One of the largest Christian youth events in North America begins later this week in downtown St. Louis. North American Youth Congress, a biennial conference for students and young adults, will be held July 26-28 at America’s Center.
North American Youth Congress features youth-oriented worship and preaching and breakout sessions that address challenges students face in everyday life, as well as a disaster relief service project and a talent search. The event is hosted by UPCI Youth Ministries, a ministry of the United Pentecostal Church International.
Total registrations have surpassed 33,000, and final attendance figures are expected to be comparable to North American Youth Congress 2019, which also was held at America’s Center and drew more than 36,000 attendees. (The 2021 event was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.)
“North American Youth Congress connects students to something bigger than themselves,” said UPCI Youth Ministries President Michael Thomas. “In a world of increasing loneliness and isolation, this event shows a young person that they are not alone in their journey or their walk with God.”
Connecting with God includes serving others. The eighth SERVE event at North American Youth Congress will occur Friday, July 28, at 2 p.m. in Halls 1 and 2 of the America’s Center. Students will pack 3,000 disaster relief supply buckets with personal care items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and other hygiene products, along with cleaning supplies such as laundry and dish soap. When a disaster strikes, Reach Out America, a nationwide disaster relief agency, will coordinate with local churches to distribute these and other supplies to residents who have been impacted.
High-energy music, worship, and preaching will be featured during the 7:30 p.m. services, with special sessions and seminars beginning at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday and Friday. The complete schedule is available at northamericanyouthcongress.com/#schedule.
From its inception in 1979, North American Youth Congress has grown from convention centers to basketball arenas to football stadiums. Learn more at NorthAmericanYouthCongress.com and at UPCIYouth.com.
Sources: UPCI.org