Every two years, thousands of young Reformed people gather at Starpoint, the largest Reformed youth event in Hungary. This year’s event will be held in Debrecen from July 25-29 and more people than ever will be participating – there will be 800 congregations represented, 600 volunteers to help run the gathering, and 180 enriching programs for participants to join in on. This year, Starpoint will be held in the Agricultural Science Campus of the University in Debrecen. The building is designed for young people and it is very well-equipped, enabling programming for this year’s event to take place both inside and out. 

Starpoint is a fantastic festival where young adults from across the globe can gather to think together about the world, their common values, and God. For this year’s event, 30 international guests will be in attendance from the RCH’s partner churches around the world, and another large delegation solely from the United Protestant Church of France will also come.

The first festival was held in Bodajk, Hungary, in 2003. Each year since then more and more young people have participated. After Bodajk, the event took place in Debrecen, Sárospatak, Fadd-Dombori, Tata (two times), Mezőtúr – and this year it returns to Debrecen. Starpoint is special because, in addition to having fun, enjoying high quality cultural and entertainment activities, committed Christians and seekers are able to meet and share their thoughts about the world and their common or differing values and God.

The meeting isn’t only a great summer program for young people in the church, it’s also an opportunity to relax and recharge. Besides spiritual and cultural programs, performers such as Margaret Island and Hanne de Vries will also be present. With thousands of diverse youth coming to Starpoint, it’s a unique opportunity for them to soak up church energy in a new way. Unlike other youth festivals, Starpoint is organized and run by young volunteers – over 600 people contribute in total during the event itself and also in the two year planning cycle between festivals.

Starpoint is a thematic meeting, where the topics change for each event depending on what is the most relevant for the youth who come. Due to the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation and the 450th anniversary of the birth of the Hungarian Reformation, the theme of this year’s Starpoint is the Reformation - Re:form!

What change did Jesus bring? What has changed with the Reformation? What can change with us? These and other questions will be discussed by the participants at Starpoint this July as they look for the answers to relevant issues facing the church.

Starpoint seeks to bring together over 3,000 youth between the ages of 14-35 for a unique experience to share fellowship in the presence of God. At the festival, there are many opportunities to feel the Spirit of God – eight types of morning devotions, a daily keynote speech, over 100 small group gatherings, and evening devotions. The festival strives to gather youth from every corner of the Carpathian Basin, and many international guests, to engage in heart-to-heart conversations between brothers and sisters, which is rare in the world of festivals.

Article by Kearstin Bailey via csillag.reformatus.hu