National Youth Conference Convenes in St. Louis

ST LOUIS – Thousands of students, parents, and sponsors will participate in the National Youth Conference, July 27-31, at the America’s Center Convention Complex and the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. The week’s activities include the National Fine Arts Festival, athletics tournaments, workshops, and worship services.

The Fine Arts Festival (FAF) is designed to help students discover and develop their ministry gifts, and then use them in ministry. Through its competitive format, students are able to have their skills evaluated by qualified ministers, industry professionals, and educators who encourage excellence, offer ideas for improvement, and inspire them to use their gifts in their local churches, communities, and around the world.

“Discipleship is the foundation of Fine Arts,” National Fine Arts Coordinator Amy Whitney says. “It provides opportunities for students to grow in their giftings and their faith so that they begin to ask, ‘How can I use my God-given abilities to share Jesus and disciple others?’”

Every September, approximately 60,000 junior and senior high school students begin preparing for the district festival. Eight main divisions are featured including art, communication, dance, drama, exhibition, instrumental, vocal, and writing.

Those who advance at the district level are extended an invitation to participate at the National Fine Arts Festival. More than 14,000 students received the invitation to participate in this year’s national festival. Those ages 18 to 23 can participate in Kappa Tau, an extension of Fine Arts Festival for young adults. Nearly 5,000 students are registered to participate in 121 categories at this year’s festival.

Many of the 20 Assemblies of God endorsed colleges and universities offer scholarships to students who participate at nationals. Representatives from some schools will also be on site to hold music scholarship auditions.

Along with daily Fine Arts presentations in the America’s Center Convention Complex, the National Youth Conference (NYC) will convene at 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday in the Dome at America’s Center under the theme, “Who Will Go?”

Speakers for the event include: Austin Westlake, national youth director; Kendall Alfaro, national Speed the Light director; and Peter Reeves, multisite director and staff evangelist at Faith Church Orlando. Vanguard Worship Collective will lead a special prayer and praise service on Tuesday evening.

The week culminates with the Celebration Service, Friday at 6:30 p.m. recognizing top Fine Arts participants. Services will be livestreamed on the AG Youth Ministries Facebook page.

“We are praying that students experience God in a fresh way,” Holly Davis, director of Student Discipleship, says. “Whether through Fine Arts presentations, dynamic services, inspirational workshops, or encouraging interactions, we want everyone to have a personal encounter with Jesus.”

Beyond NYC and FAF, over 400 student athletes will take part in basketball, soccer, pickleball, and gaming tournaments on site. Also, over 50 breakout sessions will be offered including workshops on numerous spiritual enrichment and ministry topics for both students and leaders, sports clinics for athletes, and master classes for students desiring enhanced training and development in specific FAF categories.

For more information on the National Youth Conference and Fine Arts Festival, visit youthconference.ag.org. FAF categories results will be made available on the AG Youth Ministries Facebook and Instagram pages.

Photo Credit: Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Keith Surface

Keith Surface is director of AG News. A graduate of Southwestern Assemblies of God University (now Nelson University) and the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary, Keith is an adjunct instructor for Nelson and a licensed AG minister. Keith and his wife, Melanie, are members of Central Assembly of God in Springfield, Missouri.