WHAT IS CLARITY CONFERENCE?
The Clarity Conference is a worldview weekend hosted at Hillcrest Academy that’s designed to give clarity, confidence, and courage to teens to know, believe, and make Jesus Christ known in the world.
Wondering what we’ll do?
After you arrive, we’ll register you in the Student Union at Hillcrest where students will enjoy snacks and games with milkshakes and movies. We’ll transition from this time of greeting to the Auditorium, where we’ll participate in a night of worship before checking into rooms and getting ready for lights out.
Hillcrest staff will tend to the dormitory to help everyone settle in before lights out at 11p. Staff members will be on campus, available in the event of an emergency.
In the morning, we will participate in a full day of training, competition, and fellowship designed to build courage and confidence in kids. We will explore the Christian faith, discuss culture and apologetics, and run various activities to unite students under the banner of Christ and foster a sense of community within the body of believers.
Small group times will provide important time for youth groups to connect to each other and individual attendees to process what they’re hearing with small group members from the Hillcrest community. We will open up questions to make sure what we’re teaching isn’t just for paper, but that it’s something that sticks.
In the afternoon we’ll hold competitions to drive greater connection. After dinner we’ll have down time in community where clubs will open up chess boards, letter writing stations, open gym time, and other activities to give us space to decompress and build space for more learning in the evening.
The evening session and small group will give more insights to address more questions. The time of teaching and training will be galvanized within a community of believers. It will be important time that builds courage and confidence after spending focused time together over the previous 24 hours.
After an evening of rest, we’ll wake up Sunday morning to breakfast and our final time of worship and our closing session that will inspire us all to step into being active in our communities to bring others to a knowledge of God. After this morning session with worship we will close our time together and launch into the world having spent a weekend building courage and confidence.
-
Friday
February 20, 20267-9p - Check in & Milkshakes
9-10 - Opening worship
10:30p - In Hours
11p - Lights out
Saturday
February 21, 20268a - President's breakfast
9a - Session 1
10a - Small Group and Worship
11a - Session 2
12p - Small Group
12:30 - Lunch
1:30-3:30p - Tournaments
4p - Break Outs 1
5p - Break Outs 2
6p - Dinner
7p - Clubs
8:30p - Session 3
10p - Small Groups
10:30p - In Hours
11p - Lights Out
Sunday
February 22, 20268a - President's breakfast
9a - Session 4
10a - Small Group and Worship
11a - Packup and Departure
-
Wayne Stender
Gregg Preston
Katie Fiskness
Dr. Tony Rogness
Luke Fiskness
Gaylen Peterson
Zach Nersten
Josiah Militzer
Magen Riestenberg
Michele Foss
Julie Stender
REGISTER
Complete the inquiry form below and we’ll contact you to register you or your group and secure the appropriate meal requests and secure room reservations
THEOLOGY
·
IDENTITY
·
APOLOGETICS
·
CULTURE
·
THEOLOGY · IDENTITY · APOLOGETICS · CULTURE ·
MAIN SESSIONS
-
SESSION 1: Built Different: God's Blueprint for Your Strength & Identity
We’re under nonstop pressure to look strong, stay chill, and act like we’ve got things figured out, but inside most of us are wrestling with questions we don’t know how to ask. In this fast-moving, story-driven session, Wayne Stender teaches how to hold a confident identity so you can live as God wired you to, with a strength deeper than talent, tougher than image, and more solid than whatever others expect. If you’ve ever wondered who you are, where you fit, or what you’re made for, get ready, this session will show you that you’re not guessing your way through life. You’re built differently, on purpose, and it’s time to live like it.
-
SESSION 2: Ask Better Questions: A Framework for Faith, Doubt, and Discovering What’s True
When doubts hit, most of us assume something’s wrong with our faith, but Mr. Gregg Preston, beloved teacher, storyteller, and honest champion of students, shows that questions aren’t cracks in belief; they’re doorways to a deeper relationship with God. In this captivating, big-picture session, Mr. Preston breaks down how you can actually know God is real by looking at the world He designed. With his trademark mix of wisdom, humor, and “that makes so much sense” clarity, he’ll give you a simple framework to process doubts with confidence. This session will help you see that your questions don’t chase God away; they pull you closer to Him.
