are God's children … You have a test of moral character every day … How much is enough? How much does it take to live? The challenge of your values, young people, is to walk in the way of God.”
The conference was born out of discussions at the National Council of Church's annual ecumenical youth staff gathering. Originally, the conference was to be limited to 900 participants, 300 from each faith group. But interest was so intense, organizers let the registration swell to more than 2,200. More than 30 Fellowship churches participated.
“We've talked seriously and agreed that this was good and we should do it again,” Burroughs said. “We've heard from a couple of other denominations who would like to participate next time around. But whatever happens, I hope the seeds have been planted for a national CBF youth conference.”
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