Organisers of a student event in the US state of Alabama say 12,000 lives have been changed by three-days of prayer, worship and Bible study. Attendance at the annual Motion Student Conference was up 18% on last year, hosting students from middle schools, high schools and colleges representing 230 churches in 31 states and six countries.
CBN News reports that on social media, participants described the atmosphere as “electric with God moving.” One posted: “We are believing that lives were changed, hearts were healed, addictions were broken, and most importantly, that Jesus was in the room. We are leaving tonight forever marked and impacted by God!”
The Church of the Highlands, a congregation with multiple locations throughout Alabama and Georgia, has organised the event for the past 15 years. Associate pastor and president of Highlands College Mark Pettus told The Christian Post: “It was created to empower a generation to live out Ephesians 2:10, which states: For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
While the event featured speakers including Pastor Rich Wilkerson Jr. from Vous Church in Miami and had worship led by Grammy-award winning artist Chris Tomlin, Pastor Pettus said the event was about much more than bands or speakers. “It’s about students connecting to Jesus Christ and their community. It provides an environment where students discover their identity in Christ and set their faith in motion to do the good things He planned for them.,” he explained.
“It’s about a generation of young people empowered by Jesus, equipped to make a difference and live out their faith. This generation of students is on fire for God. Students are seeking the love of Jesus, and it’s inspiring and motivating to see how they want others to know His love, too,” Pastor Pettus observed.
Church of the Highlands Senior Pastor Chris Hodges and the church’s youth ministry team developed the conference with the idea of wanting young people to be “enthusiastic to live their lives in motion for God.” He told The Christian Post: “Our heart has always been focused on raising up young leaders, and I’m convinced more than ever that this generation will change eternity by changing the world.”
Photo: Facebook – Church of the Highlands
