Surely it would appear strange to many if a group of people were bouncing their heads to the beat of party music in the events center of a mall one minute, then raising their sticket-wrapped wrists in the air, worshiping the Lord, in the next.  More than 300 youths from all over the province of Batangas went to the 100% FREE PARTY held at SM City Batangas Events Center last August 8, 2011, Sunday.

It was a short but jam-packed program. The party began with the band’s renditions of party music to heighten up the excitement of the participants and to invite people passing by the Events Center to stop, listen, and change for the better. As the youth were getting into their seats, enjoying the party music, the lights were dimmed and the worship leader Kurt Anjo Dimayacyac took the stage.

Videos were shown as an introduction to the first talk delivered of the party, delivered by the Island Head of Luzon, Alvin Morada. His talk is nothing ordinary. From the talk itself– introducing the YFC identity of 100% Free:  Free to Be, Free to Live, and Free to Love–to the manner in which it was delivered. The talk was supported by musical inserts by the band and contemporary dance as Kuya Alvin shared each of the points.
The second session was given in a talk show format that was hosted by YFC Mission Volunteers in Batangas, Ashel Uson and Lorenz Villa. Three guests from the YFC community shared their experiences as to how smoking, heavy alcohol intake, and illegal drug use made them believe they were free and as to how Christ slowly helped them undergo a paradigm shift. The interviewees were Kuya Tox Remojo, Kuya Alvin Morada, and Ate Izet Garcia respectively.
The party ended with a praisefest led by Kevin Ibre, who emphasized that the youth should celebrate their freedom–the kind of freedom that is right, guilt-free and driven in Christ.
Indeed it was a different kind of party. If this is the typical party in the world today, I say “Party harder!”

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