YOUTH and young adults from across Brisbane and throughout Australia and New Zealand converged on Iona College, Lindum over four days in October to experience a ‘Metamorphosis’ in their lives.
More than 200 people, including 30 primary school students, took part each day in Emmanuel Youth Outreach’s third Ignite youth conference, ‘Metamorphosis’.
Some came to be closer to Jesus, others for the workshops and even more came for the friendships
The conference included general sessions, workshops, morning and evening rallies and prayer experiences and Eucharist and reconciliation.
Conference streams included ‘The Beat’, where young people studied creative arts including music, drama, multimedia and song writing; ‘The Map’, where they studied leadership skills, and ‘The Vibe’, where they explored prayer and other issues in life.
There was also a new stream catering for 8-12 year-olds called ‘A Bug’s Life’, co-ordinated by a qualified primary school teacher.
Participants in each of the streams left with a renewed zeal in their faith and took new ideas, resources and tools back to their parish, school or community.
One of the conference organisers, Luke Plant, said the closing Mass, concelebrated by Brisbane Archbishop John Bathersby; director of vocations for the archdiocese, Fr Tony Randazzo; and Missionary of God’s Love Father Chris Ryan from Canberra, was a highlight for many of the young people, with parents and families attending.
At the end of the Mass, three young people from Nambour, Moree and Christchurch in New Zealand shared how God had touched them at the conference and how they wanted to bring their experience back to their homes.
