Theme
The theme for Arise 2024 comes from 2 Timothy 1:6 where Paul exhorts Timothy to “fan into flame the gift of God.” Our vision and prayer for this year is that God will take the sparks and fires ignited within the various participating youth groups and will grow that passion and love for Jesus into a raging fire as we gather together to worship and learn more about God.
Speakers
Thursday Opening Speaker: John In
Pastor John In was raised in the Chicago area, and received his B.A. from Moody Bible Institute in 2013 and graduated with his M.Div. from Moody Theological Seminary in 2018. He has served in various capacities in youth ministry since he was in college, and served as a youth pastor at Agape Presbyterian Church since 2011. Outside of a church context, P. John works in the pharmaceutical business. P. John lives in Wheeling, IL with his wife, Amanda, and they are blessed with 2 children: Elijah, and Eric. In his freetime, P. John enjoys golf, pickleball, and taking his family on adventures.
Friday Speaker: Young Yi
Young Yi is the lead pastor and planter at Kindred Church, in Novi, MI. He currently lives in Ann Arbor, MI with his wife, Hannah and their Golden doodle, Kona. He holds a Master of Divinity from Moody Theological Seminary in Spiritual Formation and Discipleship. During his free time, he enjoys walking around town and taking photos, along with creating written resources on ethnic and spiritual formation for Asian-American Christians. He enjoys playing volleyball and soccer and pretending to be an expert foodie.
Saturday Speaker: Sam Porcha Jr.
Pastor Samuel Porcha’ Jr. was raised in Northern NJ and moved to the Chicagoland area in 2005. He holds a degree in Biblical Theology and a professional certificate in Adverse Childhood Experiences. He has served the church as a youth pastor, associate pastor and sr. pastor. He is driven to reach the next generation for Christ and believes one caring adult can change the trajectory of a child’s life. Pastor Samuel lives in Hoffman Estates, IL with his wife Kimberly and their children. He enjoys movie time with the family, his new found love for pickleball and basketball.
Sunday Closing Speaker: Steve Lee
Steve Lee is the lead pastor of Immanuel Community Church in Wheeling, IL since 2009. Prior to serving at ICC, Steve was a missionary doctor and hospital director in Kenya and during his time there opened an HIV/AIDS clinic and nursing school and used his medical background to pioneer work among unreached peoples in Kenya. Besides his medical degree, Steve completed his M.Div. at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is an avid reader, photographer, chef, and pickleball player.
Schedule
Link to schedule (Google Sheets)
Arrival & Pick Up Information
- Registration will start at 3pm on Thursday, 7/25. Please arrive no later than 5pm.
- If you are being dropped off, please be dropped off at the Google Maps Address below.
- The Arise Security team will be directing people to register inside Memorial Center.
- During registration, you will be checked in and will receive your name tag lanyard with access card and conference packet.
Please be dropped off at the South Side of Memorial Center at Illinois Wesleyan.
Pick up will also be at the same location.
Parking is available in any Illinois Wesleyan Parking Lot.
What to Pack
- Bible (no digital bible apps)
- Pen(s) to take notes (Conference Packet will be provided)
- Personal Toiletries
- Clothing for 4 days – please dress appropriately (not too tight or revealing), sweater/jacket for indoors
- Towel
- Gym Shoes
- Refillable Water Bottle
- Small backpack or bag
- Sleeping bag / Pillow (no blankets/sheets will be provided)
- Personal Snacks (no snacks with peanuts/tree nuts)
- Watch / Alarm Clock (since you won’t have your phone)
- Money for Arise T-Shirt (available for purchase – $25)
Do not bring: Laptops, iPads, Gaming (Nintendo, etc.)
Phone Policy
- All students will be asked to turn in their phones to their youth leaders as part of registration. Disconnecting for the duration of the conference has been a tradition of Arise Youth Conferences to ensure that we can fully engage with God and with one another.
- Counselors, Youth Leaders, and the Arise Admin team will have their phones to ensure that any vital communication is available. If any parent needs to contact their child, please contact the youth leader/pastor.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people and churches are represented at Arise?
- We expect ~240 students (7th-Graduating Seniors) who are registered and about 85 college and adult youth leaders and volunteers from 7 local Chicagoland churches.
What will the volunteers be doing during Arise?
- The majority of the volunteers serving at ARISE come from each participating church. Volunteers will be serving as small group leaders, security, worship, a/v team, administrative support and nurses.
What security precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of students?
- Each volunteer has been vetted by the youth pastor or Arise Admin team, completed a mandatory background check, mandated reporter training, and have attended a half-day training prior to coming to the conference.
- There is a dedicated security team that will be on hand during all activities to ensure that students are accounted for, traveling to the right locations, and are behaving according to the conference guidelines. The security team will also be in constant communication with the Arise Admin team and will have direct access to Campus Security. All security team will be working in pairs to monitor student locations during free time and bedtimes.
How is rooming going to be determined?
- Students will be staying in traditional college dorm rooms with two single beds per room. Floor and rooming assignments were done based on gender, grade, church, and small group and were reviewed by youth leaders.
I will be coming late or leaving earlier than the conference dates. What should I do?
- The Arise Admin team did collect this information as part of registration, but if your schedule changed, please contact the Arise Admin team.
- If you are coming late, please find the Arise admin team members who will get you checked in. If you are leaving early, please ensure that you check out with the Arise Admin team prior to leaving so that we receive your access card and room keys.
I have specific food allergies. Will the cafeteria be able to accommodate my dietary needs?
- The conference team from Illinois Wesleyan have confirmed that their cafeteria who services the college student population is able to accommodate special dietary needs and all potential food allergens will be listed clearly in the dining hall buffet lines and food zones. Each student will be responsible for reading labels and choosing foods accordingly. If there are specific concerns or questions, please contact the Arise Admin team.
How do small groups work at Arise?
- Every student will be placed in a small group with a college/adult counselor and all meals(except Saturday lunch – which is by youth group) and most activities will be with your small group. Small groups will contain students in same grades and will be mixed across churches.
What can we do during free time?
Students will have the following options for free time.
- Gym – Shirk Center (basketball, volleyball, pickleball, field house with track, Board Games, open area to hangout)
- Dorms – rest & relax
What if someone gets sick or injured while at Arise?
- At the minimum there will be 4 nurse/medical professionals on site 24/7 for the entire conference. Please note that parents will be notified if your child has a fever over 100.4°F and/or vomiting and will work out a plan for you to come and pick up your child from Illinois Wesleyan. The medical professionals will handle each situation with great care and will be in communication with the parent(s) as the situation warrants.
What if I take medications or need medications?
- Each student is responsible for storing and taking their own medication. However, if you feel that your child needs support with this responsibility, please contact our nursing lead, Mary Choi directly via email at emailmarychoi@gmail.com.
- If your child needs over-the-counter medication for minor discomfort, the emergency contact on your student’s registration form will be notified before any OTC medications are administered. NO medications will be given to any student without the expressed consent of the parent.
As a parent, am I allowed to come and observe or participate in the worship?
- Due to security, no unregistered adults will be allowed to stay unless there are extenuating circumstances and are given expressed permission from the Arise Admin team.
Campus Map
Contact Information
Arise Admin Team – ariseyouthconference@gmail.com
Arise Admin Contact – Ha Min Cho (hamincho@gmail.com, 847-331-8051)
For student specific concerns, please contact your youth pastor.
Follow at arise.conf