Francis Chan, pastor of Cornerstone Community Church in Simi Valley, California, and a perennial favorite speaker for BNYC, was the featured speaker at the 8:30 p.m. main session this evening. Chan emphasized the aspect of “enjoying God,” and helped the teens view sharing their faith as an enjoyable, not dutiful, thing to do.(Jeanine Russell photo)

Jordan Byers, a teen from the Winona Lake (IN) Grace Brethren Church (Heartland District) sang a vocal solo in this evening’s main session of the Brethren National Youth Conference, meeting on the BIOLA University campus in LaMirada, California.

The longest lines at mealtime–by far–on the BIOLA campus are those waiting to access the soft ice cream machine at Brethren National Youth Conference. At 7 p.m. on Monday the temperature in LaMirada was still 95 degrees with a heat index of 100 degrees. BNYC participants are being urged to bring bottles of water to

In spite of the stifling heat in the southern California summer, the “Go Kart Races” that are part of the “Grace College Fair” day at Brethren National Youth Conference are very popular. Teens are encouraged to create teams of four for competition and the pedal-powered cars, trucked to the BIOLA campus from Winona Lake, Indiana,

“Inspired” is a youth choir from the Clinton Grace Brethren Church in the Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C. They competed this afternoon in the “Youth Choir” category of the NAC competition, singing “Our God is an Awesome God.” They sang in the Crowell Music Hall auditorium on the BIOLA University campus in LaMirada, California, where

The OC4, a Southern gospel quartet of teens from the Osceola, Indiana, Grace Brethren Church (Heartland District) competed earlier this afternoon in the NAC competition in the “Small Vocal Ensemble” group. Individuals and groups that participate are judged by a panel of judges, and each is given constructive, helpful comments for improvement.

Shawn McBride, from Washington, D.C., a perennial favorite BNYC speaker, spoke at the 10:45 a.m. session today on “Sexual Purity.” Using a variety of visual aids (rat traps, duct tape, a ladder) he emphasized the biblical theme that God gave sex for a purpose, but like any good gift, sex can be misued and abused.

“Sound Investment,” the praise and worship band from Grace College, led the P&W section of the 10:45 a.m. main session today at BNYC.

Dr. Randy Smith, pastor of the Sebring, Florida, Grace Brethren Church and expert on Israel, gave a quick trip through the End Times tonight as he detailed events that will happen as portrayed in the Book of Revelation.(Jenna Hollinger photo) The evening concluded with Youth Group meetings and counselor groups, with lights-out at 12:15 a.m.

Jeremy Perry from the Clinton Grace Brethren Church in Maryland sang the offertory as teens contributed to the National Youth Project Offering project, which this year will largely be used to help fund the Training Center now under construction on the CENational campus in Winona Lake, Indiana.