Freedom in Friendship Carly Sorg

Surrounded by 800 other kids chanting, “Let us in! Let us in!”, we wait outside the chapel as the sun goes down the mountain. When the doors are open, we all rush into the sanctuary to find the work crew member waving a poster with our church’s name on it. Purple and blue strobe lights blind me, and insanely loud, hype music is playing over the speakers. The emcee comes on stage to introduce the skit and games, and I sit next to my best friends. This is one of the most amazing places I have been, yet here I question who I am and what I believe. These youth group trips always made me feel shaky before; giving my life to Christ was a big deal to me, but it didn’t seem like that to anyone else. My time at The Edge Conference for three summers encouraged me to question my spiritual beliefs.

Freedom is a common word in the church, especially in youth groups, because teenagers struggle so much with what people think of them. We don't feel free to share and value our differences. For a while, it was hard for me to share what was on my heart because I feared being weird or different from others. I can clearly remember the first year at The Edge. I broke down after learning that one of my closest friend's religious beliefs were...