By Message Staff
LAFAYETTE – A Grammy and Dove-winning artist and one of the premiers nationally recognized youth speakers will headline this year’s Youth Evangelism Celebration at the Cajundome.
Scheduled for Nov. 20-21, the largest annual gathering of Louisiana Baptists will feature Ed Newton, pastor of Community Bible Church in San Antonio, Texas, as the guest speaker during all sessions. The conference will close with a time of music led by the Newboys, a band formed in 1985 that includes former DC Talk vocalist Michael Tait.
Steve Maltempti, youth strategist for Louisiana Baptists, said that while YEC features a mix of acts which have been around for decades, the conference also features those who are nationally recognized but new to Louisiana. These include worship led by The Museum of Altanta, Ga., and drama by Paul May with the Clear Vision Drama Company of Springfield, Mo.
Throughout the two-day event, Louisiana Baptist teenagers will be challenged to celebrate what Christ has done in their lives and to share their story of how Christ changed their lives.
Celebrating its 29th year, YEC’s theme will be Stories, based off 1 John 1:2-3.
Early registration, which is open through Nov. 1, is $45 per person. After Nov. 1, the price will be $50. For the Monday night session only, seats can be purchased for $25, which is for just for that session and the Newsboys.
Last year’s YEC drew 5,900 youth and resulted in 120 students making a profession of faith. Another 174 recommitted their lives to Jesus, seven indicated a call to ministry and 83 made another type of decision.
“There’s a reason church youth groups come back year after year,” Maltempi said. “It’s a life-changing experience for the students and youth leaders.”
The event kicks off at 7 p.m. on Sunday and ends at approximately 10:30 p.m. on Monday.
For more information, visit yeclouisiana.org.