-
SESSION 3: Not Opposites. Not Enemies. Why Science and Faith Aren't in Conflict
Most people act like you have to pick between loving God and loving science. But Katie Fiskness, an enthusiastic explorer of God’s world, shows that the universe isn’t divided; it’s unified in declaring God’s glory. In this eye-opening session, Katie reveals how everything from the patterns in nature to the laws of physics to the breathtaking complexity of your own body is God’s artistry on display. With curiosity that’s contagious and explanations that make the world suddenly make sense, she’ll help you see that science doesn’t weaken faith, it strengthens it by giving you more reasons to stand in awe. This isn’t just learning science, it’s seeing creation as a massive chorus shouting, “Look at what God has done!”
-
SESSION 4: Make Christ Known Again: How Christians Shape a Nation by Serving Its People
In a world shouting about politics, patriotism, and whose side you’re on, Dr. Tony Rogness steps in with a bigger, better vision: Christians aren’t called to make America great again; we’re called to make Christ known so that the nation is blessed through His people. With clarity, conviction, and a deep love for both Scripture and history, Dr. Rogness walks students through how God stirred the hearts of imperfect men to found a nation built on ideas worth preserving, and how believers today can engage government, culture, and community without falling into extremes. Dr. Rogness gives students a grounded framework for civic engagement that looks less like winning arguments and more like winning hearts for Christ as we live out the gospel in public, on purpose, for the good of our neighbors.
BREAKOUTS
1. Own Your Faith: How to Believe When Life Gets Real
When the pressure hits—friend drama, stress, temptation, doubts—faith can feel fragile. This session gives students practical tools to build a personal faith that actually stands up in the real world, not just at church or camp.
2. Navigating Your Newsfeed: How to Think Clearly in a Confusing Culture
From TikTok hot-takes to political memes, students are bombarded with messages. This breakout helps them filter cultural noise, recognize half-truths, and use wisdom to discern what’s real, what’s harmful, and what’s worth their time.
3. Anxiety Isn’t the Boss: Calming the Storm Inside You
Many teens feel overwhelmed, on edge, or exhausted from carrying too much. This session teaches students how God designed the mind and body, gives practical regulation skills, and points them to the peace Christ offers in anxious moments.
4. Real Friends, Real Life: Building a Squad That Actually Helps You Grow
Friendships can lift you up or tear you down. Students learn how to choose Christ-centered friends, set boundaries, handle conflict, and become the kind of friend others trust and respect.
5. Identity in a Highlight-Reel World: Who You Are Beyond the Screens
Social media pressures students to build a brand instead of a heart. This breakout invites them to explore who God says they are, how to resist comparison, and how to live confidently without performing for likes.
6. Tough Questions, Honest Answers: How to Defend Your Faith with Confidence
Students often feel unprepared when classmates challenge their beliefs. This session equips them to think clearly, ask good questions, and share their faith with clarity and humility—no arguing required.
7. The Gender Trap: What is Gender and Why Does It Matter What I am?
So many kids feel stuck in secret struggles. This breakout tackles the pressure from some to pressure those secret struggles into an identity that drives decisions on gender that aren’t fair. We’ll explore how to talk about gender and how to support people who are different from us.
8. Boys, Girls, and God’s Design: Understanding Identity, Attraction & Respect
Relationships are complicated. This session explores gender, attraction, boundaries, and dating from a biblical perspective—helping students understand God’s design for confidence, respect, and healthy connection.
9. Let’s Talk Prayer: Hearing God, Talking to God, and Not Feeling Weird About It
Most teens feel awkward or unsure about prayer. This breakout makes prayer practical, relational, and normal—teaching students how to talk to God with confidence and how to listen for His voice in their everyday lives.
10. Serve Like Jesus: Changing Your Community One Small Act at a Time
Students often want to make a difference but don’t know where to start. This breakout shows how service, compassion, and justice flow from the gospel and how ordinary teenagers can make extraordinary impact.
11. Mind, Body, Bible: How God Designed You to Thrive Holistically
Faith isn’t just spiritual—it’s physical, emotional, relational, and intellectual. Students will learn how habits, sleep, nutrition, Scripture, and community work together to form a healthy life that honors God.
12. Your Calling Starts Now: Hearing God’s Voice About Your Future
Many teens feel pressure to have everything figured out. This breakout helps them understand the biblical idea of calling, how God guides people, and how to take faithful next steps even when the future feels unclear.
