MUUUCE 2015 – Amplify: Make His Voice Heard
Imagine 661 middle schools students and their leaders gathered together for three days of amazing worship, fantastic teaching and awesome fun. The energy, the passion, the laughter, (okay, and the smell) all melded together to make the 29th annual MUUUCE (Most Unbelievable, Ultimate, Urban Camping Experience) an incredible event. The team from Crossroads Church in Woodbury, MN, again did a fantastic job designing and hosting the event with a team of over 160 volunteers working different shifts to make it run seamlessly.
From the Welcome Party to worship, students knew they were at an event designed with them in mind. Whether it was giant inflatable games, a huge GaGa ball pit, color hair spray experts, mini-donuts and sno-cones, or Cesar Castillejos’ highly-visual teaching, students got the message that there is a God who cares for them. One student reflected, “You have a lot fun but you also learn about God.” Cesar (who also spoke at MOVE earlier this year) drove home the Amplify theme with this perspective, “Our true identity is the cross and that’s what we amplify—His work in us.”
MUUUCE provides a great opportunity for youth leaders and pastors to build relationships in their youth ministries and help their students connect with Christ. Youth pastor Mikey Bechtold (Crossview Covenant, North Mankato, MN) put it this way, “I love MUUUCE because it creates a space for middle schoolers to engage in faith and to build a close relationship as a group.”
Luther Brown (Lakeview Covenant, Duluth, MN) noted, “Kids are on fire and are finding their light in Christ.”
As one middle schooler put it after a full day of fun and worship, “This was the best day of my life!”
