Creation Festival 2004 — Not Just A Music Festival

Each year, thousands of young people (those young in age and young at heart) join together at the Creation Music Festival to celebrate their faith. They enjoy wonderful music and get the opportunity to hear well-known speakers.

2004 was no exception as people from all over came to camp, to sing, to dance, and to give their lives to Christ at Creation which was held from June 23-26, 2004, on the Agape Farm in Mt. Union, Pennsylvania (a location halfway between Harrisburg and Pittsburgh).

While some may look at Creation as “just a music festival” it is clear to those who attend that it is much more. The main goal of Creation, according to their official website www.gospelcom.net/creation, is “for lives to be changed to the Glory of God. Much prayer and effort goes into finding those speakers who God wants to have at Creation.”

For many youth, this becomes a time when their faith becomes a reality, they feel it beating strongly within who they are and they learn that being a child of God means more than just attending church every Sunday.

Creation organizers describe the festival as “…a warm family reunion. Each year you can look forward to seeing old friends and making new ones, from all across the world in some cases.”

Several years ago, the youth group at Lititz Moravian Church began attending the Creation Music Festival with a nearby United Methodist church. They enjoyed it so much that they began to invite other congregations to join them. Each year the group has gotten larger and this past year we had 115 in our Moravian Encampment. Congregations represented were College Hill, Edgeboro, First-Riverside, Lititz, Nazareth, Palmer, Schoeneck, West Side, and a group of students from Moravian College.

We camp in one large site so we can share not only worship and fellowship together but also so we can share food, cooking, and tents for gathering. Anyone who is interested in joining the group next summer should contact the Rev. Chris Giesler in the Eastern District Youth Ministry Office, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Creation 2005 will be held at the same location from June 29 – July 2, 2005.

Describing the experience of Creation can best be done by those who have felt rejuvenated in their journey through the experience and below are reflections from several who attended this year’s festival.

When given the opportunity to go to Creation with the Moravian College Christian Fellowship, I was excited to jump at the chance. As the summer progressed and Creation week got closer and closer, I became excited and a little bit nervous because I had no idea what the week would be like. I decided to go with an open heart expecting good music and good times. I ended up getting both and so much more!

Before the music even started, I was amazed at the community around me. I became very close with the small college group I was with, feeling even more secure knowing a larger group surrounded us. All of the music and messages were wonderful. Of course there were messages I agreed with, and messages that I did not agree with. I think there was probably something for everyone, which really amazed me — it was neat to see the many diverse Christian faiths united.

But what impacted me the most about the week was not something I saw on stage. On Thursday night, it poured. In good spirits, I ignored it, dancing and singing with Toby Mac. But during the rainstorm our tent got flooded, and we ended up sleeping in the van, and I woke up sick. I struggled through the day, but was feeling even worse by the evening. I was so sick that I was tempted to go to sleep instead of attending the concert I’d been looking forward to the most, the Newsboys. My friends did not let that happen. The lent me a beach chair to sit in, wrapped me in a blanket, and surrounded me during the concert. I felt so completely loved. It was amazing that instead of getting wrapped up in the excitement of seeing a popular band, they took care of me. That is what I will remember about Creation — not the famous singers and speakers, but the loving nurturing group of young men and women who cared about me and showered me with love and concern. I feel that only in such an amazing, huge, and diverse community of Christ’s love could I really feel the full impact of my friends actions. In addition to being tons of fun, creation was for me that kind of community.

“All Gods children singing, glory, glory, hallelujah He reigns, He reigns,” was the chorus being sung by thousands of people sitting on the hillside during the Newsboys concert the last night of Creation. I was looking up at the sky and saw several meteors slowly traveling from the west to east. The bright objects took about 12 seconds to stream over the stage. It was amazing watching the crowd as everyone started looking skyward and pointing. There was a hush over the crowd as everyone witnessed this celestial event.

As the meteors faded out of sight, Jake VanBrunt, a member of our youth group, turned to me and said, “Wow, did you see that? Was it a sign?” I nodded and answered , “That was awesome, what can I say?, our God is an awesome God!”

Going to Creation is the highlight of my year. It is well worth all the effort of gathering food and supplies and raising money. Youth leaders meet and work with other youth leaders who are passionate about God, their kids, and their churches. For me, friendships are started and it is good to know we are not alone in our ministry of sharing God’s love.

Face it: the modern world is just one big distraction. Between music, movies, and media, it’s hard to keep track of the things that are really important. Daily, we are bombarded with images of sin, destruction, and pain.

So how do we escape? How do we “make things better?” How, in the midst of so much junk, do we find a way to call out to God, to honor, praise, and adore him? It’s a tough question… unless you know where to look.

Creation Fest is a priceless opportunity. It’s four days of laughing and singing, four days of walking and dancing, four days of sweating and crying, four days of “back to basics,” and most importantly, four days of praise and worship. Creation is a chance to forget the outside world and rededicate your life’s purpose to Jesus. It’s a chance to get back in touch with those things that we, as busy human beings, so often leave behind. It’s a chance to thank God for all that you’ve been given, and to celebrate with thousands of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Creation brings together so many different people from so many different backgrounds and unites them in one common objective: an outpouring of love for our Creator.

So seize the opportunity to surround yourself with great music, great people, great messages, great experiences, and great love. Who knows? Those four short days could change your life.