My kids inspire me! Two of my children are in high school, and I’m privileged to have a ring-side seat as they learn to walk with and trust the Lord in every aspect of their lives. When they and their friends take hold of a truth that they have made their own, I am encouraged that while being a Christian high school student can have its challenges, it can also provide many opportunities to stretch and grow—that’s inspirational!

Recently, Colonial Student Ministries took a group of high school juniors and seniors to the 2012 FOCUS Conference held in the mountains of North Carolina. The conference was hosted by Twin Cities Baptist Church of Winston-Salem. Matt McCarthy, Student Ministries Pastor at Twin Cities, has seen the need to challenge students with “cross-centered expository preaching that would promote radical Christianity in the lives of students.” This year, the FOCUS was on holiness. Pastor Aaron Miller said, “The message of the FOCUS Conference is the same message for summer camps, which is the same message for our Sunday mornings, which is the same message as the Bible. Take God’s Word and God’s people and make much of Him. When we do that God is glorified, Christians grow, and sinners get saved. This should never be exclusively discussed or taught at a camp or a retreat. It should be the message of every sermon and every Bible study. It should be the moment-by-moment fragrance of our lives.”

Here’s what some of the students who attended FOCUS 2012 had to say about what they learned.