Each year at KYCK youth conference, thousands of high schoolers across the nation are challenged and equipped to boldly live the Christian life. In 2022, KYCK attracted over 5,500 teenagers and youth leaders, who gathered to learn about God’s promises of pure “Joy” in the book of Philippians.
KYCK has historically run across three weekends during the April school holidays, but after several sell-out events, a fourth weekend was offered for the first time this year—a decision which enabled an additional 986 youth and youth leaders to attend KYCK in Spring.
According to the KYCK team, a fourth weekend was necessary for reaching new youth groups who, due to calendar clashes in the past, have not been able to come. Wrangling youth to and from convention can also be a logistical nightmare, especially for leaders of larger youth groups. Having both April and September dates enabled bigger churches tosplit up attendance by age groups, which eased the organisational pressure of many youth leaders.
The introduction of a fourth weekend attracted many groups who attended the convention for the first time. According to Tina Gosling from Boambee Community Baptist Church (BCBC), her youth were engaged with every part of KYCK and hope to return with a “mini bus” load of youth in 2023:
“Our youth have been buzzing in sharing about their time away at KYCK with their families, rest of BCBC youth, and friends at school. They are already determined to come back next year. As we were heading to our car to leave the convention, we saw a mini bus that another youth group must’ve came in, and we declared, “Lord, this time next year lets bring a mini bus of BCBC youth!”
Tina first learned about KYCK from her teenage daughter, and after a quick Google search, discovered KCC’s motto, “All One in Christ Jesus”, a truth that inspired her to round up a group from her church in Boambee. According to Tina, youth groups should prioritise events like KYCK, as it gives high schoolers a unique experience of unity and fellowship with believers their age.
“Attending KYCK will resonate a deep foundation within our youth as they surround themselves with other Christian youth their age, from across our nation, who have chosen to gather to connect deeper with Christ in fun times, in worship, in delving into the Word, and in fellowship. They will leave KYCK convention impacted.”
Amanda Bailey from South Wagga Anglican echoes this desire for larger-scale fellowship,especially since most of her youth live in non-Christian homes in rural New South Wales. According to Amanda, youth in country churches can feel isolated, so events like KYCK are valuable in showing youth that their faith and priorities are shared by many:
“When we arrived, not only were they unable to comprehend how big God’s family was, but they looked around and saw other Christian youth and leaders committed to following Jesus. Their shock and excitement was utterly amazing!”
Amanda’s KYCK highlight was seeing 15 of her 19 youth group members make the decision to follow Jesus on Saturday night, a moment which Amanda describes as unforgettable:
“Watching our youth come home, passionate and confident in what they believe has been amazing. Three of our youth stood up and shared their testimonies for the first time at our church service the following Sunday, and many of them have started reading Mark’s gospel. We truly believe that God has done something special in their hearts, and for us, this has certainly changed the trajectory of our ministry.”
The youth from South Wagga Anglican was able to attend KYCK for the first time after receiving support from the Country KYCK Bonus—an initiative which offers financial support for youth from country churches.
KYCK will return in 2023 over three weekends in April and one in September. The theme will be ‘Meet Jesus’ from the Gospel of Mark.
Registrations for KYCK 23 opens 8th November!
KYCK 23 will return on the following dates next April and September:
Weekend 1: 14-16 April
Weekend 2 & Online: 21-23 April
Weekend 3: 28-30 April
Weekend 4: 22-24 September
Tickets will go on sale Tuesday 8 November, 9.30am AEDT from our website.
The KYCK Country Bonus will also return in 2023. To learn more or to apply visit our website: www.kyck.org.au/country-kyck-bonus/
