Our Chaplain took a group of cadets last Friday to attend the Winterfest in Pigeon Forge, TN with his church’s youth ministry. Winterfest is an annual Spirit-filled youth conference and ministry weekend hosted by the Church of God International Youth Discipleship Department. Students and youth leaders from various states gather together to worship and fellowship. Winterfest has been in existence for over 40 years. This year, there were an estimated 10,000 people in attendance from SC, GA, FL, VA, AL, MS, TN, KY and other states. CMA students attended the conference as part of International Church of God. This was the first time CMA student’s were able to attended a youth conference of this magnitude. The students and adults were impacted in a mighty way by the Spirit of the Lord. Cadets arrived in Pigeon Forge at lunch on Friday, got checked into the cabin, and attended the evening service. On Saturday, they attended the morning worship service, spent time at the Island Fun Park in Pigeon Forge, at lunch and dinner, and then attended the evening service. The conference concluded with the Sunday morning service. Afterwards, cadets went back to the Island Fun Park for a few more hours before traveling back to South Carolina. According to our students, this was a youth conference like nothing they have ever attended before and it was a life-changing experience. Our students are already asking to attend Winterest next year!
– Timothy Hunter (CMA Chaplain)