Hesston College may be shifting its traditional convention approach, but it’s not walking away from its commitment to creativity and fun.

Those responsible for planning Hesston’s presence at the Mennonite Church USA Convention Kansas City 2015 say the heart of the effort is rooted in a desire to be a resource to youth and youth leaders as well as speak a message of hope to a church that’s experiencing conflict.

“Our convention planning team was looking for a way to change the tone and conversation we have at convention,” said Marathana Prothro, director of Marketing and Communication. “We want to shift the focus to empowering youth to deepen their faith and recognize the potential within themselves.”

Youth who visit the Hesston College booth at Kansas City 2015 will be encouraged to “be greater than” – greater than their struggles, greater than society’s standards and greater than their current context – through expanding their faith and discovering who they are meant to be through Christ.

“Convention is about faith formation,” said Rachel Swartzendruber Miller, vice president of Admissions. “We as exhibitors need to support that mission and help students go beyond the free stuff and open themselves up to the ways the entire convention experience may be deepening their faith.”

Working at faith formation at convention is just an extension of Hesston College’s student experience, mission statement and the daily work on campus. College staff realized that the question they needed to ask was not, “How can we do things better than our counterparts?” but “How can we be more faithful to the church and its mission?”

The church’s mission of stewardship extends into Hesston’s booth where nearly all of the materials are repurposed, making part of Hesston’s convention presence to be “greater than” spending.

Even as Hesston moves away from an inward promotion focus, the ever popular Hesston College match game, a convention staple and favorite among youth since Atlanta 2003, will remain part of the college’s convention activities, and will also encourage faith practices.

A new element to the Hesston convention experience will be booth activities focused on spiritual practices and a special event featuring Bible Quizzing. Teams of four to six youth can sign up to test their knowledge of Luke 23 and 24 starting Wednesday night, July 1. The winning team will receive a youth retreat led by Hesston College Bible instructor and convention youth worship speaker Michele Hershberger.

To see more about Hesston’s convention activities, start here. Visit the Hesston College booth at Kansas City 2015 to share your “greater than” story.