“It was awesome! The music was exhilarating, inspiring, uplifting as well.”—Bradley Finley, Student at West Kentucky Community and Technical College in Paducah, KY.
“The testimonies. . . It’s just inspiring of how God can use certain people in their lives.”—Michael Chadwick, member of FBC in Barlow, KY.
“My favorite part was the band!”—Patra Caldwell, Student at Ballard Memorial High School in Ballard County, KY.
“My favorite part was the dancing during the worship!”—Dakota Parker, student at Olive Branch Christian Academy in Illinois.
These are just a few of the positive things that people are saying about the Annual Youth Explosion at Ohio Valley Baptist Church. (You can watch more here)
We want people to enjoy this event from beginning to end. We want people to be able to say "I'm coming back next year!" But most of all, we want God to be glorified. We want God to be glorified from beginning to end in this event. Because we desire to see God glorified, we focus on key biblical elements that sustain this event, year after year. The following are the basic biblical principles that we employ at the Annual Youth Explosion:
1. Biblical Worship
"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:16). One of our aims at the Annual Youth Explosion is biblical worship. Worship is when we glorify God in His presence with our voices and hearts. Now while it is true that worship is more than a song, the Bible does teach us to assemble together to sing praises to God corporately: "Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land" (Psalm 95:1-5). In fact, the primary reason that God called us into the assembly of the church is that as a corporate assembly we might worship Him. God is worthy of worship and we are not. Worship shouldn't be like a production that we watch, it should be like a family experience that we take part in. At this event, we cross over denominational barriers and worship as a blood-bought family.
2. Biblical Fellowship
The Bible knows nothing of a lone-ranger Christian. So one of our aims in this event, is to make people feel welcome and experience truly heartfelt fellowship with one another. We are a family, united in Christ, and we should have the feel of a family. There's just something awe-inspiring when church groups come together and worship one God as one big family. We know the Bible commands us to not neglect "to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near" (Hebrews 10:25). In addition to that, there will be teens, youth workers, and lay church members, who are willing to offer encouragement at any given time during this event. We want you to know how welcome you really are.
3. Biblical Testimonies
A testimony is an open declaration of faith. Testimonies stir us in a way that nothing else can. Testimonies can never replace the preaching of the Bible, but aren't the writings of Scripture testimonies? The biblical authors give testimony to how they experienced God and that's what students do at this event. The apostle John even writes, "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3 that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 1:1-3, emphasis mine). If we are saved, we are to give testimony to what we have "looked upon," and what Christ has done in our lives. These students don't tell emotional, sob-stories, but they share their own conversion stories and how they have experienced Christ.
4. Biblical Salvation
There are about 10.5% of unchurched who attend this event. We desire for them to be saved, as God does (2 Peter 3:9), and so everything we do (the songs, the speakers, the testimonies, etc) is centered around the message of the gospel. We hope that those unsaved who attend will "Seek the LORD while He may be found; Call upon Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6). The exhilarating songs teach the greatness of God's love toward us "in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Our invited speakers preach repentance and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation (Acts 17:30; Ephesians 2:8). The testimonies demonstrate how a student has been changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ; in hopes that those listening may too receive the life-changing power of the gospel.
6th ANNUAL YOUTH EXPLOSION
"Because of the gospel"
Ohio Valley Baptist Church
538 Hazelwood Road
Barlow, Kentucky 42024
SATURDAY MARCH 15th. . . . 5:00 PM
SUNDAY MARCH 16th. . . . . . .9:45 AM, 10:45 AM, and 6:00 PM
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