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They are all a part of Bluefield College’s Winter Blast, a two-day ski adventure and worship weekend set for January 16-17 on the stunning Bluefield College campus and the thrilling slopes of nearby Winterplace Ski Resort.
Church youth groups, outdoor fanatics, Christian music fans, prospective college students and any other Bluefield College friends are invited to participate in the winter youth event that will feature worshipful music from the contemporary Christian band Finding Favour and meaningful messages applicable to teens today from Jason Garris, lead pastor of Highland Christian Church in Asheville, North Carolina.
With more than 500 youth already registered to attend, the 2016 version of BC’s Winter Blast will begin Saturday, January 16 with registration from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., followed by dinner and a worship concert at 7:00 p.m. with Finding Favour, a four-member band from Nashville, Tennessee, whose powerful music reflects the moving stories that inspire their faith.
Originally from Vidalia, Georgia, Finding Favour performs songs of religious inspiration and personal transformation against a backdrop of tight modern pop rock. They offer soul-shaking anthems with impactful lyrics, including the debut single “Slip on By” off their recently released premiere self-titled album.
“Our songs are a reflection of specific moments of our lives and a reminder that God has been there by our sides,” said drummer Josh Duckworth. “We hope that our music gives people hope and encourages all of us to rise as believers and love others passionately through Jesus.”
Day one of Winter Blast will conclude with a late night pizza party, dodge-ball tournament, and other various games in BC’s Dome Gymnasium and Student Activities Center.
Day two, Sunday, January 17, will begin with a 9:00 a.m. worship session led by Garris, who has been speaking to and working with middle and high school students for more than 15 years at Hermitage Hills Baptist Church in Nashville, Tennessee, and now Highland Christian Church in Asheville, North Carolina. With a love for scripture and “the incredible story of rescue that it contains,” Garris is known as a storyteller. A native of Allentown, Pennsylvania, who studied mass communication in college, he not only tells stories from the pulpit and the stage, but also through filmmaking and the camera lens.
Followed by lunch on the BC campus at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, Winter Blast participants will travel to nearby Winterplace Ski Resort for a full day of skiing, tubing, and snowboarding. With 28 trails on more than 90 acres of skiable terrain, Winterplace serves as the off-campus setting for BC’s Winter Blast. Winterplace has nine lifts, a top elevation of 3,600 feet, and a long run of more than a mile, not to mention the fact that it has the largest snow tubing park in the state of West Virginia.
The standard two-day package for Winter Blast, January 16-17, costs $179 per person and includes two nights lodging, two worship sessions, a one day lift ticket, one day ski rental, a lunch, two dinners, two breakfasts, and a souvenir t-shirt. For the extreme Winter Blast adventurer, an added day of skiing with an extra overnight stay on the BC campus is available, Friday, January 15. The three-day package, January 15-17, costs $259 per person and includes three nights lodging, two worship sessions, a two-day lift ticket, a two-day ski rental, two lunches, two dinners, three breakfasts, and a souvenir t-shirt.
To register or for more information, visit www.bcwinterblast.com, or contact Winter Blast coordinator Ron Whitworth by email at [email protected] or by phone at 828.216.4464.