MC GREGOR, MN (December 15, 2000) – The name and the site will remain the same for the next Covenant High in Christ (CHIC) conference, according to a task force that recently met at Covenant Pines Bible Camp to review this summer’s highly successful CHIC2K event.
CHIC 2003 will be held at the University of Tennessee (UT) in Knoxville, Tennessee, from July 31 to August 6, according to Marti Burger, director of Youth and Family Ministries for the Department of Christian Education and Discipleship of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC). The University of Tennessee was the site of CHIC2K last July that boasted a record 6,500 participants.
The acronym CHIC will remain as a means of describing the denominational high school event, Burger said. Various theme titles will be added to provide each event with a special focus. The question of the event’s name was a center of attention and considerable discussion at this year’s event, with students attending the event strongly endorsing continuance of the CHIC identity. Event leaders promised students the matter would receive careful consideration.
The CHIC committee also discussed the idea of having two CHIC events in 2006, hosting similar events on both the East and West coasts. Burger said that no college campuses with conference centers are large enough to host an expanding CHIC event. Travel costs are also an issue an item of concern when considering multiple CHIC sites.
Surveys show most CHIC2K attendees state they were blessed by the event. Ninety-two percent of respondents perceived worship as very good or excellent and each of the speakers rated in the 90 percent range as very good or excellent in their presentations. Goals for CHIC 2003 include a commitment to make the event as conducive to different cultures as possible. Excursions, small group meetings and late-night options were also discussed as the committee seeks to further improve an already high-quality event.
“Our goal going into the visioning weekend was to put everything on the table for discussion,” said Burger. “The new council was not appointed, nor the site contract signed, until we had a chance to discuss all possible options for the future. We were pleased that most of the discussion centered on small enhancements to the regular schedule. Most people felt that the event helped them in ministry and brought kids closer to Christ,” she said.
Burger said committee members appeared to share a single purpose – “what can we do to make CHIC in 2003 the best ever?”
“Based on what happened at UT in July 2000,”it will be tough, but with the leadership that gathered at Covenant Pines, I believe it will happen,” said Rich Moore, pastor at the Evangelical Covenant Church of Sloan, Iowa. “I think Christ and the church will benefit most from the changes recommended.”
Copyright © 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.