Mix one part Thunder Road roller coaster and one part water park with four parts teenagers and bake at nearly 100 degrees –
The result? Hundreds of changed lives.
Singer Mark Hall, a member of Casting Crowns, performs at Big Youth Thing, held at Carowinds.Big Youth Thing, an event held annually at Carowinds theme park, celebrated its 10th anniversary with a day at the park and a concert led by music group Casting Crowns. More than 8,000 people attended this year’s event, mostly from South Carolina, but visitors came from as far away as New Jersey and Miami.
“Not only did our students have a great time, but we had the chance to connect with other youth groups from all over North and South Carolina. It made standing in line for the rides a little more enjoyable,” said Dan Nichols, associate pastor to families at Crosspoint Church in Sumter.
While teenagers enjoyed the park, youth workers were invited to attend a question-and-answer session with lead singer Mark Hall and other members of Casting Crowns, who talked about their ministry and the balance between road life and involvement in the local church.
“Casting Crowns works around our ministry in our churches,” Hall explained, saying that the band travels Wednesday nights through Saturday and is back in time for church on Sunday. All band members work with youth in various churches in the metro Atlanta area.
“We went from being totally around students to being around adults all the time,” Hall joked.
Thousands of youth celebrated the 10th anniversary of Big Youth Thing.Youth workers asked the band to discuss topics from defining worship to their most embarrassing moments on stage.
Hall also detailed the youth ministry at his home church, Eagle’s Landing Baptist, challenging workers to really see their ministries through the eyes of a teenager walking in for the first time.
Later at an evening concert, Hall described growing up with both attention deficit disorder and dyslexia. He talked about what it was like to be “reborn to Christ” at the age of 19 after struggling to know Jesus in his church youth group.
Hector Cervantes, guitarist for the group, told the youth, “We don’t want you to walk out of here saying ‘Wow! What a great group!’ We want you to walk out of here knowing Jesus better.”
More than 600 people responded to an invitation time, with about 100 accepting Christ for the first time and others committing to full-time Christian ministry or making recommitments.
Big Youth Thing will return to Carowinds Aug. 9, 2007.