Hoping to inspire a new youth movement among college-age Christians, Saddleback Church held its first three-day outdoor festival featuring music, art, and teaching, at its 170-acre conference center in San Juan Capistrano. More than 500 people from churches and colleges in Southern California attended the event called "Radicalis Festival," which ended Saturday morning. Many of those attending the festival slept in tents set up on the conference center's soccer field.

Warren is now, in a sense, passing the Radicalis baton to the next generation of Christian leaders, college-age ministry Pastor Brad Baker told The Christian Post.

The sessions held at the Rancho Capistrano center opened with worship music, including a performance by Christian vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist Phil Wickham. Art exhibited during the festival included murals, paintings, and drawings by college ministry members and commissioned artists.

"Our desire was to create an engaging context for people to experience God for the first time or as an existing believer in a fresh way," Baker said. "Radicalis is really focused on mobilizing the next generation to do something about the greatest problems on the planet - spiritual emptiness, extreme poverty, pandemic diseases, corrupt leadership and lack of education."

Baker said the focus he was referring to is already in place and in motion as part of Saddleback Church's PEACE Plan. The mission of P.E.A.C.E. is to outreach locally and globally to "Promote reconciliation, Equip servant leaders, Assist the poor, Care for the sick, and Educate the next generation."

Baker said he is also hoping the festival serves as a bridge between generations.

"With the emergence of every new generation, the church has a decision to make. Are they willing to let go of their preferences as the older generation in order to speak the language and connect with the new young leaders that need to be raised up?"

"I felt this conference provided that place. I think that part of Radicalis is passing the torch and mentoring this next generation," Baker added.