I just returned from NYC (No, not New York City as many assume) which is short for Nazarene Youth Conference. It’s a gathering of young people from all over the United States and Canada, as well as missionary kids (MK’s) from different parts of the world. It happens roughly every 3-4 years. This year’s NYC was the largest in its history, dating back to the first gathering of Nazarene Young People in Estes Park, Colorado is 1958. That year, there were 763 people in attendance.
1958: 763.
2026: 10,000.
Think about that.
This year’s NYC was held in Salt Lake City, Utah. I’ve been attending NYC’s since 2007 and while each one has it’s own distinct flavor, I have to say that this one in particular ranks differently than any other NYC I’ve been a part of. Keep reading, and you’ll soon understand why that is. I might even go further to say that this has been my favorite NYC I’ve ever been a part of. Again, you’ll understand why momentarily.
Let me disclose some things first and make a disclaimer as well.
First, full disclosure: I’ve been more involved in the “behind the scenes” stuff of this year’s NYC more than any other I’ve attended in the past. So, I’m coming at this recap from a very different place. I got to see almost all of the parts of NYC that the average participant doesn’t get to see. So you should understand that I’m coming from a unique perspective. I’ll get into all the ways I’ve been involved as we go along.
Next, the disclaimer: I’m going to share some things that might…just might…sound at first blush as a critique of church culture. I absolutely do not intend to communicate anything that is anywhere near negative. I find that it is through exceptional experiences like NYC that we get to recalibrate our vision, our methods, and our goals in terms of making (young) disciples. So as you read, understand that my mind is prone to rabbit trails that wander off in directions simply triggered by an initial experience.
Okay, let’s get into this recap. I’ll do my best to take you along the timeline, but don’t hold me to that.
I arrived in Salt Lake City on Monday, June 29 2026, and got checked into my hotel. I stayed at The Peery Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City, just 2 blocks from the “Salt Palace”where the NYC event was being held. The Peery is not your typical hotel; it’s a renovated old building that has a distinct charm often lacking in more modern hotels. Creaky floors and all, I really did enjoy my stay at The Peery Hotel. I only had breakfast there once, and had the avocado toast at their in-house restaurant called “Eggsburgh.” I highly recommend it.
Then on Tuesday, I got to meet the team I’d be working with for the week. I had been asked several month prior to NYC if I’d consider being a part of the social media team that served as “hosts” for the event via social media platforms Instagram and Facebook. I had never met any of the team prior to the actual event except for a Zoom call or two to go over our plans. I couldn’t have known just how powerful a role each of them would play in the week that was ahead of me.
Believe it or not, part of my role was to be creating and posting videos and content that engaged primarily students and leaders in attendance at NYC, but it also was free for anyone following the account nazarene_youth_conference on the two platforms we were posting on. So family and friends from all over the world could play along with us as we went about our week.
*You can, at any time, go back and watch the sessions here. What a gift! What a time to be alive where we can essentially hop into a Time Machine and be taken back to some powerful, poignant moments in worship and the Word!*
Let me try to explain something.
Every person who participated in NYC 2026 has now experienced what it feels like to be surrounded by 10,000 teenagers collected from all corners of USA and Canada for the purpose of centered our attention on Jesus. If you were to ask of them what it was like, you’d get a myriad of responses, yet the common thread you’d hear is that you really can’t describe it; you’ve got to be there.
Let me try and help by sharing with you a recap video…keep in mind that this is just day ONE!
Throughout the week, we experienced powerful messages from talented speakers, and incredible, world-renowned musical talents such as Hulvey, Josiah Queen, and Elevation Rhythm. I can’t even express how powerful the ministry was from each of these. They were anointed for that moment, and each of them stepped beautifully into that role. God used each of them, though they were entirely distinct in their vibe, their style, and their approach. It was in itself a beautiful snapshot of the Kingdom of God.
Let me pause here and ask that you consider who you are; who God made you to be.
We live in a world saturated in comparative living. We are constantly pulled into a mindset that sets us as either deciding we are better than or less than. But would a red thread in a tapestry have anything to critique about a yellow thread they were next to in that incredible work of art? God has ordained your life to impact the world around you in the way He has created you. Submit your thread to the beautiful work of art God is stitching together, and have no thought about better thans or less thans. You, sweet child, are precisely the person that God created, adores, and wants to use for His glory and your own good as you submit everything you have and everything you are to Him and His care.
While I was a part of each of the 7 “main sessions” where we all gathered together, I was also partnered with a new wonderful friend named Bailey Friberg as we hosted via social media. I’ll post a few of our videos below, so you can get a sense of some of the antics I got to be a part of. Scroll down the right side and click on any of the videos to see the progression through our week.
From the platform during each session came incredible truth being preached from talented communicators. As part of the NYC media, I was asked to post/share the notes I took for each of the messages.
