Local church hosts youth and young adult conference
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – You often hear about summer camps, but most of those are for kids.
But sometimes adults want to engage in community with others their age.
Vibrant Church in Columbus hosted a conference for youth and young adults to meet that need.
“There’s something powerful that happens when we come together,” said Matthew Wiggins, a member of Vibrant.
Vibrant Church hosted the Reach conference for the youth and young adult community.
A few years ago, the church launched its young adult ministry to fill a gap.
“We realized that we weren’t catering to that generation as well, so out breathe the Reach Conference,” said McKenzie Middleton, a Next Generation ministry leader for Vibrant.
The age ranges from 18 to 28 for the young adult group.
Many are college students or recent graduates.
In the transition from high school to adulthood and life after college, many can feel lost or need guidance.
While their world is changing, Vibrant offers a space for them to gather and feel unashamed.
“Creating a safe place for youth and young adults where they feel welcomed and they feel loved, and they know that there’s a Father in heaven who Loves them,” said Middleton.
Vibrant said their goal is to reach the next generation of believers and adults.
“My life has been shaped by moments like this, conferences like this. So much of the direction I am today. Career I am heading in to (has been shaped by conferences like this,” Wiggins.
Matthew Wiggins serves on the worship team at Vibrant.
He said he hopes others may be inspired by the conference and experience transformation as he did.
“It’s just such an important and vital thing to see more people getting to be involved in that and to see younger people coming up and getting up to be involved by that, and it changing them the way that it’s changed me,” said Wiggins.
The Reach Conference was a three night, two day, event.
The youth, 12 – 17 year olds and young adults, spent time with their peers separately during the day and were given the opportunity to ask questions about their faith.
They also had activities, like Silent Disco, after night services for the age groups.
The Reach Conference started Wednesday, June 4.
The conference will have its final service on Friday night at 7 pm.
To learn more about the ministry or event, you can visit Vibrant Church’s website.
