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Online registration is now open for ROCK 2011, which is expected to draw more than 5,500 youth and their leaders to Ocean City for a retreat Jan. 21-23, 2010.

Featured as this year’s preacher will be Bishop Violet Fisher, a retired bishop, who was the first African-American woman elected to the episcopacy in the Northeastern Jurisdiction.

Earlier in her life, Fisher lived in this region, graduating from Bowie State University, George Washington University and Baltimore College of Bible.

She served as a pastor in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and was bishop of the New York West Area.

Fisher recently visited the new Baltimore-Washington Conference Center to be interviewed by the youth of CCYM News.

“I am so excited to embrace a ministry that will transform the lives of our young people,” she said. “I believe this is a time where young people will become disciples of the Lord.”

Joining Fisher onstage will be the band Salvador, and Joe Castillo, a sand sculptor and story teller.

The theme of this year’s event is “Give me that Fish,” which will build upon the idea of Christ as the Son of God and Savior and call upon the youth to become fishers of people.

“In a nice twist, our preacher for the event is named Fisher,” said Tom Price, conference director of youth ministries.

Price is proud of a video source developed from last year’s ROCK event, and encourages youth and their leaders to explore “Youth Life After Rock.”

The four-part series, gives local churches a resource to use to deepen their experience of the retreat and strengthen the connections and commitments made that weekend.

The videos feature the preaching of the Rev. Stephen Gallaher, who was the keynote speaker at ROCK 2009 and provides resources that build upon his preaching.

They are available free online at www.bwcumc.org/youthministryresource and are $10 on DVD.

One doesn’t have to have attended ROCK to be enriched by these teachings, Price said. “They’re evergreen and can be used in a variety of settings at any time.

The third video will be available at the end of September.

Price also encourages the youth of the conference to begin praying for the members of the Conference Council on Youth Ministries and others as they prepare for ROCK 2011.

Bishop Fisher also has a challenge for the youth of the Baltimore-Washington Conference.

“Go make disciples. Go change God’s world. Go transform your neighborhood and communities,” she said. “I know together we can turn God’s world upside down.” To learn more about ROCK, visit www.bwcumc.org/rock.