Youth Camps and Conferences have always held a special place in my heart. God called me to ministry when I was 16 years old at a youth camp. I met my wife at a youth camp the following year. The first youth trip I ever led was to National Youth Conference as a 20 year old. I even got married at a youth camp at 21.

No doubt, my life has been changed by the opportunities I have had to be a part of youth camps and conferences. For the last few decades, General Baptists have heard many stories of life-change in young people through National Youth Conference. NYC served as an incredible event that no doubt has made an eternal impact on many students, leaders, pastors, and churches. Today, it is time to look ahead to the future of how we can EQUIP, CONNECT, and CALL the next generation to love God and serve his Church.

That’s why I’m excited for General Baptists to be partnering with some incredible youth ministries and churches to host the next generation of Youth Conference. We want to invite all of our General Baptist churches to join us this summer at YTH CONF EAST at Generation Church in Portland, TN, or at YTH CONF WEST at Real Life Church in Mountain Home, AR. By the way, feel free to call it Youth Conference, we aren’t offended. You can learn more about these great events, and even register your group by going to www.gbnyc.org.

Maybe you’re new to youth ministry, and you’ve never had an opportunity to be a part of a youth camp or conference. I want to share five benefits to creating a youth camp experience for your students this summer.

1) Escape “Normal”

As youth pastors and volunteers you spend countless hours trying to speak into the lives of the students you serve, often times only to be drowned out by the noise of everyday life. When a young person leaves behind their normal routine, their normal places, and their normal group of friends, even for a couple of days, they are putting themselves in the best place to experience God in an extraordinary way. The result can be life-changing. Camps and conferences are a great opportunity to help a student step away from the noise of their everyday lives to hear from God.

2) Have FUN

For years, youth ministries have been criticized for having too much fun and not enough substance. I tend to agree, in general. However, sometimes we miss the fact that one of the best ways to learn is by having fun. Go ahead and google it. Our brains, especially younger brains, are more receptive to new information and learning when they are at a state of play. Youth camps and conferences are some of the most fun environments I’ve ever been a part of. I’m no neuroscientist, but I’d say camps give us a great opportunity to leverage the fun we are having for the sake of teaching students about the Gospel. You don’t always have to trade fun for depth. Sometimes you can have both. 

3) Build Community

If you were to think of your favorite memory I’d be willing to bet it would not be from something you did alone. Chances are you shared that experience with someone else, and likely with someone you are close to. The shared experience that comes with a youth camp or conference is a great way to deepen relationships among your students. Building community is a byproduct of escaping normal and having fun, it is also a vital part of growing in our faith. Following Jesus becomes easier when we are surrounded by a community of other believers from our own stage of life. Youth camps and conference offer a great opportunity to build relationships that build community and deepen our faith in Christ. 

4) Equip Leaders and Future Leaders

As a youth pastor or volunteer one of the best things you can do for your ministry and your students is build a network of other youth pastors and volunteers you can learn from. Too often ministry leaders find themselves feeling as though they are doing ministry on an island. Events like YTH CONF are one of the best opportunities I’ve found to connect with other ministry leaders I can call on whenever I need to share some ideas with. Chances are you don’t have a big staff at your church, or even a lot of volunteers, but I’ve found when I look outside of my own local church for encouragement and coaching there are usually other leaders eager to help. These events also give us a safe environment to give some responsibility away to some of our older and more mature students. When we empower the next generation to lead we are ensuring there will be a next generation of leaders to take our place one day.  

5) Spiritual Growth

Most importantly, the goal of any youth camp or conference is to create an environment and experience that has been intentionally designed for spiritual growth. Escaping normal, having fun, building community, and equipping leaders are all parts of this intentional effort to help students grow in their walk with Christ. My friend Jeff Roth always said, “National Youth Conference is not about taking a student from A to Z in their faith in a weekend, it’s about helping a student take their very next step.” What a joy to watch a student begin their journey with Christ, or take a next step in their faith. I’ve been blessed to see God do this through the many camps and conferences I’ve been able to be a part of over the years. 

Whether you bring your students to YTH CONF 2023, or there is another opportunity that better serves your church, I look forward to hearing the stories of what God does in your youth ministry through the camps and conferences you attend this summer. Feel free to reach out to me at preston.owens@generalbaptist.com if you have questions on how to get the youth of your church involved this summer. 

About the Author: Preston Owens serves as the National Youth Coordinator for General Baptists. He and his wife Kellie have four kids Mollie, Parker, Laynie, and Hallie. Preston loves the local church and has served in various ministry roles for over ten years. You can connect with him on Instagram @owenspreston or by e-mail at preston.owens@generalbaptist.com