Sharing faith helps young Christians cope
Conference tackles issues in a relevant way
Eleven thousand Christians under one roof can be an overwhelming experience, but for 16-year-old Sara Gateman, it’s just the assurance she needs to openly proclaim her faith.
“Some people don’t react well to it,” Gateman says. “It just makes things really awkward often. You have to be really careful about the way you go about talking about it in a place that’s not like this.”
Thankfully, the Lethbridge teen is surrounded by swarms of young Christians gathered for the annual YC Alberta conference. Taking a break from the workshops and performances at the Expo Centre on Saturday afternoon, Gateman acknowledges the sense of community that the conference offers.
“Just to be here with so many people sharing the same faith as you is a really cool thing,” Gateman says. “You come here and know that pretty much everyone here has a strong faith and they’re trying to learn the same things as you.”
And there’s plenty to learn and experience during the weekend-long event. Wandering the halls of the labyrinthine Expo Centre is like stepping into different worlds: laughter fills Hall A as comedian Bob Stromberg cracks jokes, while a few steps away in Hall E, teens throw up hand signs as they jam out to a hip-hop concert by performer Propaganda.
It’s all designed to help keep Christianity relevant to a younger demographic. Organized by the Edmonton-based Extreme Dream Ministries, the conference swaps Sunday sermons for a carnival, workshops that tackle tough teenage issues and jam-packed concerts at Rexall Place.
Lacombe teen Cheryl Baptiste has attended the conference for three years in a row. She admits the weekend can be daunting for a newcomer, but says it ultimately helps young people address tough issues.
“It’s difficult because I go to a public school, so not many people there actually believe in God,” the 16-year-old says. “There are just a lot of people here who can relate to certain situations. I feel it would help anyone emotionally because everyone has a form of emotional damage, and I feel it helps patch it up a bit.”
That’s a sentiment many of the attendees share, says Renée Williams, spokesperson for YC Alberta. Williams recalls being shocked a few years ago by the massive lineup for a cutting workshop that formed a queue from Hall A to Hall H.
“You walk down the halls of the Expo Centre and you don’t know what individual kids are going through,” Williams says. “I think it’d be safe to say there are some students here who are going through some really tough times.”
“It’s definitely made my faith stronger,” Aaron Klassen, 17, says. “I can make connections with more people.”