Around 125 youths from various churches throughout southern Manitoba worshipped together and heard the gospel on Friday evening.
Union Gospel Mission of Winnipeg was the organizer of the evening, bringing the young people together at North Kildonan Mennonite Brethren Church.
UGM is hosting its annual fundraising banquets at the church on Saturday and this year decided to bring teens together the night before.
Students from Millar College of the Bible's Winnipeg campus led students in worship throughout the evening.
Paul, a student at UGM, shared his personal testimony of how years of small poor decisions eventually led him to jail facing a second degree murder charge.
Growing up as an Indigenous youth adopted into a white home he says at school he first experience racism for the colour of his skin and began to do anything to help him fit in. By the time he was a teenager he was running away from home, getting arrested, and soon found himself struggling with substance abuse.
He says he finally made a decision to give his life to Christ and found himself in UGM's detox program. He had also shared his testimony on the "Nobody but Jesus radiothon" in support of UGM earlier this year.
Nick Betzing, a Christian hip hop artist from Winnipeg, is now a teacher at Millar. He also shared his testimony with the youth, encouraging them to turn to Jesus and away from sin.
CHVN's Mike Thom ended the evening with a message from the book of Jeremiah and the Gospel of Mark, encouraging the teens to rise up and follow God's call on their lives, proclaiming the good news of Jesus to the world around them.
Youth Pastor Joel Saladaga from Filipino United Community Church in Winnipeg called it a "historic night" saying the teens heard "Amazing challenges from testimonials, music, plus the rocking move of the Word through Pastor Mike Thom!"
