Estes Echo

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

Matthew 5:8

Purity was the theme for this year’s Challenge Youth Conference, or CYC. On Friday, February 27, the Estes youth group and a few willing chaperones piled into three vans and headed out to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. CYC has always been one of the youth group’s favorite youth rallies, and this year did not disappoint. But it wasn’t just the snowy peaks of the Smoky Mountains or the abundant candy shops of Gatlinburg that made our weekend special. The most important part of CYC is the spiritual encouragement and edification that is constant every year.

The group of nearly 12,000 Christians was challenged by lessons from beloved speakers including Kyle Butt, Reed Swindle, Ben Hayes, and Lonnie Jones. The lessons focused on different aspects of purity in a Christian life, and the S.W.A.T. (Skits With A Truth) Team performed humorous yet thought-provoking skits that explored purity in a unique way. The spiritual invigoration continued outside of the convention center as we enjoyed fellowship with other youth groups from near and far. Andrew Hardee, an FHU student familiar to Estes, led a thoughtful devotional with the Estes and Henderson Church of Christ youth groups. I would urge anyone who hasn’t experienced CYC to plan to attend in the future. I know that myself and many others at Estes are already counting the days until CYC 2016!

–Matthew Johnson