9,000 expected at Challenge Youth Conference in Gatlinburg, Tenn.

Another weekend.
Another flood of youth groups from Churches of Christ bound for Gatlinburg, Tenn.
On the heels of last week’s Winterfest — which drew more than 12,000 teens and sponsors to the mountain resort town — the Challenge Youth Conference expects a crowd of 9,000 this weekend.
“The fact that there’s 21,000-plus wanting to come tells me that there are kids who are interested in spiritual matters,” said Larry Davenport, director of the 13th annual CYC. The event started in nearby Pigeon Forge with 300 participants in 2000.
Davenport, who works full time as director of enrollment for Heritage Christian University in Florence, Ala., noted that Winterfest has been “maxed out” for years.
“There’s obviously room for another Church of Christ event,” he said.
CYC’s official sponsors include Heritage, Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, Tenn., and Faulkner University in Montgomery, Ala.
For anyone wanting to watch, live online streaming of CYC is planned.
Reader feedback: Are you attending the Challenge Youth Conference? What draws you to this event, and how do you expect it to challenge you in your spiritual journey? Please be sure to include your name, age, home congregation, city and state in case we decide to quote you.