CARBONDALE - If you think watching a large group of kids eat together is impressive, you should see them pray.

Christ In Youth returned to Southern Illinois University Carbondale this week, as it has each summer for the past decade. The group's annual conference includes more than 5,000 church group members who have or will travel from around the Midwest and as far away as Texas and Florida to take part in three different week-long sessions.

It is the largest non-affiliated university event held at SIUC and the campus rents out its facilities to recover all costs. No state dollars are expended to fund CIY, according to Sue Davis, Communications Director at SIUC.

This summer marks a record number of participants for CIY.

"It has been a great evolving event," CIY director Robin Sigars said Tuesday as a couple of thousand of the youngsters gathered during lunch hour at the SIUC Student Center. "People didn't know what to do with those 800 kids that first summer, and they still don't know what to do with 2,400."

Sigars said the facility is what keeps the group, based in Joplin, Mo., keep coming back. He said Shryock Auditorium, the dorms, the classrooms and the arena are all utilized in some way during the CIY summer conference.

Participants keep coming back for other reasons, too.

"It is cool to get together with people who share your values," said Karin Campbell, 16. "You kind of get a spiritual high."

Campbell and youth group members from Treaty Church of Christ in Wabash, Ind. have attended the conference for three years. The seven hour trip to Carbondale is worth the journey.

"You meet a lot of people over the years, but it is kind of hard to find them," said Jana Hileman, 16.

With all these high school kids, the chaperones are a must. But even for the adults the experience is exciting to be a part of.

"It's just so awesome," said Cathy Kirtland of Indiana. "You just grow closer to the children and with God. We all get to see each other once a year, but you just pick up where you left off."

nicole.sack@thesouthern.com

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