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Evangelism 2012
2012 Mississippi Baptist Youth Night
Youth Night returning to traditional July date in 2013
By William H. Perkins Jr.
Editor
Mississippi Baptist Youth Night’s one-time move to a Spring date may have dented attendance slightly, but planners were still “tremendously pleased,” said Don Lum, director of evangelism for the sponsoring Mississippi Baptist Convention Board (MBCB).
“We knew time and distance would prevent some people from attending since schools are still in session, but I believe the 5,500 who did make it to the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson saw that the energy level did not drop off,” he said.
Date conflicts with other MBCB events as well as a packed schedule at the Coliseum prompted planners to move the 2012 edition of Mississippi Baptist Youth Night from its traditional July time frame to April 20. Lum pointed out that Youth Night for next year will return to July – Friday, July 26, to be exact.
Speaker for Youth Night this year was Stuart Hall, an Atlanta-based youth evangelist and training director for two non-profit organizations, XP3 and DASH INC.
Praise and worship were provided by Kristian Stanfill of Cumming, Ga., and his band. Stanfill, a former worship leader at North Point Community church in Alpharetta, Ga., holds three Dove awards from the Gospel Music Association and has been a nominee for two additional Dove awards.
Lum said 69 decisions for Christ were recorded. “As is the case every year, the security personnel from the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office commented on how differently our Mississippi Baptist young people behaved from the usual concert crowds at the Coliseum,” Lum said. “I am always proud of our young people for reflecting Jesus in the way they conduct themselves.”
One of the goals of Mississippi Baptist Youth Night – the largest gathering of Mississippi Baptists anywhere in the state – is to challenge young people from across the state to return to their home towns and be a light for Jesus in a dark world with the confidence that they are not alone, according to Lum. “Junior high and high school campuses are fertile mission fields,” he said.
Lum thanked the members of the Youth Night planning committee, who he said did a “phenomenal job.”
“I also want to thank the adult leaders who brought their young people to Youth Night, and for the leaders who served as counselors to those who made decisions for Christ,” Lum said.
Mississippi Baptist Youth Night is a ministry of the Mississippi Cooperative Program. For more information on Youth Night, contact Lum at P.O. Box 530, Jackson, MS 39205-0530. Telephone: (601) 292-3278 or toll-free outside Jackson (800) 748-1651, ext. 278. E-mail: jellis@mbcb.org.
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