Organisers of an annual youth conference in Brisbane faced an unusual challenge… too many people wanted to come.
The four-day event is getting so big might “soon outgrow” present its venue.
The conference took place 22 to 25 September. It drew more than 1600 registered participants, a marked increase on last year’s event.
The travelled as far as Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, New Zealand and Canada.
Ten people from Challenge 2000 traveled from New Zealand to take part (see photo above).
Challenge 2000 is a Youth Development, Community and Family Social Work agency based in Johnsonville in Wellington.
Keynote presenters from around the world played a primary role in engaging teenagers with new and contemporary ideas on the faith.
They included former X-Factor contestant Fr Rob Galea from Sandhurst diocese and Canadian musician Joe Zambon.
Ignite Conference is an “Australian national Catholic youth conference held in Brisbane. It is for adults, students, kids, ministry leaders, teachers, priests and religious.”
It is the brainchild of Brisbane’s Emmanuel Community.
Since it began in 2001 the conference has grown to become the largest Catholic conference for young people in Australia.
On its website the Emmanuel Community describes itself “as a Catholic mission community in the Archdiocese of Brisbane called to be a force for renewal in the Church and the transformation of the world.”
It was formed in 1975, as the Brisbane Covenant Community but changed its name a year later.
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