Thousands gather on Lee’s campus for the Friday night awards ceremony at the conclusion of Teen Talent 2015
Lee University will host the 2017 Church of God Teen Talent, an international competition which aims to help young people ages 13-19 discover their talents, develop that talent, and dedicate it to better serve the Lord, on July 31-Aug. 4. Over 5,000 individuals will compete in 43 categories over the course of five days, featuring competition in music, art, drama, multimedia, creative writing, and Bible.
“This season’s response has been overwhelming with a record number of entries from the United States, Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda, Jamaica, and South Africa,” said Dr. David Blair, international youth and discipleship director. “We can’t wait to see the results of practice coupled with passion in this talented generation.”
Dr. Mike Hayes, Lee’s vice president for student development, oversees the university’s role in Teen Talent along with more than 200 staff members and students. Lee will award over $100,000 of scholarships to winners and house approximately 1,300 guests from around the world for this event.
“Hosting these talented youth on our campus provides a glimpse of the future of the Church,” said Dr. Hayes. “We look forward to being inspired by them and encouraging them in continuing to develop their gifts to impact others.”
Lee-coordinated activities for Teen Talent include a block party, a worship rally, a Lee music showcase, and Battle of the States, a competition in which participants divide into teams, based on state, region, or country, and compete against one another.
The Teen Talent Awards Festival will take place on Friday, Aug. 4, at 8 p.m. on the lawn of Lee’s Science and Math Complex and will welcome more than 4,000 guests, including participants and their families.
Throughout the week, Lee will live stream Teen Talent on multiple web-based channels. To view the streaming sessions, visit https://livestream.com/leeu and click on the links provided.
For more information about Teen Talent or to view a schedule of events, visit https://cogteentalent.com/ or call 614-8400.
Participants stop for a group selfie during the 2015 Block Party