As millennium fever grows, people around the globe will mark the occasion in decidedly different ways. Hotels near Times Square have been booked for years by those anxious to party away the night in the bars and streets of Manhattan. Concerned about the enormous binge, police in the Big Apple are warning theaters to close New Year's Eve because of the disruption expected from up to 2 million revelers. Others will hunker down in the safety of their own homes and wait expectantly to see if predictions of widespread disruptions caused by the Y2K computer bug will come to fruition.

But young people looking to mark the momentous occasion in a more significant way will join with thousands of their peers throughout North America for YouthLink 2000. Expected to be the largest Southern Baptist youth event ever held, YouthLink 2000 will encourage students to focus on Jesus Christ and on taking Him to the world at the dawn of a new era. Up to 200,000 students are expected to converge on seven host cities and link together in spirit and by satellite to focus on their personal role in continuing the long Southern Baptist heritage of missions and evangelism.

The conference will include energetic worship, fellowship, messages from evangelism leaders and other teens and some of today's best-known, teen-oriented, Christian music artists. In addition to talking and singing about sharing Christ with the world, students will dedicate part of their time at the conference to personally walk the neighborhoods of host cities and share the life-changing message of the Jesus whose birth they're celebrating.

"As we approach the promise and uncertainty of the 21st Century, nothing is more important than creating Great Commission hearts in our young people," said Bob Reccord, president of the North American Mission Board. "The blessing and responsibility of evangelism still rests with Christians of all ages, but in a very real sense this event is the opportunity for our generation to say to young people 'The next leg of this relay is yours. We can't run it for you.' "

Seven sites, one spirit

YouthLink will be hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center, Atlanta's Georgia World Congress Center, the Denver Convention Center, the Houston Astrodome, the Phila-delphia Convention Center, the St. Louis Trans World Dome and Tampa's Ice Palace. All seven sites will be linked by satellite for the three-day event, December 29-31.

Born almost a decade ago, the YouthLink Steering Committee, consists of members from the International Mission Board, LifeWay Christian Resources, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) and the Woman's Missionary Union. As the event has progressed, those closest to it have seen some unanticipated results, including a movement of prayer.

Focused intercessory prayer for the nation's young people has become one of the early ancillary benefits of YouthLink 2000. The 30th of each month has been set aside for prayer and fasting related to the event.

"Jesus Himself is interceding for our kids," Henry Blackaby, author of Experiencing God and NAMB special assistant to the president for prayer and spiritual awakening, told Baptist Press. "Jesus is praying not that they would come out of the world but that God would keep the evil one from them. This is not the time to withdraw. It is a time for our students to go into their schools with boldness."

Pray and act, says Blackaby. "The one thing I see in scripture that I don't see enough in God's people today is linking prayer with action that follows."

"The hour is so serious," he added. "We can build bunkers and withdraw. We can demonstrate that we have no faith in God. But we have a generation of teenagers watching what the adults do."

The heart of the event is to awaken students to their role in taking Christ to the world.

"We're not interested in telling kids 'Here's what the denomination thinks you should do' or 'Here's what our missions agency thinks you should do,'" said Len Taylor, director of NAMB's Student Evangelism team. "We're praying that at a time when much of the world will be waking up with a bad hangover, these kids will wake up on New Year's Day with a fresh vision for where they fit into God's plan to bring salvation to the world."

YouthLink leaders recommend a follow-up event back at the church to offer teens an opportunity to respond to decisions made during the conference. Organizers are praying that YouthLink will see 1,000 youth commit to full-time mission service and another 1,500 commit to full-time ministry.

Overcoming concerns

YouthLink organizers want to reassure parents concerned about potential Y2K-related computer problems surrounding the New Year. Concerned parents have several options, including accompanying their kids to the event or bringing their kids home a few hours early.

"All 700 adults working toward YouthLink 2000 feel a strong sense of responsibility for every student until they are home safely," said Dean Finley, YouthLink co-chairman and NAMB collegiate evangelism consultant. "We're encouraging parents and churches not to allow concerns about the unknown to rob their kids of this unique opportunity that will change thousands of lives for eternity."

With the November 1 registration fee increase deadline approaching, YouthLink organizers also hope that adults in churches whose youth are not yet planning to attend the event will prayerfully consider encouraging their church to participate.

"For the rest of our lives we will remember where we were when the calendar flipped from 1999 to 2000," said Reccord. "I can't imagine a more meaningful memory than one of standing side by side with my closest friends and thousands of peers in a time of praise, worship and commitment to our Savior."

Joe Conway is managing editor of On Mission.