Last summer, approximately 150 people gathered for Move the Nations – Hawaii's first ever district-wide young adult convention. This year, Move the Nations ’09 will be held on the mainland at Monterey Bay Christian Center in Seaside, California, August 21-22, and event coordinators are expecting record number attendance.The convention has been expanded to include three districts and will be streamed live over the Internet to young adults around the world. Churches from the Arizona Latin District, Northern Pacific Latin American District and Northern California and Nevada District have confirmed they are sending attendees and/or are watching the event live.
Danny dj and Martha Morales, Move the Nations founders and organizers, lead Lifehouse, Monterey Bay Christian Center’s young adult ministry group. Danny Morales says they are expecting 300 young adults onsite for the convention, but are anticipating a greater impact even beyond the individuals who will physically attend the conference. Move the Nations will be both advertised and broadcast over the Internet via Facebook, YouTube, Livestream Network, AGTV and the Assemblies of God national Young Adult Ministries Web site.
“Martha and I are looking forward to a demonstrable move of the Holy Spirit at this year’s convention that will not only move young adult attendees onsite, but also move young adults viewing throughout the world,” Danny Morales says. “Through the integrated medium of our live stream channel and social networking sites, like Twitter and Facebook, we hope to connect young adults in a common and thoroughly Pentecostal gathering place.”
The Moraleses have noted the power that new technologies have in spreading video and pop culture news around the world, and are hoping to use these same technologies to share the love of Christ through the Play it Forward campaign. They have set a goal of live streaming the Move the Nations event to young adults on every continent, including Antarctica.
As Danny Morales is active United States Navy, they have already “played it forward” to many deployed individuals around the world. The Moraleses hope other young adults will take up the message and “play it forward” by embedding the live stream on their own social sites and blogs.
The Move the Nations event is free and the Moraleses invite young adults ages 18-35 who are in the California area to just show up and attend August 21-22.
Christian comedian Dennis Gaxiola, formerly of the Latin Kings of Comedy, will share his comedy ministry Saturday, August 22. Also included in Saturday’s program will be a panel discussion, “The Young Adult Commission for a PostModern 2.0 World,” which will feature top young adult leaders, including Ryan Moore, Young Adult Ministries coordinator for the Assemblies of God. The discussion will be open live over the Internet, August 22 at 2:00 pm Pacific Daylight Time.
As at last year’s event, Dr. Roger Ovalle, assistant superintendent of the Northern Pacific Latin American District, will be the guest speaker. The Moraleses hope that Move the Nations inspires young adults in the local church to rise up and “do awesome things for God and their peers.”
For more information on Move the Nations ‘09, visit the event Web site or connect on Facebook. Additional information on the Play it Forward campaign is available at http://mbccag.com/mtnlive.
