by Franklin Dumond, Director of Congregational Ministries

For more than 40 years General Baptist Ministries has offered a summer event for teens called National Youth Conference. NYC provides a life-changing weekend that, over the years, has impacted thousands of lives through salvation and answered calling from the Lord. 

Pastor Jeff Roth attended NYC as a teenager and has coordinated NYC for the last several years. While the pandemic forced the cancellation of this year’s large group event, the NYC task force has developed a virtual NYC that can be enjoyed locally in one day or over several weeks.

Here’s Pastor Jeff’s announcement…

NYC 2020 is happening… sort of
By Jeff Roth, NYC Coordinator

I had not missed a National Youth Conference (NYC) since 2003, then 2020 hit. I bet you can relate. We were anticipating another awesome weekend and then everything stopped. I was bummed. But after meeting with the NYC task force we are determined to not let that stop us from accomplishing the mission of NYC.

The main objective of NYC is to help students take the next step in their relationship with Jesus. Another objective is to be a resource for youth leaders. We want to give you a place to bring your students and know that they will experience a safe, fun, and hopefully life-changing weekend. We are saddened that we were unable to meet those objectives in June. After much prayer and conversations, we have decided that we are going to try to help you meet those objectives in October.

However, this NYC will not be at Lake Williamson, it will be in your own community! We are cultivating all the elements so that you can “create-your-own NYC!” We are currently building a landing page where you will be able to download: keynote messages, video breakouts, hilarious bumper videos, potential games & activities, service project ideas, a special leaders breakout, and sample schedules if you want to do a one-day event or use the material for your weekly youth meetings. Basically, just add music and you’re ready to put on your own NYC! 

If you elect to put together a one-day event we would encourage you to join other groups and do it on Saturday, October 3rd. This is the day that we will premiere the keynote messages from a couple of your favorite speakers Brandon Petty and Jason Jordan. One (1) of the messages will premiere in the morning and the other in the evening (similar to a normal Saturday at NYC). In between the messages you can fill up your schedule with all of the other elements we are providing. You may want to add some food for the students in there too. 

I know this is obviously different from any NYC in the past, but we are praying that God will still use it powerfully to help your students take their next step in their relationship with Jesus. 

On Twitter the other day a fellow pastor asked what was going to come next in 2020. I believe he was looking for humorous replies but I replied by sharing the only thing I would want to be right about… that when people talk about 2020 they only talk about all that other junk in the context that it led to The Great Awakening of 2020. That we should see a revival like we’ve never seen it before in our hearts and in our churches. Lord, let it be so!

More information plus the link to the landing page with the above-mentioned resources will be made available soon. Until then, let’s keep praying that God uses our virtual NYC 2020 to be a life-changing experience for our students! 

Stay Hopeful! 
Jeff Roth

These messages will be available for download after October 3rd if you decide to choose 1 another date or use the material for your weekly youth meetings.