More than 250 youths and adults are expected to pack Alafia Baptist Church Aug. 8 to 11, for Culture Shock.
Billed as a “multi-church, Christ-centered youth event,” Culture Shock is geared toward middle school and high school students. The four-night event begins Aug. 8, at Alafia Baptist Church, 222 Alafia Church Road, Lithia.
“The program was named Culture Shock, because we want to encourage the teens to go back to their worlds and shock it, so to speak, in a positive way,” said Ron Coram, who first became involved with the program 10 years ago, as a guest speaker.
The event began as a back-to-school rally 15 years ago with 12 teenagers. Current organizer Vincent Stewart is expecting to build on the 250 teens who participated in last year’s event.
“We’re expecting a packed house,” Stewart said. “Anywhere from 250 to 300.”
Several Plant City-area churches, including Knights Baptist and Hopewell Baptist, will participate in this year’s event.
Chaplain Ret. Maj. Daniel Middlebrooks, the president and CEO of Comprehensive Chaplaincy Care and Consulting and pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church, has agreed to lead an adult class, while the youth enjoy breakout sessions.
“Hopewell did an event and had an adult session and went well, so we asked Pastor Middlebrooks if he would lead one this year, and he agreed,” Stewart said.
When they are not in breakout sessions, the teens will be together for most of the four nights. Although the event is geared to teens, it also will feature a college-and-career group for older teens and young adults.
“We had a large turnout with our college-and-career group last year,” Stewart said.
The event will include multiple nights of worship, food, games, music and skits. Special guest speakers will include Adam Sells, a youth pastor from Tennessee, and Coram, a local pastor who now works as a traveling evangelist.
Live music will be a large part of the event and feature contemporary Christian music.
“The songs you hear are more modern songs that youth connect with more than the traditional songs you would hear in a church on Sundays,” Stewart said. “I actually enjoy all the music.”
Unlike other populat youth events and vacation Bible schools, Culture Shock doesn’t typically carry a theme. However, this year, there will be a message at the end of each night that focuses on teaching what it means to be a “child of the one true King,” Stewart said.
“We’ll be teaching as a Christian, what it means to be a child of God,” he said.
Each of the four nights will be centered around a different message. The first night will focus on labels and self-esteem.
“Today, there’s so many labels out there about how you look or how you act,” Stewart said. “We want to touch on that it’s not important what the world may label you but (rather) how you are on the inside.”
Saturday’s message will focus on the transition of becoming saved, while Sunday will be about being free from burden and sin as a saved Christian.
“The whole event is geared toward the youth and stuff they normally go through and have to deal with,” Stewart said.
This year’s event also will feature special guests from Teen Challenge, a national organization based in Miami that provides care to people of all ages who demonstrate a need for intensive help with life-controlling problems.
“They help turn around the lives of struggling teens and young adults who may have gotten into drugs or other bad habits,” Stewart said. “Afterward, they go into an Emerging Leaders leadership program. They are doing a two-week mission trip in Florida, and I asked if they would come and help out.”
Contact Matt Mauney at mmauney@plantcityobserver.com.
CULTURE SHOCK
WHEN: 6 p.m. Aug. 8 to 9; 5 p.m. Aug. 10 to 11
WHERE: Alafia Baptist Church; 222 Alafia Church Road, Lithia
DETAILS: Multi-church event for middle school and high school students. No church affiliation is required. Anyone is welcome.
INFORMATION: (813) 634-8845 or email abcchurchoffice@aol.com