Ignite Conference is a Bold Vision for the Future of the Church

Could four days at a youth conference really change your life?

Based on his experience at Ignite Conference, Emmanuel Worship’s Liam Desic would say “yes”.

The national Catholic youth conference is returning to Brisbane and Sydney and Liam, who is on the organising team, is looking forward to the four-day event

96five’s Jess Drummond caught up with Liam Desic to learn more about the conference.

While Ignite is primarily a catholic youth conference involving Catholic Liturgy and Sacraments, Liam is encouraging anyone to feel welcome at the event.

“This conference really is for people who are looking for more – more from life, more from the Church, more from Jesus,” Liam said.

“The whole conference really is a journey from the Thursday night all the way to the Sunday.”

“You could walk in there not knowing a thing about Jesus, not knowing a thing about life in God, and you could walk away really having a deeper understanding of yourself and in life in Jesus.”

The theme for Ignite Conference 2022 is “The Moment”, which Liam says reflects both moments of encounter with God and world-changing moments throughout history.

“We’ve seen in the last couple of years how crazy things can turn over so quickly, and we think about that with God and how He can impact our life in a moment… The [moments] we say yes to can have profound impact.”

Liam says he first attended Ignite Conference when he was in Year 12. He hadn’t had a faith background and was initially overwhelmed by the atmosphere but once he opened his heart and became comfortable in that space, it profoundly changed his life.

“We see that every year, from the feedback forms, from people coming and telling us or emailing us afterwards, saying ‘My life has been changed from this conference’ or ‘I sent my son/my daughter to this conference and their lives have been changed’. It’s an incredible kickstart to a new life.”

Liam says music is a big part of the conference, including worship and “super fun praise”.

“It’s something that people walk away going, ‘Wow, that was incredible’. To see the Church push forward in the aspect of music and worship is really powerful. As a band [Emmanuel Worship], we write and record original music and we release it, but the conference is the highlight of our year. It’s something we work towards, we’ve recorded live albums there, it’s just something that’s so central to who we are as a worship ministry and as a band,” he says.

The Brisbane Ignite Conference runs from September 22-25 at St Laurence’s College, South Brisbane.

“If you’re feeling a bit in the doldrums, not sure where to go, and you need a bit of a kickstart, I can tell you four days away in Brisbane at Ignite Conference is something that could really impact and start a new page in your life.”

For more information go to igniteconference.com.au