As momentum continues to grow for Adoration Life, the mission remains the same.

With over 2,000 people making their way to the East Tennessee State University Mini-Dome last year, Thomas Cook can only look back with a smile as plans get underway for round two of the worship event geared to churches of all different denominations.

Adoration 2018, created by the Adoration Life nonprofit organization, is seeking 1,000 churches to worship inside the Mini-Dome on Sunday, Oct. 21, in an all-inclusive service to praise together and provide tools to help combat the prescription drug and substance abuse across the Appalachian region. The event, which will include music, worship service and other activities, will be free and open to the public once again.

“Last year we were able to gather 261 churches together at ETSU with over 2,000 people in attendance,” Cook, executive director for Adoration Life, told the Elizabethton Star. “We’re still going for 1,000 churches this year.”

ETSU welcomed in a variety of churches from the Tri-Cities region. Cook added last year also included churches from Memphis, Nashville, surrounding states and even one church from Scotland.

“It was really incredible,” Cook said about the event last year. “We really have that momentum going for Adoration 2018. Last year, it was about building a foundation and getting our message out. Now we’re able to continue that this year and our focus is to grow even more and include other churches from the area.”

Adoration Life is an ETSU Christian-based ministry spearheaded by young adults that received its nonprofit status this year as a way to give back to the area with a variety of projects and events. Over the past year, the Adoration Life team has tripled in size and now has a board of directors in place. Due to their work on campus, the organization was able to take home the recent “most outstanding program” at ETSU. Cook was quick to thank the university and president Dr. Brian Noland for their support of the initiative.

With the pieces in place, focus now shifts to Adoration 2018. Currently, the organization has 100 churches signed up and will have registration going until the day of the event.

Individuals can register at adorationlife.com for the event. Only one representative, approved by the church’s lead pastor or leadership group, has to register and is encouraged to show up, but entire congregations are invited to attend Cook said.

“We had husband and wives stop by last year, but we also had churches bring in bus loads of congregation members. It was incredible,” he said.

Doors open at 1:30 p.m. with a prayer service and organization expo and events outside going on until 5:45 p.m.

The main portion of the event gets underway at 6 p.m. with music and speakers including local churches and local leaders. Music is a unifier of the group, Cook said, and for those in attendance. Adoration Life has actually created a worship band and played a key role in the recent Will Graham conference that took place at Freedom Hall months ago.

Along with worship, Adoration Life will also unveil the Restore Appalachia program.

Continuing their mission from last year, the Adoration Life is using the event as a way to help raise awareness of prescription drug and substance abuse in the region. The purpose, Cook said, is to encourage faith-based initiatives and have churches unite together to give back to those affected within their communities.

“Our main goal is to turn on the light in the darkness,” Cook said. “I wasn’t even aware of the prescription drug epidemic until last year. We want to offer the event as a way to show what resources are available and help bridge that gap between the medical and faith communities. The Appalachian region has been hit hard by the program, and our job as Christians is to lead by example and serve our communities.”

For more information, be sure to visit the Adoration Life website or check out their social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.