As the school year approaches, Milligan College continues to stay busy with one of its longest-running programs for students across the area.
The Youth in Ministry (YiM) conference opened up this week and will conclude Saturday, with students participating in a camp activity away from the campus.
Stephen Woodward, assistant director of public relations at Milligan College, stated the weeklong event is to help prepare high school students to be servant leaders for their community.
“This week has been amazing,” Phyllis Fox, director of church relations and youth in ministry, told the Elizabethton Star on Tuesday. “We have so many students from across the area and from other states. It has been a perfect time for worship and show what Milligan College is all about.”
YiM has produced over 70 students from 13 states navigating throughout the campus, participating in various activities offered by the faculty.
According to the college, 30 to 40 percent of YiM students continue their “journey” at Milligan once they complete high school.
Speakers participating in this week’s ministry include Dr. Curtis Booher, associate professor of Christian ministries at the college and associate pastor at Crossroads Christian Church in Gray; Laura Buffington, creative director and spiritual formation pastor at SouthBrook Christian Church in Ohio; Dori Gorman, founder of New Story Church in Chicago; Bob Robinson of Avoca Christian Church in Bristol, and David Robinson, senior minister of Community Christian Church in Maryland.
Along with the speakers, students participated in “Leadership 201” with Tim Burchfield, owner of Chick-fil-A in Johnson City.
According to a press release issued from Woodward, worship for YiM was led by Nathan Hall, a 2014 Milligan alum and current vocational minister at Crossroads Christian Church.
Other Milligan graduates assisting with the conference include Ryan Arnold (’07), Kit Dotson (’93), Christian Thompson (’07) and Chris Wells (’09).