11,000 Youth Hail 2006 DCLA Celebration

WASHINGTON – Over 11,000 Christian teenagers have convened in Washington for the 2006 DCLA celebration, which started today with a worship session featuring the Dove-Award winning group David Crowder Band and teachings by WisdomWorks Ministries founder Mark Matlock.

DCLA is aptly named after Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles – the two cities where the event is hosted every three years. The year's theme, "3Story Training," focuses on embedding the story of God in the hearts of Christian youth and their peers.

"Your students will learn the powerful connection between God’s Story, My (your students’) Story, and Their (their friends’) Stories. In a peer-to-peer environment, students unfold each story and the importance of the intersections between them," a promotional flyer describes. "You’re going to see your students grow in their faith, not only during the event but also in the days and months to follow."

While DCLA is geared toward middle school and high school-aged Christians, youth leaders are also expected to attend optional seminars and sessions on spiritual discipleship. Sessions for youth include lessons on "raging hormones," "thoughts from an ex-homeless guy" and "faith that isn't wimpy."

The highlight of DCLA is a "Big Room Special" by Louie Giglio, founder of Choice Resources. A host of CCM artists such as Superchic[k], Bethany Dillon, Sanctus Real, Hawk Nelson, and Jeremy Camp, are also part of the four-day line-up, which ends on Independence Day.