“Change My Heart, Oh God,” was the theme for Challenge 2008, and around 60 young people ages 14-20 arrived at the Pinecrest campus February 21-24, ready to meet with God. 

God had already been preparing Pinecrest students for Challenge.  In the days leading up to the conference, there was great expectancy of what God had in store for the young people who would be coming.  Many joined in prayer, both corporately and individually, for God’s purposes to be accomplished.  In Chapel two days before Challenge, God brought a strong word to the students of “no compromise” and living wholeheartedly for Him, a message that was later emphasized during the Challenge meetings. 

Challenge Director Andrea Bugos spoke at the Friday morning meeting about rejecting compromise and living wholeheartedly for God.  “We need to live lives of truth without compromise,” she said.  “It’s not enough anymore to just say the words, to say we repent.  We have to do it with all our hearts, with all our lives.”   Andrea cited the Challenge theme verse, Jeremiah 24:7—“Then I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God, for they shall return to Me with their whole heart (NKJV).”  “God looks at our hearts,” Andrea said, “and He wants our whole heart.  We need to be completely possessed by God.” 

At the Friday night meeting, Pinecrest teacher Warren Dayton shared about God’s intervention in his life.  As a teenager, Warren attended a retreat similar to Challenge which permanently changed him.  Warren challenged, “You’re here at this retreat, and I’ve heard it said, ‘Oh, you know, that’s cool, we’ll go to a retreat, but then afterwards, it just wears off, it’s an emotional high.’  Well, maybe it could be that for some people, but it sure doesn’t have to be, because the power of God is here.  God will give you staying power—staying power to overcome and to continue to overcome.”  “Get ahold of the Lord,” Warren urged. “Get ahold of God with your whole heart, and don’t let Him go.”

Saturday night, Joanne Picataggi spoke about the power of the blood of Jesus and the cross.  She said, “Our fathers in Christianity and these past decades have taught us that we can sin and come running back to the altar, and sin and come running back to the altar, and that it’s just an endless parade of running to the altar” without being transformed by the life-changing power of Jesus’ blood.  “Jesus already poured out everything you need on the cross,” she said.  “Jesus poured Himself out for you.  Everything you need was done on the cross.  Everything!  The staying power of the blood of Jesus is enough to keep you when you walk out that gate tomorrow morning.  You are not going back to your sin!”

The Challenge young  people responded to the call to give all of themselves to God and to allow Him to exchange their hearts for His.  At the meetings, many went forward for prayer or knelt at the altar, dedicating themselves to live wholly for God.  Three people accepted Christ as their Savior, and others received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  One youth leader called to report that after returning home from Challenge, she has seen a tremendous change in the young people in her youth group.  

Challenge attendee Ryan Crocoll shared at the Sunday morning meeting that he initially didn’t want to come, but he didn’t want to waste the money his parents had paid for him to go.  He went up front at the Saturday night meeting, and God touched him and baptized him in the Holy Spirit.  Ryan commented, “I’m a person who never breaks out of my shell.  I never had the guts to get up and actually say something.  Last night, nothing could hold me back.  Last night, nothing could stop me from screaming out, ‘Jesus!’  Nothing could stop me from what He wanted me to do.  It didn’t matter anymore.  It didn’t matter what people thought, it didn’t matter what I thought.  It mattered what He wanted and what He thought.  And, I don’t even know how to hold it all in anymore!”  Ryan has enrolled as a student at Pinecrest for the Fourth Quarter. 

In addition to morning and evening meetings, activities included a weekend-long team competition, in which four teams competed to win points through Scripture memorization, icebreakers, and games.  The “Hot Pink Panthers” beat out the “Orange Crush,” “Purple Ninjas,” and “Black Attack” teams to win a donut party on Sunday morning.  Afternoon activities included sledding, The Amazing Race (a team station relay race), Balloon-a-Pallooza-Rama (team games with balloons), videos, and ping pong and foosball tournaments. 

Youth Week, a conference for ages 14-20, will be held August 3-9.  Youth Week speakers will include Colby and Vivian Frankland.