OneDay03 momentum builds

OneDay03, a solemn assembly gathering college-aged young people in worship and prayer for spiritual awakening in this generation, will be held on Memorial Day weekend, May 24-27, on a private 400-acre ranch in Sherman, TX. Drawing over 40,000 college-aged students in May of 2000, Passion Conferences’ OneDay gathering became one of the largest gatherings of its kind in the past 25 years, impacting the lives of all who experienced it. Recalling their own experiences at OneDay 2000, some of the attendees from several different states recently spoke about the gathering and what they are planning for OneDay03.

Massachusetts:
“I had been looking forward to OneDay 2000 all year and as ‘spiritually prepared’ as I thought I was, nothing could have prepared me for that weekend,” says Stacey Wideman, student minister in Boston. “I came away from OneDay 2000 with a desire to live my life bent on the Glory of God and to reflect His Glory in everything that I do.”

Preparing for OneDay03, Stacey and others gathered students from campuses in and around Boston for Passion’s OneDay satellite link October 24, 2002, and for worship events on campuses in the area, some drawing numbers that reflected the entire population of Christians on those campuses.

North Carolina:
“What blew me away was the way it opened our eyes to the fact that God is so incredibly larger than just our own individual worlds,” says Evan Albertyn, college pastor at Central Church of God in Charlotte. “He revealed himself to us in a new and fresh way.”

In preparation for OneDay03, Evan, with volunteer help, developed a website, www.charlotteoneday.com, where those interested in OneDay03 can post prayer requests, register to ride and camp together at the event, and read about the OneDay03 vision for the students in the Charlotte area.

California:
“I can’t tell you enough how being there that day impacted the group of us from San Luis Obispo, CA,” says Halle Wright, OneDay03 regional coordinator for Central California. “We were broken with compassion for our fellow students, stirred up about the incredible God we serve, and humbled by the tremendous need our campus had (and still has) for the gospel.”

The vision of OneDay03 has prompted San Luis Obispo (SLO) students from campus ministries and local churches to begin meeting regularly.

“We’ve already started meeting together to pray for our campus and for God to move all over San Luis Obispo,” says Halle. “We’re praying that God would unify our hearts together here in SLO for His glory, His purposes, and His plans for the Central Coast of California.”

Georgia:
Milan Ford, college pastor at New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in Atlanta, hopes to bring several hundred African American students from Atlanta and surrounding areas to OneDay03. “This is not about color, it is about a generation passionately pursuing God and I don’t want the African American community to miss out on this awesome movement of God.”

Ohio:
Sarah Bunn, OneDay03 regional coordinator, described OneDay 2000 as, “Times of praise and adoration... Not worship that I was used to, but new forms of worship that planted a seed in my heart allowing me to think out of the box. That was such a gift to me that day!”

Within the past four months, Sarah has seen over 18 new coordinators in Ohio with countless volunteers signing up under them to spread the word about OneDay03 and to seek local ministries to pray about incorporating OneDay03 into their ministries.

In preparation for OneDay03, artists and speakers who attended OneDay 2000 speak about their experiences and what they expect this year in Sherman, TX:

“OneDay 2000 in Memphis was like a time-release bomb. Sure, it had quite an explosive force on that May gathering, but even more as we left to pursue God and His kingdom. Evidence that this was more than just a good idea or another Christian rally,” says lead worshipper Chris Tomlin.

"I have never been in a more reverent place than the field at Shelby Farms. There we were with this ever-real awareness that our Maker was present. That it was for Him that we were made. That it was for Him that we were gathered. And we were changed. And it’s happening again,” explains lead worshipper David Crowder of David Crowder Band.

"I was a participant at OneDay 2000, and I can tell you that I’ve rarely been a part of anything I was more certain God could use to change a generation. OneDay is totally unique. Totally God,” explains Beth Moore, author/director of Living Proof Ministries in Houston, TX.

“After praying for years that God would gather this generation and empower them toward a move of God where we seek His face intensely, I was encouraged to see that heart at OneDay 2000,” says lead worshipper Charlie Hall. “What an incredible thing to see thousands of people on their face asking God to make himself known in the earth. This is not an event as much as it is a historical touch of God.”

“Years don’t change people, days do. Maybe even hours,” says John Piper, author/pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis, MN. “That was the experience of thousands at OneDay in Memphis, May, 2000. The main reason for this is the unremitting focus on Christ. I loved being a part of OneDay and commend it to young people everywhere.”

Led by some of the most influential worship leaders and speakers of the day, college students representing every state in the nation and 26 different countries gathered for OneDay 2000 on a field in Memphis, TN to worship and pray for spiritual awakening in this generation. Three years have passed, and a new generation of college students exists. Passion felt led by God once again to equip and motivate this collegiate generation to pursue God’s glory in their lives and on campuses around the world.

OneDay03 is open to all those in the 18-26-age range, as well as graduate students, adult leaders, and students entering their senior year in high school. Detailed schedule and registration information can be found at www.oneday03.com.