Mega Youth Conference Kicks Off with 23,000

|PIC1|Passion 07 opened at Atlanta's Phillips Arena and the Georgia World Congress Centre in downtown Atlanta, 1 January, with over 23,000 in attendance and students representing 49 states, 32 countries and 1,165 campuses.

Passion 07 is a gathering for college students from around the nation and world 1 - 4 January 2007, and is the third consecutive conference, following Passion 05 and Passion 06, which were held in Nashville, TN.

"Part of the equation here at Passion 07 is to move to the place in our journey where we are living a life that is pleasing to the Lord," said Louie Giglio, Passion Conference founder/director. "The Kingdom of God is ever growing and we are here to celebrate that Kingdom. God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us to the Kingdom of his Son. This story is our story of rescue by Jesus. It's all about Jesus, the rescuing one. He's the one we're celebrating."

More than being led by speakers and artist-worshipers throughout Passion 07, students will have the opportunity to impact lives worldwide through Passion 07's Do Something Now campaign.

"Individually, we can make a difference in the world, but collectively we are a mighty force," says Giglio. "Moving together, small sacrifices from each of us can make a huge difference in the lives of people around the globe."

With the goal of raising over $500,000 (£250,000) in global aid, Passion 07's "Do Something Now" campaign challenges students initially to participate by bringing a towel and a pair of socks as they arrive at registration, thus providing 20,000-plus items for the homeless through Touch Atlanta.

Leading the worship, teaching and prayer gathering are renowned speakers Louie Giglio, John Piper, Beth Moore and Francis Chan among others, as well as such acclaimed artist-worshipers as Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band, Charlie Hall, Matt Redman and more.

Main Passion 07 gatherings will be held in two locations, the Phillips Arena-Atlanta and the Georgia World Congress Centre, both in the heart of downtown Atlanta. The two venues will be joined via satellite and live elements will take place in each main arena creating one massive worship gathering.

In addition, students will connect through the smaller community groups that make up the fabric of the conference.

Similar to last January's Passion 06 in Nashville, Passion 07 announced that it will provide smaller sessions through Community Groups, Family Groups and Late Nights.

The Community and Family groups will allow students to unpack what they learn throughout the week in small group environments and the Late Nights give students a chance to "hang out" after the evening session ends each night.

According to the ministry, the heartbeat of Passion is the glory of God through a generation of college students living radically for His name so that campuses awaken to His fame.