Oklahoma City, Quail Springs is hosting Momentum, Sept. 8, from 7-11 p.m. This is described as “a high-energy statewide worship and training event designed to help college-age young adults to discover and experience the love of Jesus.”
Momentum is an event specifically designed for young adults in the 18-24 year age range no matter what they are experiencing in life.
“One of the purposes for Momentum is to motivate college students to live for Christ and make a difference on their campus,” said Cris Lowery, collegiate ministries specialist for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO). “But I don’t want to limit it to college students, so it’s also for those in the work force to make a difference, to motivate them no matter what they are doing in their life.”
Richard Ross, professor of student ministry at Southwestern Seminary and spokesperson for True Love Waits ministry, will be the key speaker at Momentum. “Richard Ross has a long history of strategic planning and motivating students and leaders to make a difference in the world, to follow Christ,” Lowery said.
Charlie Hall will be the worship leader at Momentum. Lowery said Hall “is an Oklahoma guy who always does an incredible job of connecting with students especially in worship.”
As Lowery said, Momentum is intended to be an event for young adults (18-24) regardless if they are attending college or not, which is why the event has been advertised to both Baptist College Ministries (BCM) at Oklahoma colleges and all state Southern Baptist churches.
“We built a culture of students being able to see each other at multiple events in youth ministry,” Lowery said, “so this was one of the great opportunities to do that in collegiate ministry as well. We tried to broaden that by expanding outside BCM circles and including a lot more churches. That number continues to rise every year.”
Denny Freeman, BGCO collegiate ministries facilities specialist, noticed at a previous Momentum that a church brought a group on their own, not directly affiliated with a BCM. “To me, that was pretty interesting that it wasn’t advertised to them, just through connections they found,” Freeman said.
Lowery noticed, while traveling throughout the state, many churches have Sunday School classes or small Bible Study groups specifically for 18-24 year-olds.
“They’ve got about 3, 4, 5 students (in the class),” Lowery said about the many churches that draw this age group. “With Momentum, they have access to a great event to pour into those students, which helps build momentum for what they are doing at their church.
“We have a lot of people in that age group that are still going to church that might not go to college. (Momentum) allows that church to be a part of a big event and bring their young adults to something that is significant and impactful. And they don’t have to create that at their own church with a small number of students.”
Lowery said they have increased their advertising strategies to, along with BCMs, promote Momentum to all state churches.
“If we are going to reach that age group across the state, the largest number of avenues we can use is the best option,” Lowery said. “BCM can reach some students; churches can reach other students, but collectively we make a larger impact.”
Cost is $5, which covers food offered at Momentum. For more information visit www.bgco.org/ministries/collegiate.
