Illinois—Imagine a weekend with no TV, no Internet, and no CDs. You leave your laptop behind and don’t pack your iPod. Would that turn out to be a good weekend for you? For the eighty-plus young people who attended the Illinois Conference youth rally it was.

Held on the grounds of Camp Akita, outside Peoria, Ill., young people spent November 12–14 learning more about their God, nature, themselves, and each other. “Being at the youth rally gives young people the chance to leave the normal things behind, let their hair down and say what’s truly on their heart. They can interact with others who believe the same things that they do, and that is something that is sometimes hard to find,” said Michael Boryca, Camp Akita ranger.

The theme of the rally, "Fellowship of the Lion Killers," was based on 1 Peter 5:8, 9. One of the purposes of the weekend was to challenge young people to understand the world around them, physically and spiritually.

The weekend speaker was Glenn Poole, a former Illinois Conference pastor and current Andrews University religion teacher. Poole wanted the young people to know that even though they were involved in spiritual warfare there is a brighter side.

“Sometimes Disney understands the great controversy better than we do. They know that there was a once upon a time and there will be a happily ever after. We, as Christians, sometimes forget the happily ever after,” Poole said in his Sabbath morning message.

Leading out in song service for the weekend was the band Ekklesia, whose name means the ones called out. Greg Greek, Nate Gemmell, Chuck Gomez, Jason Horinouchi, and Ryan Yeo make up this group from Southern Adventist University.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the first ever Camp Akita Open Mic session. There were plenty of cheers to go around for the few acts that performed, which included singing, guitar strumming, and piano playing. The participants were also given devotional books for sharing their talents.

Lauren Brooks, one of the young people who attended the rally, felt that those who didn’t attend truly missed something special. Brooks said, “Pastor Poole’s messages were really good. He reassured me that there is a purpose for my life, and that’s something that many young people need to hear.”

Pierre Quinn, Andrews University communication major and Pontiac Southside Church member