2 Florida United Methodist Review Online

Speaker, bands encourage youth to be strong

Photo by Michael Wacht

Christian rock bands Shaded Red and Sonic Flood led more than 1,000 Florida Conference youth in praise and worship at this year's Conference Youth Event at Sea World.

By Michael Wacht

ORLANDO — “Christians and teenagers should be affecting the world rather than the world affecting teenagers,” Jamie Roberts said to more than 1,000 Florida Conference youth attending the 1999 Conference Youth Event at Sea World last April. Roberts is lead singer of the Christian band Shaded Red, one of two bands featured at the event.

The annual gathering for conference youth combines fellowship, entertainment and worship. “It’s a chance to be with my friends and other Christians that I don’t normally get,” said Will McLeod, a member of Christ Church United Methodist in Ft. Lauderdale.

Following worship led by the band Sonic Flood, singer Geoff Moore told the gathered 6th- through 12th-graders about his experience growing up and not knowing where he belonged.

Moore, who used to be the front man for the band Geoff Moore and the Distance, said he is taking time off from singing and touring to relax and try his hand at speaking, sharing his story and the motivation behind his music.

Moore told the youth it was his roommate in college that first introduced him to Christian rock music, inviting Moore to fill in for his band’s lead singer, who was sick. Moore said it was that instance when somebody reached out to him that he was able to find his calling from God. He encouraged the youth to find ways they can reach out to others who might feel they don’t belong.

Moore also urged the youth to find where they fit in the history of their church. “Methodism is one of the great pillars of faith in our history,” he said. “Our culture is discouraging us from having any kind of roots. It’s uncool to be connected to anything with history to it.”

He said he encourages students to study and explore the history of the church to find out “who we are and where we come from.”

“One hundred to 150 years ago, kids in the Methodist Church learned from the generation that came before them,” he said, “then took their place in helping shape the future. Today’s youth should pray and ask God how they might take their place in shaping the [United] Methodist Church of tomorrow.”