Acteens get ready to Blume in Kansas City

HANNIBAL—Blume, a missions conference for young women, will be building a lot of excitement across Missouri.

“I am so excited, I can’t wait. It’s going to be so much fun,” said Shelby Skaggs, 15, who attends Southridge Baptist Church, Jefferson City.

More than 6,000 young women are expected to attend Blume July 10-13 in Kansas City. It will be unforgettable experience, promises Kym Mitchell, team leader of the student resource group with the national Woman’s Missionary Union.

“There is nothing like worshipping with thousands of students, particularly when they’re all female. There is a tremendous joyous noise,” Mitchell said.

She presented information about the event at the M-Counter women’s conference at Hannibal-LaGrange College April 27-28. Blume replaces the National Acteen Conference, which is held every four to five years. The new format and updated look emphasizes that the conference is not just Acteen members, Mitchell said.

“We really feel like this event is for any teenage girl and college students,” she said.

The addition of a program for college-aged women is new this year. So is the location. The last three conferences have been held in the southeast United States and Mitchell said the Kansas City location will make it easier for those in the western states to participate.

“We have fallen in love with Kansas City,” she said. “Kansas City is a wonderful city, they have a great facility and I believe it will be a great event.”

High-energy worship services, interactive mission exhibits and hands-on mission activities are all designed around one central theme.

“It is focused on how God has gifted each girl and encourage these students to explore their God-given gifts and think seriously about what God may be calling them to today,” Mitchell said.

The real-life experiences make Acteens a unique organization, Skaggs said.

“I like being involved in Acteens and helping plan the events so girls get as much out of it as I did,” she said.

Skaggs is part of the rejuvenated Acteens Council in Missouri. Janelle DeShon of Immanuel Baptist in Moberly is also on the council. They hope to get more young adults involved.

“I would like to see them go on mission activities,” DeShon said. “Most of the time we get absorbed in ourselves.”

Her Acteens group has rung bells for the Salvation Army and helped support the local crisis pregnancy center.

“You get more out of it when you’re actually doing something,” Skaggs said.

The Blume conference will include a focus on missions in action, Mitchell said, including collecting school supplies for Baptist ministries. One special outdoor activity will be a “Night in the Middle East.”

Registration is open until all the spots are filled. An estimated 6,000 to 8,000 women are expected to attend. They can expect to be changed, Mitchell said.

“It impacts young women in so many ways. We know from past years that God does do an amazing work through those days,” she said.