Trinity partners with EFCA at Challenge Conference 2016
Rachel Rofkahr, a recent high school graduate from Woodbury, Minn., has now attended three Challenge Conferences, but she says the event this week at the Kentucky International Convention Center was different from the others.
"There's just something different in the air," Rofkahr said. "You feel this excitement about wanting to do something. People here want to know what God wants them to do with their lives."
Challenge Conference 2016 ran from July 3-7 and was sponsored by the Evangelical Free Church in America, with which Trinity International University is affiliated. The event is hosted in a city with large convention facilities during even-numbered years.
About 4,600 students from EFCA churches coast-to-coast came to Louisville for equipping labs, mission projects, large worship gatherings, small group meetings, and recreation. ReachStudents, a mission arm of the EFCA, recruited a staff of 150 volunteers to assist with daily programming. Mission projects in the Louisville area involved up to 1,700 students per day. At a large worship gathering on July 6, about 200 students made public professions of faith in Jesus Christ.
But conference leaders say the impact cannot be measured with numbers alone.
"We're going to see ripple effects to these stories 10 years from now," ReachStudents National Director Shane Stacey said. "We had students shouting out thousands of names of people they want to see come to faith in Christ, and we've seen churches talk about reconciliation within their groups. So as they go home they have healthier relationships."
Trinity brought about 30 current students, alumni, enrollment staff and administrators to volunteer at Challenge Conference 2016. They assisted with logistics on the mission outings, led group sessions, and prayed with students in attendance.
"What I've really appreciated is the life-on-life things that have taken place," Stacey said. "It's not just getting things done and making games happen, but speaking into the (conference attendees') lives. There is a genuine servanthood among the Trinity students."
Trinity hosted two exhibits and ran giveaway contests throughout the run of the event. Enrollment counselors were able to discuss future plans with the students.
"I would say the event exceeded expectations on all levels," Trinity Director of Undergraduate Admissions Jordan Bryant said. "Our team has done a great job relating to students. They've been an example of what God has done in their lives through their time at Trinity."
In addition to the large concerts and worship services, smaller group settings such as the equipping labs each afternoon tackled issues that students face every day.
Bryant led a discussion called "College Chaos," in which he gave students advice about the college search process. Associate Vice President for Enrollment Development Ben Dockery led sessions titled "Why Gender Matters," and Associate Dean of Student Leadership Development Katherine Jeffrey led discussions headlined "Leadership is all about Character (sort of)," "Leadership is all about Skills (sort of)," and "I am Woman, Can I Lead?"
Rofkahr will be an incoming freshman at Trinity College this fall. She said she was excited about arriving on campus, and even made two new friends during the conference who also will be starting at Trinity. On a larger scale, she said the chance to network with so many fellow Christians who offer encouragement made the event unforgettable.
"There's just this movement here," Rofkahr said. "People are excited about it. I'm excited about it!"