Getting serious about God and spiritual growth. Getting deeper into the Word and deeper in love with Jesus. That’s the purpose of the annual teen prayer conference according to program coordinator Steve Hamilton, associate pastor of the Bakersfield Hillcrest church.

“In four days of intense spirituality, you seem to get to places you can’t get any other way,” Hamilton says.

Meagan had been struggling to come to God. “I told God I wanted to find peace,” she says. “A leader sent me to my Bible and God led me to the right verses. Now I have peace and am ready to work for Him.”

From Nov. 4 to 7, 150 high school students gathered at Modesto Adventist Academy (MAA) for the conference-wide event. Sponsored by the Central California Conference prayer and youth ministries departments, the activities included worship, breakout small groups for Bible study and training, community service, and plenty of time for sharing and praying together.

It Takes a Team

The conference youth evangelism team members were the planners and leaders. Newly organized in August and supported by the camp meeting evangelism offering, the six team members are Leah Hawley, administrator; Andrew Uyeyama, youth pastor from Grass Valley; and Pacific Union College seniors D’Andre Campbell, Godfrey Miranda, Debbie Phillips and Brian Simmons.

Adults provided support in essential areas. Jennifer Pettengill, MAA Bible teacher, coordinated the local arrangements. Sponsors — teachers, parents and pastors — drove long hours and slept on the gymnasium floor. Volunteer cooks from the Ceres church, led by Kym Wood, prepared the meals. An on-site prayer team prayed throughout the conference.

“The prayer partners were thrilled with what they experienced,” says Janet Page, prayer ministries director and youth prayer conference coordinator. “They kept thanking me for the privilege, telling me there was nothing greater than to pray for and watch those kids.”

Getting Ready

“For a youth-to-youth ministry, we need to train the youth,” says Steve Horton, vice president of ministries. A student leadership training weekend retreat was held at Monterey Bay Academy two weeks before the conference. Thirty teens from five academies and one junior academy learned how to lead small groups. “We want the youth to begin leading out in their local churches,” Horton says. Training will continue at the February academy spiritual retreat.

A week of prayer at MAA preceded the conference. Several from the youth evangelism team spoke during chapel. “We prayer walked the campus during the day and started prayer groups,” says Hawley.

The Program

There were dedicated times for worship and prayer, team building activities, and Sabbath small group breakout sessions for inductive Bible study and training.

Friday’s focus was service, with small group discussions on Isaiah 58, two young adult guest speakers from area recovery ministries and an afternoon of community service. Dividing into groups of 10 or more, teens volunteered at local agencies and ministries in Modesto, Ceres and Turlock.

Saturday Night Church

“Don’t tell me youth don’t want church!” says Hamilton about the three-hour worship time that culminated the conference. Encouraged to stand up and share what God was prompting, teens came forward, one by one, until 10:30 p.m.

Teens shared personal encounters of regained faith and heart changes. Josh reconciled with God over his brother’s death. Cecilia told of her journey to overcome her love of hard rock music leading others to destroy their own CDs. Andre told how his life had changed and of his decision to be baptized.

Others told of struggles and were immediately surrounded by dozens of Christian friends to pray. “It is so nice to have friends who care for me,” says Eric.

Hamilton says he’s come to expect God to show up and surprise people in ways they don’t see in other places. “I expect Him to do the unexpected, but then I am always amazed at the power of God. It is greater and works more powerfully than I ever expected.”

“To see one kid after another getting up to the mic and talk about God and to see kids surround them and pray for them was incredible!” says Page. “This was the most powerful prayer conference I’ve ever seen.”