“Connect,” the annual youth evangelistic training sponsored by the South Carolina Baptist Convention, will be held Mar. 12-13 at Charleston Southern University in Charleston and Mar. 19-20 at First Church Spartanburg.  Attendees will be equipped to share their faith by being challenged to “connect” with other students. 

“The ‘Connect’ strategy is simple,” Steve Rohrlack, Youth Ministry Group director, SCBC, said.  “It challenges students to ‘Connect’ with just one other student during the following year. Then ‘Connect’ that student to God, and ‘Connect’ that student to church, and ‘Connect’ the student to the celebration rally at the end of the year.  Every student will leave with the skills to meet the challenge and every group leader will leave with the materials to lead a follow-up study when they return home. This study can be used anytime during the year.” 

The event will feature Ductape Comedy, the band Fusebox and evangelist Ronnie Hill from Fort Worth, TX. 

Ductape Comedy’s first gig, which they thought would be their last, was in July of 2000 for a missions trip fundraiser.  After that first performance, the group of three comedians from Kent, Washington was invited to other events, particularly those for youth.  Since Ductape Comedy’s beginning, they have shared the stage with many musical groups, including The Waiting, The Katinas, Petra, Skillet, All Together Separate, Switchfoot and The Supertones.

Fusebox, a “new modern worship band,” is probably most known for their original songs “Every Move I Make” and “Light the Fire.”  Since the band’s start in 2000, they have played with The Newsboys, Tim Hughes, G.S. Megaphone and Petra.  Also, the group spent a year touring with Grammy Award winning artist Rebecca St. James.

Ronnie Hill is an evangelist known world-wide since traveling the globe with the Kelly Green Evangelistic Association from 1987 until 1997.  Hill graduated in 1993 from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Divinity with biblical languages and in 2001 with a Doctorate of Ministry degree. 

“This is an amazing line-up for student response and interaction.  It’s very high energy and very student focused.  There’s no question that all attending will be impacted by their weekend at ‘Connect,’” Rohrlack said.

The doors open each Friday at 5:45 p.m. for group check-in.  The evening session begins at 7:00 p.m.  The event continues Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The cost is $35.00 per person.  This includes lunch on Saturday, all conference resources along with student and leader’s materials for the follow-up Bible study. 

Complete information including hotels and online registration can be found at www.ystuff.org or www.scbaptist.org, (click on the youth tab) or by contacting the Youth Ministry Group at (800) 723-7242 ext. 4200. The email address is murfilockhart@scbaptist.org.