“Parents tell me that No Other Name is often the highlight of their kids’ year.”

Esther Kwan
Special to Spur Ottawa

Unlike other holidays, Good Friday is the last bastion of non-commercialization in our calendar, and a group of youth pastors in Ottawa are determined to keep it that way.

“We want Good Friday to be all about Jesus,” states Pastor Joey Molloy of the Metropolitan Bible Church. “But how are we going to do this?”

The answer came in 2006, when Exousia, a local network of youth pastors, launched No Other Name, an all-day youth conference held on Good Friday.

“We wanted something in this region, locally run, that reflects our unity in Christ, but also something that is non-denominational and happens on a regular basis,” says Paul Racine, one of the co-founders of No Other Name.

Conference organizers say launching the event took much prayer, discernment, and discussion among the various denominational groups. Nonetheless, their common experience of Jesus’ love and remembrance of His sacrifice unified them.

Now in its eleventh year, No Other Name draws more than 800 youth from across the National Capital region to observe Good Friday. Though the keynote speakers have varied through the years, the day has continually focused on Christ’s sacrifice.

“The pinnacle of the day is celebrating Communion together,” Molloy explains. “It’s a time of response and sharing in Christ’s love.”

Racine says it is this focus on Christ’s saving work that draws hundreds of youth back to the conference each year.

“You can see God continuing His promises throughout the generations.”

“Parents tell me that No Other Name is often the highlight of their kids’ year,” he says.

Josiah Milnes was a regular attendee of No Other Name. Now a young adult, he recalls his first time out, in 2011.

“It encouraged me to press on in my faith in a time where I had a lot of doubts. It also touched me to see how people were worshiping and coming together as a community in Christ. In the following years, No Other Name encouraged me to remain responsive towards the Lord and to lay myself humbly at His feet.”

His experiences at the conference inspired him to continue serving as a worship leader. When Milnes was invited to lead worship at last year’s conference, he was thrilled.

“You can see God continuing His promises throughout the generations,” says Milnes. He was especially excited seeing a group of youth he was mentoring, among the crowds of young people worshipping God.

Similarly, Racine is encouraged by the constant engagement of the youth at the conference. He recalls a particularly moving moment where a speaker left plastic red cups and Sharpies on the stage.

“He challenged everyone to pray for the unsaved for a month. He told those who took up the challenge to write the names of their friends and family who do not yet know Christ on the cups and take them home [as a reminder to pray]. Not a single cup was left on that stage.

“I am also blown away by the number of first time decisions [to follow Christ],” Racine adds. “Even though No Other Name is not intended as an outreach event, we see so many kids responding every year. God is at work in this city and it is unbelievable what He can do.”