Forty years after Haight-Ashbury’s summer of love launched a tidal wave of sexual immorality which swept across America, a new generation is ready to take back what was once their rightful inheritance. This generation is raising one corporate voice to proclaim that true freedom lies in being free to fulfill their destiny, free to enjoy pure relationships and free to have marriages which defy the current divorce rates.
On July 6-7, students from across Southern California will be gathering at the San Diego Sports Arena to join with the largest gathering of nationally recognized speakers on abstinence ever assembled in San Diego. Students will have a rare opportunity to be a part of an assembly of a generation of young people who are ready to be encouraged, equipped and inspired to embrace a commitment to a lifestyle of purity. Pacific Surge Student Conference is a mixture of worship, speakers, drama, film and concerts to help impart a vision to change the face of a culture that glorifies sexual immorality.
Speakers will include bestselling authors Eric and Leslie Ludy. The Ludys are known for tackling some of the toughest issues facing the modern American teen today. Over the past 11 years they have toured extensively, speaking to hundreds of thousands of teens, college students and parents around the U.S. and abroad. This young couple¹s unique ³insider perspective² on the sexual and spiritual climate of contemporary youth culture has made them a respected voice on relationship issues among both younger and older generations. Eric and Leslie¹s popular presentation for young adults on the ³four secrets to an amazing love story² has garnered applause from marriage and family experts, media personalities, and teen specialists around the country.
Rebecca St. James, winner of America¹s most prestigious musical award — the Grammy — is a featured speaker and singer. CRW Magazine named St. James to the list of the ³50 Most Influential People in Contemporary Music.² Her book, Wait For Me, now in a 9th printing, reached the No. 1 spot on the prestigious CBA (Young Adult) book chart in 2003, with Rebecca¹s passionate, and often controversial, challenge to young people to ³stand strong² with her on issues of sexual purity. Her new book, She (Tyndale) is an impactful ³where the rubber meets the road guidebook² for women of her generation. In the book, she gives a controversial and impassioned voice for a modern womanhood based on a return to biblical principles. The teen edition of the book, She Teen, launched in September.
Another conference speaker is Jason Illian, the author of Undressed: The Naked Truth About Love, Sex, and Dating and MySpace MyKids: A Parent¹s Guide to Protecting Their Kids and Navigating MySpace.com. Illian has appeared on ABC¹s ³The Bachelorette,² and openly shared his commitment to remaining a virgin until he married.
Speaker Jason Evert earned a master¹s degree in theology, and undergraduate degrees in counseling and theology, with a minor in philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is the author of eight books, including If You Really Loved Me and Pure Love, which challenge young people to embrace the virtue of chastity. Evert speaks at seminars, participates in debates, and responds to thousands of questions about Catholicism from people around the world. He speaks internationally to over 100,000 teens each year in Catholic, Christian, and public junior and senior high schools, as well as universities. He and his wife Chrystalina are on the board of advisors for the National Abstinence Clearinghouse, and are frequent guests on radio and TV programs throughout the country.
Also featured will be Tina Marie of ³True Lies.² She¹s a 100% Polish, 100% blonde farm girl — Gone Hollywood! Tina went from baling hay and milking cows to working as an actress/emcee in the big city. While attaining her bachelor¹s degree in film and television broadcasting, from California State University-Los Angeles, she started working in feature films and television shows. During this time, Tina realized — first hand — how the media twists the truth. Her involvement as a contestant in the preliminary Miss America pageant sparked her interest in educating society on what today¹s media is calling ³harmless entertainment.² As a National Speakers Association member, her calling in life is to share the truth to thousands of teens and parents around the world. Tina has experience as an international speaker, actress, model, host, reporter, author, and emcee.
Worship for the weekend will be lead by Phil Wickham, a 22-year-old rock artist and worship leader. Both his parents were members of the Œ70s Jesus music bands The Way and Parable. Phil is receiving accolades for his self-titled rock worship album. It was after moving from Orange County to San Diego that Phil found himself, like his parents, inexorably drawn into music ministry. Phil has a heart for purity and a message for his generation.
Grammy nominated Leeland, an enthusiastic five-piece Texas outfit led by the gifted 18-year-old songwriter and charismatic performer Leeland Mooring, will perform Friday evening leading students in a celebration of praise. ³So many kids are lost when it comes to having a true relationship with God, even ones who go to church,² Leeland says. ³Whenever we play, our main goal is to be able to minister to our generation.²
Other conference participants include Steps of Praise, Breakdown Arizona, and guest appearances by local athletes and politicians.
The conference will not only encourage and inspire students to remain sexually pure, but give them opportunities to become proactive about their commitment. A speaker¹s track will be offered by the Gorretti Group to train students to present the message of purity in diverse settings ranging from sharing with peers to educating parents and educators. The conference will also launch a California Youth Congress on Abstinence. Students ages 14 to 24 years of age will be invited to gain a voice in their communities to the state legislature to educate school boards, and state politicians and see public policy changed.
Pat Neal, a sophomore at San Diego Christian College and a part of the conference leadership team has been working toward this day for over two years, commented: ³The part of the conference that I am most excited about is the time of corporate worship. I really have high expectations of how incredible our times together worshipping the Lord will be. I believe that the Lord is going to express His power, greatness and presence to our generation in ways that they have yet to experience Him. I believe that relationships with Him are going to be deepened like never before.
³I am also excited to hear from some nationally-known speakers during the conference. I believe that the message of purity needs to be shared because it is so essential in a Christian¹s life. After all, living a pure lifestyle is living a lifestyle modeled after our Lord. I really believe that each and every student who attends the conference will not just receive something from the teachings and the corporate times of worship, but they will be challenged to take their relationship with their Father to a much sweeter level. The ones who accept this challenge will then return to their homes, schools, and churches and stir up revival.²
Students can register online for the conference by visiting www.pacificsurge.com. The cost of the conference is $35 if registered prior to June 15. After that date the cost is $40. A special one-day track for middle school students will be held at San Diego First Assembly featuring Dannah Gresh of Pure Freedom. A parent¹s track is also available on Saturday morning. For more information visit the website or e-mail the conference staff at [email protected]
