RETHINK provided the opportunity for young adults to have conversation about what it means to live as followers of Jesus and engage with the world around them.

Briercrest hosted its second annual RETHINK Conference this past weekend. While the event was made up of keynote sessions with a speaker and worship band, as well as additional breakout sessions, these were all conversational in nature, giving opportunity for young adults to enter into dialogue about what it means to follow Jesus. 

“We’re really hoping to engage the world and what the world throws at young adults,” said AJ Crocker, one of RETHINK’s organizers. “[We want to] equip the Church in the Prairies by resourcing them with a conference that really encourages a wrestle through some of life’s hardest questions, while focusing unapologetically on who Jesus is and on the call he has on our lives.”

The keynote sessions looked broadly at the Gospel and the kingdom of God, and how Israel’s story informs our present-day understanding of it.

“I’ve never really thought about the Gospel as being the Good News that the Kingdom has come, and how the Gospel, the Kingdom, forgiveness of sins, and the restoration of Israel are all wrapped up together,” said Tobin Fell, one of RETHINK’s participants.

“If we’re talking about the Gospel as the climax of Israel’s story, it is incredibly important to know that story—to really feel the full weight of it. So I think I was challenged to dig more into Israel’s story,” said Makayla Bryson, another RETHINK participant.

RETHINK challenged young adults on what it looks like to live as part of God’s kingdom in the midst of the issues believers face as we engage with the world around us.

“I think it’s challenging to actually live out what it means to live for the Kingdom and to actually put these things that we’re hearing about into practice,” said Fell.

“I appreciated that the conference was so relevant, relevant to the complex issues that we as Christians in our North American context face,” said Lindsey Bandy, a RETHINK participant. “Though topics like prostitution, a redemptive response to the LGBTQ+ community, and social media addiction can be disheartening and overwhelming, we were challenged to be engaged in and respond to these things as well as to hope in our victorious Savior.”