Have you ever sat in a room with more than 500 young people and heard complete silence? Not the silence that comes when a room is empty. Not the silence that follows instructions. The kind of silence that settles over a crowd when every person is completely captivated by what they’re hearing. That’s exactly what happened last Friday night in Citrusdal.
As our team prepared for the final youth event of the week, we set out 130 chairs. It felt like a reasonable expectation. After all, we had been serving in schools and connecting with young people throughout the week, but none of us could fully anticipate what was about to unfold.
As more and more young people arrived, chairs kept being added. One row became two. Two became ten. By the end of the evening, there were approximately 550 chairs in the venue, and every single one was occupied. Young people stood around the walls and packed into any available space they could find. Throughout the evening, our team led music and shared stories of hope. Vaughn Vigo and Shaundeon shared music drawn from their own journeys and experiences. Yet one of the most remarkable moments of the night came when our good friend and Creative Collective member, Vaughn, shared his testimony.
The room fell silent. Hundreds of young people, many of whom had spent the week laughing, talking and engaging with their friends, sat captivated. They listened intently as a story of transformation unfolded before them. You could sense that hearts were open. Following his testimony, Vaughn presented the Gospel and invited young people to respond. Later in the evening, Gilead, part of Kinetic IV, reinforced the message and gave a further opportunity for young people to make a response.
Again, the room sat silent.
It was the culmination of a week spent investing in Citrusdal. Over the course of the week, our team visited every school in the community, connecting with more than 2,900 learners through assemblies, conversations, games and messages of hope, purpose and identity. Alongside the school programme, the team hosted youth gatherings on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, creating space for deeper conversations and meaningful connection.
Throughout the week, we were reminded that meaningful change often happens over time. One school visit in particular stood out. For many years, the school had been known for significant behavioural challenges and disruption. As our team arrived on campus, we immediately noticed something had changed. Learners were attentive, respectful and engaged. The atmosphere felt completely different. For a team that has spent years praying for Citrusdal’s schools, young people and leaders, it was a powerful reminder that transformation is possible and that seeds planted faithfully over time can bear fruit in ways we don’t always get to see immediately.
Some of the young people we met this week are not new faces. Relationships have been built over nearly a decade of returning to Citrusdal, and it was incredibly special to see those connections continue to grow. There is something powerful about showing up year after year, walking alongside a community and watching seeds planted long ago continue to bear fruit. This week, we caught glimpses of that fruit in unexpected places. Not only in packed evening events and Gospel responses, but also in conversations with teachers, leaders and young people who have witnessed positive change within their schools and community. Moments like these remind us that lasting transformation is rarely instantaneous. More often, it is the result of faithful investment, consistent prayer and people choosing to keep showing up.
While it was difficult to accurately count the number of young people who responded to the Gospel during the final event, what we do know is this: the Gospel was clearly preached, and young people responded. Lives were touched, conversations were started, and God moved in ways that only He can.
As we reflect on the week, we’re filled with gratitude for the schools, churches, leaders and volunteers who made it possible. Most of all, we’re thankful for the hundreds of young people who chose to engage, listen and respond. And the story isn’t finished yet.
This coming weekend, members of the team will return to Citrusdal for Rooted and Bloom, two events designed to invest in and equip young men and young women. After such an encouraging week, we’re expectant for what God will continue to do through these gatherings.
Please join us in praying for the young people of Citrusdal. Pray that the seeds planted this week would take root and grow. Pray for those who responded to the Gospel, that they would continue to encounter Jesus and be connected into healthy faith communities. And pray for Rooted and Bloom as the team returns, that these events would build on the momentum of the past week and see even more young people discover the hope found in Christ.
Because sometimes the most powerful sound is silence. And in Citrusdal, the silence of 550 young people listening to the Gospel was something we’ll not soon forget.
