October 2, 2026
McDONOUGH, Ga. — When college students from across Georgia gather this fall for Confluence, organizers hope they will leave with more than memories from a weekend conference. They hope students return to their campuses equipped to share the gospel, pursue God’s call on their lives, and impact the nations for Christ.
Scheduled for Oct. 9-11 at Eagle’s Landing First Baptist Church in McDonough, Confluence will bring together college and university students from across Georgia for worship, biblical teaching, fellowship, missions exploration, and discipleship. The annual gathering is organized by the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and is designed to help college students take their next steps in following Jesus and making Him known on their campuses and beyond.
Beverly Skinner, collegiate catalyst for the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, said the event is open not only to BCM groups but also to churches that want to bring college students.
“A church of any size with a college group of any size is welcome at Confluence!” Skinner said. “This gathering of over 1000 students from churches and BCMs across Georgia will give your students the tools they need to take their next step in following Jesus and equip them to confidently share their faith. There is no other conference of its kind in Georgia, and we hope you will bring your students.”
The name “Confluence” reflects the conference’s purpose. Just as rivers gain strength when tributaries come together, BCM leaders believe students are strengthened when they gather around a shared commitment to Christ and His mission.
Skinner describes Confluence as a gathering of college and university students who come from different places, experiences, and cultures, but who share one purpose: Jesus. Through worship, learning, fellowship, and ministry opportunities, students are challenged to grow in their relationship with God and return to campus prepared to make Him known.
Tommy Fountain, Jr., BCM director at the University of Georgia, said the conference helps students see that they are not alone in following Christ during their college years.
“There is nothing more encouraging than seeing a freshman student connect with other believers from their community and another 1000+ across the state, be convicted and encouraged, commit to take the next step in their faith, and then see that play out when they get back to their campus,” said Fountain.
He added that the impact of Confluence is measured not just by attendance, but by changed lives.
“We’ve had students come to faith in Christ, accept calls into ministry, commit to spend a summer overseas, and follow through with on-campus evangelism when they returned, among other things,” he said. “It truly is a catalyst for next steps for so many students!”
One of those students was Cort McGowan.
McGowan arrived at the University of Georgia with plans to earn an art degree and one day work for Disney. But at Confluence, Fountain said, McGowan began sensing that God may be calling him into ministry.
Since then, McGowan has served as UGA BCM’s Evangelism Team Lead, started a downtown evangelism ministry, participated in a spring break mission trip to London, and committed his summer to return to London as an International Mission Board summer intern.
At Georgia Tech, BCM Director Eric Swenson has seen a similar impact.
“Confluence is a wonderful conference that allows for college students to see beyond their own circles of influence and see how God is working in the lives of other college students across the state,” Swenson said. “It connects us to something bigger while also encouraging us to take the next steps of living out our faith in our own lives.”
Swenson said he has repeatedly watched Confluence become a turning point for students.
“Time and time again, I have seen Confluence to be the catalyst for life change and growth in faith and dependence upon God for our students,” he said.
One example, Swenson said, is Heath Dorn, who came to Georgia Tech as an unbeliever struggling with purpose and community.
“Heath decided last minute to come to Confluence his freshman year because he was struggling to find community and just felt alone,” Swenson said. “He found friends at Confluence, but more importantly, he found Christ. He placed his faith in Christ the day after Confluence of his freshman year.”
Four years later, Swenson said, Dorn has grown significantly in his faith, served on multiple mission trips, and seeks to share Christ regularly with classmates and coworkers.
Austin Reaves, BCM director at Georgia State University, said Confluence offers a unique environment for college students because it combines the energy of a large gathering with the accessibility of a more personal setting.
“There are a lot of great conferences out there for college-aged students to attend, but to me, Confluence is special,” Reaves said. “You can go to large national conferences and worship alongside thousands of people from all over the country, but Confluence offers that same type of experience on a more digestible scale.”
Reaves said that setting allows students to worship with a large group of peers while still building meaningful relationships.
“A gathering of 1,000 college students is large enough to provide the experience of worshiping with a multitude of believers, yet small enough that you can run into someone you met at the welcome party while standing in the lunch line,” he said.
Whether a church brings 30 students or three, Reaves said, the conference gives students opportunities to grow in faith and connect with other believers from across Georgia.
This year’s conference will feature keynote messages from Levi Skipper, pastor of Sagemont Church in Houston and former lead strategist for church strengthening at the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, and Shane Pruitt, national next generation director for the North American Mission Board. Worship will be led by Daniel Doss, a songwriter and worship leader from Tennessee.
Students will also have opportunities to explore future ministry and missions pathways through Send Me Now, as well as meet with representatives from various seminaries, the International Mission Board, and the North American Mission Board. In addition, they can learn about opportunities to serve at summer camps such as Pinnacle, Kaleo, and Hawkins Camp.
In addition to worship sessions and breakout teaching, students will participate in fellowship activities, campus gatherings, and the popular Confluence Games, which include competitions in ultimate frisbee, kickball, cornhole, and e-games.
For Skinner and the other BCM leaders, the conference’s success is not measured by the schedule alone. The goal is to see students leave more committed to Christ and more engaged in His mission, whether that means sharing the gospel with a roommate, serving overseas for a summer, pursuing ministry training, or responding to God’s call to vocational ministry.
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For more information or to register, please visit confluencega.com.
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