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EULESS—Blake Stewart first attended M3 WKND a few years ago. The event had such an impact on his students then, he wanted the young adults he now leads to have a similar experience.
“This is a great kickoff for the year,” said Stewart, who serves as student minister at Harvey Baptist Church in Stephenville. “[It’s] a great way to get students to see other students from across the state where they can encourage each other and know that we’re not doing this alone.”
This year’s M3 WKND, held Jan. 13-14 at Cross City Church in Euless, provided many great visuals to remind students and their leaders that they are not alone—maybe none more poignant than a moment during the conference when 350 students got on their hands and knees to pray for lost friends and family members. By the end of the event, 13 who attended made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ; another 22 answered a call to ministry.
Brandon Bales, student ministry associate for the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention, said M3 WKND—which was previously known as the Movement Conference and the Student Evangelism Conference—is a 24-hour event that is not only for students, but also their leaders. While M3 sets a laser focus on evangelism, it also aims to give students and leaders a venue in which they can develop deeper relationships.
“Gen Z teenagers and the upcoming Gen Alpha teenagers can watch and listen to any personality they wish to hours on end,” Bales said. “They aren’t drawn to big events based on a personality anymore. Instead, they are drawn to the hope of deeper and wider relationships. At M3 WKND, we want to connect students to each other and remind them they aren’t alone in sharing the gospel deep and wide in this world.”
This year’s M3 WKND brought the gospel message through multiple mediums, including music, illusion, and preaching. Sessions aiming to equip students to share the gospel were also offered, and teens were challenged to live out their faith in the contexts to which God has called them—including their schools. Paul Worcester, a Next Gen communicator for the North American Mission Board, challenged students in attendance to ask God for revival and offered an acronym to help guide their prayers (B.O.B.—burden for the lost; opportunity to witness; and boldness to proclaim Christ).
Bales said M3 WKND is a microcosm of M3 Camps, which are held in multiple locations in Texas and New Mexico over a four-day span during the summer.
“Everything at M3 WKND is designed to share the gospel or to help students be equipped to share the gospel with their friends,” said Collin Brickhouse, student minister at Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Rockdale. “If you want to equip your students to engage their mission fields and their schools, this is a great way to do that.”
