Blast 2011 - A Weekend of Change for Students

March 2, 2011 - PRLog -- In late February, 625 junior high and high school students and 176 leaders from Chicago’s western suburbs traveled to the Wisconsin Dells to experience “Blast,” an annual conference to celebrate and support the community’s youth.  Sponsored by Community Christian Church, Blast welcomed kids from nine CCC campuses, in ages ranging from 6th through 12th grade, to a weekend of celebration and community.

The four day weekend included speakers like the wise and witty Dori Gorman, impactful large and small group experiences, creative dance moments, a student choir, and an eclectic mix of music genres.  Kids also enjoyed an indoor water park, indoor theme park that included indoor go kart track, high ropes course, mini golf, arcade games, and Ferris wheel, a dodge ball tournament, and snow skiing for high school students.  
On Saturday, students were treated to Blast’s first ever Christian college fair, which welcomed representatives from six schools throughout the Midwest.

Community Christian Church Student Ministry Director Tim Raad offers his perspective on Blast: “Every year, we have the expectation that this weekend in February is going to be significant in the lives of our students.  This year, our expectations were exceeded.  Our theme was "Stand Up," and we unpacked throughout the weekend what it means to Stand Up for God and for each other.  I think for me, the most significant moment was when, after the message entitled "Stand Together," we had a choir of students sing on stage.  The audience spontaneously rose to their feet, holding each other’s hands in the air, singing the chorus together.  In that moment, social groups, financial means, race, even gender were no longer barriers or reason to divide.  We were all together, united to make a difference in this world - to take love where love does not exist.  Powerful stuff.”

One of the many powerful experiences of life change that occurred at Blast 2011 was a ninth grade male student who recalls, “"This weekend I rediscovered my faith.  The last several months, I have been struggling with substance abuse and been in and out of treatment programs.  I had started to believe God did not exist and my faith did not matter.  After this weekend, I know God is real and that my faith can get me through anything."

"One message that truly was apparent in my group was Students Are the Most Powerful Force on the Planet,” says one of the adult leaders who helped at Blast.  “They have the power to do and move anything.  I sat and listened during one small group session and saw one young man call out another one to stop making excuses for not asking for help.  It brought the other young man to tears, not because he was called out, but because possible for the first time, like myself, he felt he was part of something bigger than what he knew as a family.  A band of newly formed brothers that weekend was created."
A 10th grade boy shares, “"What I have been through recently with the money problems in my family and my mom getting cancer told me I was all alone in this world.  But through a small group of guys I met at Blast, I have found that I am not alone.  God is with me and my friends here at Community are with me.  Thank you for Standing Out and making a difference in my life when I needed it most."

CCC’s Yellow Box Campus Pastor Shawn Williams concludes, “I have already heard so many stories of life change in both students and leaders that attended. Decisions to become a Christ-follower, decisions for baptism, next steps spiritually - and that is why we do Blast every year. To help students find their way back to God, because they are the most powerful force on the planet!”

Community Christian Church is a nondenominational Christian church focused on helping people find their way back to God.  To learn more about Blast or any of the other programs offered through CCC, please call 630-388-5000  or visit www.communitychristian.org.

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Community Christian Church is a nondenominational Christian church focused on helping people find their way back to God. To learn more about any of the programs offered through CCC, please call 630-388-5000 or visit www.communitychristian.org.