There is a sub-culture within American (and global) evangelical Christianity. Actually, there are many, but this sub-culture is primarily made up of college students (and some older "hanger-ons".) To this group, when you say the word "Passion" they do not think immediately of a eros love, Valentine's Day, a really bad soap opera or even a film made by Mel Gibson.
When this group hears the word Passion they think of the following:
- Louie Giglio
- 268 Generation
- Chris Tomlin
- Stadium events
- David Crowder Band
- Beth Moore
- John Piper
- Francis Chan
- Charlie Hall
- sixstepsrecords
- Kristian Stanfill
- Matt Redman
- Christy Nockels
- Choice Ministries (for us older guys)
- Atlanta
- OneDay
There are many more bullet points, but you get the idea.
Passion, also referred to as the 268 Generation (based on the verse Isaiah 26:8), was founded in 1997 by Louie Giglio and Jeff Lewis. I first met Louie (which he will not remember) while I was in seminary at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. I was working with a team of student pastors in planning a city-wide conference and rally. Louie was a friend of a friend and was asked to speak. He was in Waco at the time, I believe, leading a Bible study at Baylor University. As a group of student pastors, we rented out the Tarrant County (now Fort Worth) Convention Center and raised funds to offer the concert and event free to all students in the area. This was some time around 1991. The event was called "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and featured some definitely early '90s artwork with neon colors on black T-shirts.
The event was good. We didn't pack the house, but the focus was right and God was honored as we gathered and our guests challenged the students to lived God-centered lives.
Then, back in 1998 or 1999, I received a flyer in the mail here in Orange Park about a new conference being held in Texas for college students. This conference was called "Passion" and even though this was the third year of the event, it would be the biggest as they moved to the Tarrant County Convention Center in Fort Worth. I couldn't help but think back to the "Shake, Rattle and Roll" conference. No doubt, Passion would be bigger (and better.)
I did not have the opportunity to attend, but I purchased the message DVDs and the first CD as soon as they became available. It seemed to me that Louie was stepping into a huge story. God was leading him and others into a journey that would not find it's apex in conferences, but in the changed lives of those in attendance.
Over the years, we have sent students to Passion events. One of the greatest events was OneDay 2000 in Memphis, Tennessee. Our collegiate pastor at the time was my good friend, Lyle Bobo (now deceased.) He coordinated the trip and we partnered with San Jose Baptist in Jacksonville to take a bus load of students to Shelby Farms in Memphis for this gathering. Some called it the "Christian Woodstock."
The music and teaching to come through the Passion events has been incredible.
This past week, Passion reached a pinnacle. For the first time, someone from my family was able to attend. My daughter, Ashley, is a college freshman and she made the journey with others from our church to Atlanta for Passion 2012.
Much has been Tweeted and shared on Facebook about this event. The speakers and worship leaders were all incredible. There were some veterans of past Passion events as well as some new friends on stage.
I have talked to a few parents of students who have attended and each expresses how their children were strongly impacted and talking about much of what was said and done. I was told, among many other things about Passion 2012, that it was "legit." To that I smiled and nodded. I'm pretty sure "legit" is a good thing.
This year's event was themed around freedom. Through their program titled "Do Something Now" students were challenged to give over $1 million toward efforts to eliminate slavery and sex trafficking throughout the world. I hear they tripled their goal. Amazing.
We (First Baptist Church of Orange Park) have partnered with Do Something Now in 2011 by giving to end sex slavery in India. This mission partnership through As Our Own has moved us as a church to a place that many feel is someone else's issue.
Gone are the days when we can simply go to church, sing some songs that make us feel good and fund programs for our own children. God is calling us to so much more.
I appreciate what Louie and Passion have done and are doing. Yet, like any conference, if the heart change and focus is only present while in the stadium event, can it really be called change?
Our students, and thousands of others have led out to show the love and grace of God to those who have never known freedom. Galatians 5 speaks of this. We must stay focused.
I didn't attend the Passion Conference this year. I did watch some of it on the live feed. Nevertheless, the message of freedom and grace is not just for the 44,000 in the Georgia Dome. It is for all believers. For those who believe this is just another "social gospel" outpouring, rest assured, the gospel is all over this. This is the Great Commission fleshed out - to love God and love people. Loving people enough to introduce them to this great, grace-giving, freedom-offering God.
Oh, and if you're driving through Atlanta, take a stop over to the park near the Georgia Dome. You know, the one that has the statue of the Olympic gymnast (which, imho, is a weird statue) and see the new monument erected during Passion 2012. My daughter has already informed me that whenever we go through Atlanta, we have to stop to see this. She, as well as the other 43,999 students, placed items on the monument representing the cause. To understand better, watch this clip from CNN highlighting the event.
Comments