Last year KYCKSTART changed Cherry Gold’s life forever - now it has the chance to do so for thousands of others with the conference opening itself up to all teenagers for the first time in its history.
The much anticipated expansion has led to record numbers attending, with 4,200 teenagers expected to climb the mountain to Katoomba over the next two weekends.
This weekend Cherry will be celebrating her first spiritual birthday, after becoming a Christian during talks as a year seven student.
"Before I wasn't very interested in the things they said at Scripture," she says. "Now that I'm a Christian I've joined the youth groups at St Philip's Eastwood, and I go to night service and Bible study."
Anh Ton, Conventions Co-ordintor for Katoomba Christian Convention (KCC), explains that before this year younger teenagers like Cherry were brought along "unofficially' by church groups.
"Previously, KYCKSTART was open to 15 to 19 year olds. It was very difficult for many churches that run one teenage program, because they had to split their youth groups," she says. "But with the City Youth Convention no longer running we realised there was a huge gap for younger teenagers."
However Ms Ton emphasises that the teaching isstill aimed at 15 to 19 year olds.
So would Cherry Gold recommend KYCKSTART to other younger teenagers?
"Definitely, in fact I’m bringing a friend this year," she says.
Cherry really enjoyed the music last year and says, "It was great seeing so many Christians, they were all so spirited."
She also learnt "that there is nothing without God'. "Even if you had a gazillion dollars and you didn't know God, it'd be like, useless," she says.
