Late last year, for the first time, our diocese had the privilege of hosting the Ignite Young Adults Festival (YA Fest). Set against the stunning backdrop of the Selah Valley Estate, young adults from every walk of life gathered: school leavers, university students, tradies, teachers, parents, and even little ones running around the bushland campground. Together, they stepped ‘into the deep’ for a weekend marked by spiritual breakthrough, healing, and profound community.
One of the most powerful threads running through the festival was the experience of adoration. Many named it as their highlight, moments late into the night when the valley fell silent except for prayer and worship. Will shared how adoration encouraged him to place his trust in God more deeply, especially as he prepares for confirmation. Tobias described it as a moment of clarity: “You lay everything bare before the Lord… He’ll embrace you and show you a side of Him you’ve never seen before.”
For others, the festival became a place of genuine healing and restoration. Alice spoke about arriving exhausted and overwhelmed, only to experience peace and renewal through prayer and reconciliation: “In that surrender, I found peace… God healed something within me that I hadn’t even known was broken.”
Many young adults found new courage in their faith. Alannah, who has just set out to serve with NET Ministries, shared how YA Fest reminded her that faith isn’t something done alone but lived with others who are striving in the same direction. And for some, the weekend was life‑changing, Selena wrote of finally feeling the Lord’s hand in hers after years of searching, calling the festival “the highlight of my life.”
With worship, teaching, stillness, and community woven together, YA Fest became a place where God moved, quietly for some, powerfully for others, but unmistakably for all. The friendships formed, the freedom found, and the encounters with Jesus will continue shaping hearts long after the tents have been packed away.
