Youth Week 30 June to 7 July 2006
Conference theme: "Escape for your life" Gen 19:17

(to see high resolution photo of above panoramic view, taken by J. Claasen, click here)

Here are more photos of the conference

Daily update of youth conference, July 2006

Friday 19:00 - Rev Friedel Stegen preached on the theme verse, Gen 19:17. He told the story in detail of how righteous Lot was grieved with the evil all around him. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah did just what they liked. They couldn't care less about the next person, as long as they enjoyed themselves. Boys and girls didn't respect each other at all. They defiled their bodies by all manner of perversions. In short, it was a time like today. [to read more, go here]

Saturday 10:00 - Rev Erlo Stegen took the morning service and once again pointed the youth to the Cross for salvation. Read more here

Saturday 15:00 - Testimonies from the youth

Saturday 19:00 - Film of Sodom and Gomorrah's judgement

Sunday 10:00 - Rev Erlo Stegen warned the youth to flee from youthful lusts as we read in 2Tim 2:22. Read more here

Sunday 15:00 - Testimonies by the DSS pupils

Sunday 19:00 - The smithfield youth took the service and also presented a play to encourage the youth to live for God amongst their peers (see photos here)

Monday 10:00 - Rev Erlo Stegen preached on the topic "How to be ready for heaven; even physically", from 1Kings 19. Read more here

Monday 15:00 - The SAPS spoke to the youth on the dangers of drugs [more here]

Monday 19:00 - Rev Jospeh Chauke took the evening service; he preached from Prov 23:26, "My son, give me your heart". Read the summary here

Tuesday 10:00 - Mr Khoza gave his testimony of how the Lord had rescued him from sin and even touched him physically.

Tuesday 15:00 - Sermon by Rev Erlo Stegen (read summary here)

Tuesday 19:00 - Sermon by Rev Joseph Chauke (read more here)

Wednesday 10:00 - Testimonies from the Emseni Care Center patients (here is a video of the center (25Mb))

Wednesday 15:00 - Presentations by TLW (True Love Waits), TNT (The Naked Truth) and CFT (Christians for Truth), who encouraged the young people to live upright lives devoted to God.

Wednesday 19:00 - DFL (Doctors for Life) video on "Aids against the family". It's their latest release, 2006. See their website for more info, www.dfl.org.za and www.orisonpictures.co.za for their video productions.

Thursday 10:00 - Rev Friedel Stegen encouraged those who gave their lives to the Lord to have fellowship with other believers and keep their lives clean (read more here)

Thursday 15:00 - Testimonies - Various testimonies of the Lord's working and changing hearts, was the main theme of the afternoon service. About 12 teens and young adults shared with the crowd how Christ had brought them to repentance and faith. Many spoke of their previous addictions to alcohol, tobacco and immorality. One girl told the audience that the Lord made it clear to her during this past week "that you must be born again." She thanked God that she has experienced for herself that Christ is truly alive. Some shared how they had heard about the mission and this conference through Radio Khwezi. One young lady told how her loose living eventually caused her to become a prostitute in Durban. She praised God for giving her salvation.

Various choirs sang in between the testimonies. There are many choirs who come from as far as the Eastern Cape for the conference.

Thursday 19:00 - Rev Erlo Stegen took the closing service of the conference from 1Cor 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (read more here)

The regular midyear Youth Week will be held from Friday 30 June to Friday 7 July 2006, the Lord willing. The theme, "Escape for your life" (Gen 19:17) is an opportunity for many important themes for young people, including: things to escape from (drugs, promiscuity, peer pressure etc), where to escape to (the solid rock message of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ).

Please pray for this wonderful chance to reach thousands of children, teens and young adults. There are huge logistical considerations for approximately 5000 people to be transported, fed and accomodated for a week.

To read about the previous Youth Conference held last December click here.

Some theme pictures for "Escape for your life":

(if you have the bandwidth for a (half meg) digital image of Ruben's painting of the scene)