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This event has changed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The trip to Kansas City has been canceled, but there is a one-night virtual Challenge event on the evening of Wednesday, July 15.
July 14th Update:
- We will be meeting at the church from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m tomorrow (Wednesday, July 15)
- Student who will be entering 9th grade in the fall through our senior class of 2020 can attend.
- Masks and social distancing will be required (for most of the event we will be sitting in chairs spaced more than 6 feet apart).
- Food will be provided (we can not have a communal/buffet style setup, but we will have meals for each student).
- This event is FREE!!! But consider bringing money for a special offering.
- Please bring a bible. A notebook will be provided.
Self-screen for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 before arriving. Please take your temperature and if it is higher than 100.4°F, then please stay home. If someone in your household is diagnosed with COVID-19 or with symptoms of COVID-19 (including a fever above 100.4°F), then please stay home. We can provide instructions on how to watch the live stream for anyone who is not able to attend.
Finally, please continue to be praying for this event and for the hearts of the students who are participating.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us (youth@elimefc.org)
July 3rd Update:
We all wish we could be in Kansas City for the week experiencing the EFCA Challenge Conference. But, I’m excited about the one-night virtual event. Save the date for Wednesday, July 15th! The livestream event is from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. We are planning to meet together at the church for this event from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15th. Social distancing and masks will be required.
This event is for any senior high student regardless of whether or not they planned to attend the conference in Kansas City. This means any student who will be entering 9th grade in the fall through our senior class of 2020 can attend. This conference usually has a registration fee, but this is a free event so we hope you take advantage of this opportunity.
There will be a special offering to support a ministry that will be announced during the event. So you may want to earn some extra money and bring it on July 15th. And of course, please continue to pray for this night. It may be “just” a virtual event now, but I think it will be much more than that if we go into it with a willingness and desire to hear from God. This event is designed around a similar structure as the normal Challenge Conference and is designed to challenge students to live on mission with Jesus every day, everywhere and with everyone. This year’s theme is RESTLESS: Longing and Belonging. Here is the Challenge Conference description of this year’s theme:
A universal piece of the human experience is to long for more. This longing seems built-in; it’s part of what it means to be alive. But where does the longing come from? And what can truly satisfy us?
Perhaps now more than ever, students have the world at their fingertips. They have access to more information, more entertainment, more of the world than ever before. And yet, it doesn’t seem to fill the void. In the midst of that longing, they face increased pressure to perform, while social media makes it nearly impossible to avoid comparison. Add all of it up and the weight of expectations can be crushing.
The good news is that Jesus says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” It is in Christ alone that our restless hearts find rest, and in his Church that our longing turns to belonging. At Challenge 2020, we will point students to the power of the gospel as the only thing that can fill the void. We will send them in the power of the Spirit to the mission of inviting their friends into true Rest.