BOLD Conference and VicYouth combine for Youth Rally 2024
Opal Sibanda
Published
On the weekend of Oct 11-13, the Youth Rally/Bold Conference occurred at La Trobe University, Bundoora and Gilson College, Taylors Hill. The theme for this year was I'm Possible - Impossible lives made possible by God.
We had the pleasure of hearing from great speakers such as Dr Terry Johnsson, Dr Kara Johnsson, Michaela Jones and Julian Archer. It was valuable to hear Kara's story about how the Lord helped her in dire circumstances when it looked like she was about to die after a car crash. The Lord gave her peace and enabled her to escape the situation calmly. It's a timely reminder that God loves us and can deliver us in times of need.
Michaela's daunting but immeasurably rewarding work with Destiny Rescue ultimately revealed that God can take your dreams from childhood and make them into a reality in a way that not even you could imagine, as He did for her in this line of work. Emphasis on the true value of every soul horribly overlooked in the sex trafficking industry was also a highlight, as was how God is saving trafficked individuals from their seemingly impossible situations through Destiny Rescue.
Julian spoke on the importance of using our resources and blessings for God and not letting worldly goods distract us from having a deep and meaningful relationship with Jesus. He showed statistics—the more accomplished and rich people are, the less Jesus is needed in their lives. He proposed a different way of life: when "blessings go up, our knees must come down," to say we should constantly praise God and hold our blessings lightly.
Last but not least, our main speaker, Dr. Terry Johnsson. Wow! I'm not usually lost for words, but this weekend, I was so speechless. I cried, I laughed, and I cried again. His testimony is definitely an example of impossible lives made possible by God.
Young boy Terry, together with his praying mother and grandmother, didn't let dyslexia limit what God had planned for him. God took him from a schoolroom failure to become the long-serving Honour Guard in the White House. He emphasised the power of words and the power of a praying mother: "You are here because someone prayed for you. It is not a coincidence that you are here. Whether you are 9 or 90 years old, as long as you have air in your lungs, God is still not done with you."
This is a great reminder that God is still working in us and through us.
We also had the privilege of having The Commissioners lead worship throughout the weekend. On Sabbath afternoon, after an amazing plate or two of haystacks for lunch (You can't go wrong with haystacks!), different singing groups, MAYC, The Katas, and Ongengu Ndubi, together with The Commissioners, delivered a fantastic mini-concert.
Many prayers and preparations went into this Youth Rally/Bold Conference, and it would not have been possible without God and the small BOLD team comprised of a handful of members from Bundoora church group and Broadford church plant in partnership with VicYouth. The goal for this weekend was for people to be revived and recharged and remember that God can use anyone despite their intellectual, mental, and physical challenges. No matter the seemingly insurmountable setbacks life throws, God is still greater.
For me and many others, it was a success on all fronts. I came in anxious but excited. I left revived, recharged, and encouraged to grow deeper in my relationship with God. I was so blessed to hear the many testimonies and stories and the angelic sounds of The Commissioners and all the singers.
I will always remember Dr. Terry Johnsson's words: "If God can work through Terry Johnsson, He can work through anyone," including me and the person reading this right now. God bless!