For some background, I’m a very visual learner, and when I am listening to a speaker/preacher, I typically turn that information into visuals. I’m no artist; I’m more of a sketcher/doodler. Some time ago, my notes were noticed by Justin Pickard, who leads NYI for USA/Canada, and that’s how I came to be invited to, after each session, post what I personally had written/doodled down in a way to help others remember, process, and digest what they heard.
I’ll post my notes from all seven sessions here:
The theme for this year’s NYC was “WONDER“, and it is something I am very well acquainted with. I was brought in to the planning of NYC early on, and asked if I would co-author the 60-day devotional book that every participant would receive, as well as writing the 6-week small group curriculum groups could choose to go through in preparation for the event in Salt Lake City. It was a honor and true labor of love to complete those projects as well. Here’s a photo of me with co-author, Miranda Musik.
As we went throughout the week together, I couldn’t help but stand in awe of God’s power, His promised presence, and what He is doing in this young generation.
I should say here that from the very beginning of my pastoral ministry (circa 1995), I have never had any aspiration to do anything other than actively invest in young people. So to spend a week in a sea of 10K of them, and to see moments of worship, wrestling, growing, and reveling in God’s promises…well….can you even imagine my elation?
But I also want to share a few unformed thoughts that I’ve been kicking around as I’ve digested this week in Salt Lake City. Be cautious not to hold me too tightly to any of these meanderings; they’re really just forming into things that may or may not gain any traction.
In no particular order:
- Spiritual experiences MUST lead to practical expressions.
- I’m entirely uninterested in simply creating a hyped-up event for young people that quickly becomes a blurred memory, consisting of little more than some social media posts and vaporous emotion.
- If what we experienced isn’t followed by transformation of the mind, heart, and therefore behavior then what have we really done?
- Yes, NYC 2026 was absolutely electric in it’s atmosphere, it’s excitement, and it’s energy. But we unashamedly call it a “mountaintop” experience so that life in the valley is transformed.
- To identify with the cross of Christ is to connect eternally with the people of Christ.
- Something followers of Jesus must be experts in is connecting, community, and fellowship. This is both for the unity Jesus Himself prayed for, AND for the purpose of being our first apologetic. “They’ll know you are my disciples by your love for one another.” (John 13:35)
- It is imperative that followers of Jesus understand that if we are adopted (and we are), then by definition we are FAMILY. That’s why I can walk into an arena of 10,000 people and feel a familial sense. Which leads me to…
- The purpose of connection is to walk out our fellowship-fueled mission.
- I bet you can’t think of or name one person who is flourishing in their following of Jesus apart from real community. The reason that is is because in God’s grace, we are designed to walk together in the mission of the gospel. When we don’t, we can’t.
- Of course, we’re empowered by God’s own Holy Spirit, but the pouring out of His Spirit in the book of Acts was on a gathered group of His disciples. They were together in one place, and then together began to proclaim the good news of Jesus in power and in bold, collective witness.
- The worship of experience is not the same as worship of Jesus and we need to be careful about that.
- Anytime we think about worship, we must be careful to keep Christ central. This seems like something that shouldn’t need to be said. I say it because I believe that in our day of production value and excellence in worship leadership, we can inadvertent celebritize those who only seek to lead others in worship of Christ.
- We cannot mistake production for Presence. NYC 2026 was–by necessity–a beautiful orchestration of logistics. As a part of the volunteer team, I got to be in the room for sound checks, rehearsals, and other efforts made to ensure that the worship gatherings went unhindered. Yet none of that good work can replace the Presence of God.
- We cannot place our emphasis on the act of worship more than the person we are worshiping. Yet I fear that we are dangerously close at times to doing just that. We get wrapped up in the songs we know, the volume we prefer, and having the song set hit the right stride.
These were not things that were taught from the stage at NYC per se, they were just thoughts that I had that were triggered by my personal NYC experience.
Lastly, I have to talk to you about the team I got to serve with most closely. I was a part of the social media team and I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed every single one of these four new friends I made. Keep in mind that before last Monday we were all virtual strangers. And as I type this just one week and one day later, I would not hesitate to jump head first into any future project with any of these wonderful servants of Christ.
We jokingly compared our new friendship to “camp friends”; people who are strangers at the start of camp but best friends by the end of the week. I’m so grateful for each of them, and God showed me Himself through them as much as He did in any other way throughout the week.
I’ll post a picture of our team together, on our last day before saying our goodbyes. (Photo at bottom of this post.)
In an effort to wrap up this recap, I want to bring us all back to the issue of Wonder. I truly believe that stagnancy in our spiritual lives creeps in when we lose our Wonder of God. When we stop using phrases like, “What would happen if I…”, “I wonder what God is trying to show me and teach me through…”, “What might happen to my spiritual closeness with Jesus if I….”, and “Where is God most clearly moving/leading and how can I be involved in that?”
So what WONDER-filled step will you take right now? There’s no need to wait. Simpy choose to be someone who is filled with wonder and therefore someone who steps boldly into the places where God is inviting us.
jerrythinks. 
I love this and love that you got to serve on this role. What a total gift. Proud of you for leaning in and making a huge impact this week!