“So are we catechizing 10-year-olds in the faith? Yes,” Johnston said. “And we are doing so unapologetically.”
The conference wasn’t just academic; it was also a moment when decisions, conscious prayers, and personal reflections took place, which included students making decisions to place their faith in Jesus Christ.
“Students no longer need to be paralyzed by doubt, or in the quicksand of despair by a hankering question,” Johnston said, sharing that he appreciated the pastoral element of the conference. “Nobody walked in there thinking, ‘Man, I’m a bad Christian because I doubt or because I have questions.’ All of us as speakers and presenters presented the faith in such a way where we encouraged them to explore those doubts and to not feel bad about them, but to keep pointing them to truth.”
Conference Reactions From Attendees
Conference coordinator Jennifer Carl told ChurchLeaders that attendance for this year’s event was up over 70%, setting record numbers.
ChurchLeaders had the opportunity to experience the two day event and witnessed firsthand the impact it had on both students and adults. The following are a few reactions from those who attended “Anchored.”
A 15-year-old sophomore at Prestonwood Christian Academy shared, “The conference was incredible. I had a fantastic time. I thought it was very, very informative, and interesting, and the people that were brought in then really knew their subjects well and were able to pass knowledge on in a very easy to understand, yet still, like information dense way…The conference’s speakers helped answer a lot of my questions I had been pondering regarding the creation of the earth. I loved all the archaeology stuff. That was so cool.”
Another Prestonwood Christian Academy student, a 13-year-old seventh grader, said, “The conference was a really good thing to experience, and especially as a seventh grader, to get more of an understanding of the whole faith thing. I love, especially with Alan Parr and Alisa Childers, how they really got in depth with the lies that you’re being told through social media and how those are more connected to Jesus and not just all these people expressing themselves, whether that be LGBTQ, or what they believe, and that may be their truth and really what our truth is is Jesus. I love how Alan Parr would make it something relatable to people our age.”
“Great conference! Success is when the church parking lot is in a state of chaos at noon on a Wednesday! Not too many churches can fill their parking lot on a Sunday, let alone a weekday,” one Prestonwood Christian Academy parent shared.
Another parent told Johnston, “Shed some tears as I saw students make first-time decisions for Christ all across the room. Wonderful job, Dr. J, to you and the team! Amazing event!”
