Jonus Hackett and his wife, Laura Hackett, rehearse with their band before the "Festival of Hope." The event was part of the two-day Inspire Worship and Missions Conference presented by Youth With A Mission Tyler. (Lang White / Correspondent)

Hundreds of people gathered in Lindale last week for the two-day Inspire Worship and Missions Conference presented by Youth With A Mission Tyler.

The conference March 3-4 was not about practical or technical training. Rather, it was designed to inspire worshipers “afresh and anew by the reality of God’s activity in the nations of the world today,” according to a webpage about it.

Youth With A Mission Tyler trains and sends hundreds of people from different nations and backgrounds into a life of Christian ministry.

This was the fifth year for the ministry to put on the Inspire Worship and Missions Conference and more than 1,000 people were expected to attend. The theme was A Celebration of Hope.

The event included large-group sessions with inspirational teaching and worship, and breakout sessions addressing hope as it relates to human trafficking, the refugee crisis, God’s kingdom, urban life, worship and the young generation.

In addition, the ministry provided several options for outreach Saturday, with about 150 people participating.

Service projects included a medical clinic in the Enchanted Lake area, cleanup in Van, volunteer work at Mercy Ships and community park cleanup in Lindale.

For those who do not participate in the outreach, workshops addressed hope as it relates to life and ministry, the 20/20 Vision for America, and ending Bible poverty.

Chris Lascelles, a member of YWAM Tyler’s Leadership Council, said the conference was about hope.

“I think that it’s really a transformation of focus for a lot of people that have really been discouraged about the world that they are living in, to see that there’s a whole other narrative taking place,” Lascelles said. “That it is the narrative of hopeful things, of good things, of lives being redeemed.”

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