Acquire the Fire (ATF) is a two-day teen conference held at numerous churches across the United States with the primary goal of bringing more teenagers to Christ. The ATF staff consists of college interns who attend school at the Honor Academy in Houston, Texas, as well as renowned speakers and bands.
One of this year’s ATF destinations was right here in Fresno, CA, at Peoples Church, and I was fortunately given the chance to attend once again, making a total of three times that I have attended since Junior High. The event took place from March 5-6 with Joel Johnson as the event speaker discussing the subject of “Romantic love vs. God’s love.”
During his “love” discussion, Johnson told the story of how he proposed to his wife. He also explained that during his courtship with his wife, they created a list of standards and boundaries they would follow in order to stay pure in Christ.
We also looked more in depth at the severe persecution Christians faced back in the time of Christ. For example, Johnson talked about Nero, the fifth Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Due to his deep hatred towards those who followed Christ, Nero captured Christians, tied them to wooden stakes, and lit them on fire to burn alive at his dinner parties in order to keep his guests entertained.
Although these historical facts were quite disturbing to hear about, the conversation ended with the convicting question, “If you were faced with this kind of persecution, would you still proclaim the name of Christ?”
Johnson used this question as a transition into the opening of a skit organized and performed by ATF college interns. The storyline was based on the struggles teenagers face when trying to live a holy and positive life in high school. Sensitive circumstances such as teen pregnancy and thoughts of suicide were portrayed through the acting and singing talents of the ATF interns.
In addition to the drama, music videos and highlight clips from other ATF events played on the screen during our occasional 15-minute breaks.
After a couple skits and a message from Johnson, ATF Teen Mania band, School of Worship, led the crowd in praising God through some of their original music, as well as more popular worship songs.
At the end of the first night, Christian band Abandon performed as a closing event until the next day. On the following night, Lecrae performed along with Thousand Foot Krutch. I am personally a huge fan of Lecrae, so being able to see him in concert in the company of my good friends was one of the main highlights of my whole weekend.
Although I enjoyed everything about ATF, the most memorable moments I have are from the times we were given to worship. The opportunity to attend ATF with some of my best friends, Nacoya Villegas, ’10, Josh Hopper, ’12, and Sean Carter, ’12, made my time at this event all the more enjoyable. It was encouraging to see my friends worshipping and crying out to God alongside me, and caused me to feel blessed for the friends God has placed in my life.
Every year that I have attended ATF, the weekend always ends with an intense worship session, usually resulting in people jumping and dancing in the walkways, and others crying on their knees and praying. I always leave this event feeling even closer to God than I did before.
This event also gives teenagers the opportunity for fellowship with their friends as well as teenagers from other churches. The ATF staff never fails to put on a great performance regarding dramas and videos, and the worship bands are always captivating and encouraging.
Although ATF only stops in Fresno maybe one time each year, I recommend this event to anyone looking to have an amazing time worshiping God while surrounded by other teenagers and friends.
For more information on ATF, visit the April 1, 2009 article, Acquire the Fire stretches faith.
