More than 100 young people have last week gathered for Ignite Live, hosted for the first time at Emmanuel College, Success.
Ignite Live events bring together teenagers and young adults from across Perth and this event was especially accessible to those in the southern suburbs.
Ignite Youth Perth Coordinator, Ronan McGinniss said many of the youth who attended are part of local youth groups while others are from parishes who are not able to sustain a regular group.
Speaking to The eRecord this week, Mr McGinniss said the structure of the night was based on the Ignite Youth philosophy of making the Catholic faith enjoyable and modern.
In addition to the modern setting of the new Emmanuel auditorium, a custom-designed art installation was positioned on the stage, complemented by the modern sound and lighting.
Mr McGinniss went on to say that the Ignite band is becoming well-known in Perth for their energetic and professional music, which featured as the first part of the program and opened the event with much enthusiasm.
Event MCs Clarence Goh and Christian Dichiera ran a lively segment that involved humorous improvised voice-over dubs of a TV scene.
“This kind of segment is important for allowing young people to feel comfortable at a Church event,” Mr McGinniss said.
“In today’s society, people find humor dominating their social media feeds and TV screens but we want them to know that within the Church there is a place for good humour and fun too,” he said.
The theme of the night was ‘Your Kingdom Come’ and focused on how God is alive during the Easter season.
The main presentation was delivered by Ryan Shelton, who is part of the Ignite Youth Perth Core Team and also the Religious Education Coordinator at Holy Cross College in Ellenbrook.
“Easter isn’t just about remembering something that happened 2000 years ago but remembering that God is alive and he wants to appear to you today,” Mr Shelton said.
“The resurrection is proof that God can do anything. What does God need to resurrect in your life right now?”
Keeping with the modern focus of Ignite events, Mr Shelton used numerous clips to add a compelling narrative to his message. Following the presentation, all attendees were given the opportunity to participate in the sacrament of reconciliation or be prayed for by dedicated prayer teams.
Once the main event concluded, participants enjoyed an extended time of conversation, food and a variety of games.
The next Ignite Live event is Friday 9th June from 7-9pm at Chisholm Catholic College Auditorium in Bedford. Groups and individuals from across Perth are all welcome to attend. For more information visit igniteyouth.com/perth