On March 12, 2,368 junior high students turned out for Pineapple Mayhem, the largest outreach event of the year for Elevate, the junior high ministry of Willow Creek Community Church. Packed with games and fun, Pineapple Mayhem included Outcast–an aerial BMX stunt team–and illusionist Jared Hall, who captivated the students—and the volunteers.

Pineapple Mayhem, an annual Elevate tradition, is an event where junior high kids can have fun and connect with each other at a time of year when they are ready to burn off a little energy. At the close of the three-hour event, Elevate Director Scott Rubin extended a brief invitation to the students: "My favorite kind of people are those who really know how to have fun–and who know that there's more to life than fun. If you came here with a friend tonight, I'm guessing your friend is that kind of person. And Elevate is that kind of place. If you don't have a church you call home, we'd love for you to come back with your friend for an Elevate service, to have fun and to talk about stuff that matters."

“My one word summary of the night would be ‘phenomenal,’” reflected Rubin. “In 2009, Pineapple Mayhem drew 1673 kids. We anticipated approximately the same number this year, but more than 2300 showed up. The place was crawling with middle schoolers.” In addition, around 500 adult volunteers helped make the night happen. Check out the video below to get a better sense of what this event was like.