Nearly 1,100 students and adult leaders from Community Christian Church returned Monday from a life-changing, four-day retreat called BLAST. The annual winter conference for Community’s junior high and high school student community, known as StuCo, takes place annually at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. All 13 locations of Community Christian Church throughout Chicagoland participated in BLAST.
According to organizers from Community Christian Church, students encounter and develop deeper relationships with Jesus and with other students when they participate in BLAST.
During this year’s retreat, students experienced four energized, inspirational large group worship sessions, each highlighting a unique point that contributed to BLAST’s theme, which was Reset; in particular, they focused on resetting their lives to make Jesus the core and the foundation of everything in their lives. Rounding out BLAST were live music, small group discussions, workshops, and LOTS of fun and games, including the ever-popular annual dodge ball tournament.
“On the first morning alone, 30 students said they wanted to be baptized…” wrote Jordan Biere, Naperville StuCo Director and co-director of BLAST. “For many students, BLAST was a catalyst for them in faith journey,”
Eric Barton, StuCo Director for Community’s three Chicago campuses, added, “It’s hard to put into words the impact this year’s BLAST has made. I know it will be felt for years to come!”
In addition to gaining and growing personally at BLAST, students also gave back in a big way, raising $7,800 in one night’s collections for one of Community’s pastors, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia four years after his son’s leukemia diagnosis. The donated money will help the family pay medical bills and related expenses.
BLAST is much more than just a fun weekend getaway; it’s a life-changing experience that students likely will talk about for years to come, organizers said.
Community Christian Church is a nondenominational Christian church with a mission to help people find their way back to God, currently serving through 13 locations throughout Chicagoland. To learn more about Community Christian Church or BLAST, visit www.communitychristian.org.
Photo and story submitted by Heather Wachter
