Advance: North England Conference Apologetics Weekend for Adventist Youth, Paragon Hotel, Birmingham, 19 - 23 March, 2008.

We live in a society where the belief that God created man, or that the earth was called into existence labels us as religious fundamentalists. A label that is fixed on us in various institutions, and that is shared with those in our society who are prepared to die for their faith, but at the cost of others. This makes it hard for young people to stand up, for fear of standing out, for what they believe in. Advance provided roughly 300 conference delegates, and by the weekend, over 600 attendees, with the opportunity to learn from workshops designed to enable them to effectively reach secularists along with other faiths such as Islam and Judaism. There were also plenary sessions that focused on topics that dealt with defending Adventist beliefs like the Sabbath. The conference was held at the Paragon hotel in Birmingham and attracted youth and adults from across Europe and America. As the first conference of its kind, Hope Channel - UK was present to film parts of the programme for a documentary on "Advance". The conference was a success, and it was clear that there was a thirst among the youth for the knowledge and expertise that the speakers brought to help us survive within the ever-increasing secular environment.

A short report on 'Advance' plus four in-depth interviews with quest speakers are now available on the Hope Channel-UK website.

[Story: Gideon Kumi. Photos: Victor Hulbert]