Twins Sharon and Jonathan Arrowood, both 19, of Lula wanted to reach out to young people in their area when they organized last year’s Youth Explosion, a rally held at Jaemor Farm in Alto that drew between 150 and 200 people.

With the help of a friend, Sharon Arrowood said she and her brother "started looking for a way to get all the youth groups together," regardless of denomination, "for young people to speak and sing and just worship God."

Arrowood said last year’s rally "turned out really awesome," and youth groups from about 15 churches came from cities including Gainesville, Cornelia, Clayton and Hayesville, N.C.

For Youth Explosion 2010, set for 6:30 p.m. today through Saturday at the barn at Jaemor, Arrowood said the youth will be in the spotlight, with speakers and singers ranging in age from 14 to 23.

"Thursday night we have the Pitts family (from Toccoa). Jonathan Pitts will be speaking for us," Arrowood said. "Friday night we have Church of Life Youth, (who) will be singing, and also Brianna Taylor will be singing. And Saturday night we have Refuge, a youth group that has a band from Lula Assembly of Praise Church."

Saturday night, Arrowood and her brother will speak. She said she will share the testimony of how a tumor was found on her leg when she was 12, but she got through the experience with the prayers of friends and family.

Arrowood said other teens also will share their testimonies each night, and that they hope to "give them a platform to obey God."

"That’s basically what we’re there for, just for them to get closer to God — get closer in their relationship with him by feeling free to obey God," she said.

And like any good youth-oriented event, free food will be offered after each night’s rally, including hot dogs, spaghetti and sloppy joes.