'Christian Woodstock' Kicks Off, Expects Huge Crowd
The 30th Creation Festival, dubbed a "Christian Woodstock," kicked off Wednesday with music, teaching and activities scheduled to jam pack the four-day event.
Thousands of believers, mainly young people, are flocking to the campgrounds of Agape Farm in Mount Union, Pa., for the major annual music festival where alcoholic beverages and drugs are not allowed and the dress code is "modesty."
Several stages at the festival are featuring popular Christian music artists, including Newsboys, Switchfoot, TobyMac, Hawk Nelson and Chris Tomlin, just to name a few. But Creation '08 is about more than music, organizers say.
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"Creation is also about honoring the Word of God," they state on their Web site.
Every year, tens of thousands of people attending the festival hear messages that challenge and inspire them in their faith walk. Among the speakers this year is the Rev. Rob Schenck, president of Faith and Action, who will speak out in favor of life.
Schenck said he will give this year's pro-life message in the context of the Scripture passage Psalm 139 and the recent hit movie "Juno," a film about a pregnant 16-year-old who realizes the importance of life and decides not to abort her baby.
"Creation has always been a highlight for me," Schenck said of the festival, which features dozens of Christian bands, sports activities, and live public baptisms."
"Few places pack so much spiritual energy into such a compact period of time. The kids and adults who attend Creation get their spiritual batteries recharged while they also have a lot of fun. Hundreds will come to Christ, renew their Christian commitments and experience a deeper sense of calling on their lives," he added.
Schenck, also part of a network of people "who share a common concern about the moral integrity of our American culture," will speak Saturday on the final day of the festival.
This year's Creation Festival is being held on June 25-28 and is expected to draw as many as 50,000 visitors.
"Hundreds of thousands of people have been spiritually enriched and made life-changing decisions for Christ and we give God all the glory," according to the festival Web site. "The Creation Festival is all about changing lives and glorifying our Creator. Our prayer for at Creation '08 is that people will be changed, restored, and challenged to serve the Lord and to make a difference in this world."
