Love. Mercy. Denver.
Denver Love. Mercy. participants pose with enrollment counselor Natalie Noble.
by Eden Brown
OKWUeagle.com Fall 2009 Staff Writer
Every four years the Wesleyan church puts on a youth conference. This year’s regional conference, Love.Mercy., was held at four different locations across the country: Denver, Louisville, Baltimore, and Charlotte, on December 28th -31st.
The conference mission, according to their publicity materials, was to help all who attended “see the dignity of every child of God, and compel them to respond to make a difference, even at a cost to themselves. It is to proclaim the Good News of God’s son Jesus, who compels us to love our neighbors, work for justice and peace, and respect the dignity of everyone.”
The conference was directed towards youths from middle school through high school. Church vans arrived the 28th full of youths excited to worship, hear God’s word, and hang out with their friends.
The phrase “Love.Mercy.” is inspired by the verse Micah 6:8. Conference speakers dissected this phrase and made it applicable to everyday life during each of the general sessions.
Many current Oklahoma Wesleyan University students attended previous Wesleyan youth conferences when they were in middle school and high school.
Conference speakers emphasized the risk involved in living out Micah 6:8.
“I went to the youth conference in Charlotte with my youth group in middle school,” said Stephanie Watne, OKWU senior. “It was like a huge chapel service, with events throughout the day of teaching and interaction with other youths from all over the country.”
This year a team of 15 students went to Denver to oversee conference security operations. They also acted as college representatives and conference participants. For over 20 years OKWU has participated in this youth event by providing current students as members of the security team.
“Some great friends hanging out with @nnoble at the now famous @OKWUniv booth at #LoveMercy Denver pic ,” was the Twitter from the OKWUniv account.
The OKWU booth involved each participant by giving them a card that needed to be placed onto a larger board. At the end of the conference, each card had been combined to create a mosaic of various OKWU photos.
“This is both a way to connect potential students to OKWU and a way to serve the general Church,” said Ben Rotz, Assistant Vice President for Student Development at OKWU, and director of the Denver security teams.
The university also sent a worship team to Denver to play at the Hard Rock Café “after party,” led by Josh McNall, religion professor and head of the worship arts program. This worship team played at the end of the conference along with other bands. Capacity was at maximum as students enjoyed the music and the fellowship of fellow believers.
“The purpose of us leading worship was to hopefully recruit people, and future worship leaders to come to OKWU,” said McNall.
Participants at the conferences were able to worship and spend time in the Word and in prayer. They were also able to connect with their youth group and new friends that they had made.
The Love. Mercy. Website reported that “hundreds of students received Christ as Savior for the first time while many more re-dedicated their lives to Him [at the conference]. Hundreds answered the call into full-time Christian ministry.
“Over 5,000 students opened themselves to take a bold step for Jesus and live their faith out compassionately seeing the dignity of every child of God, becoming compelled to respond and make a difference, even at a cost to self,” according to the website.
Additionally, participants raised $45,000.00 to help dig 10 fresh water wells in Mozambique villages that currently have no clean water.
