There are moments in ministry when it feels like God pulls back the curtain for a second.
Not in a dramatic, fireworks kind of way. More like a quiet reminder that we’re not labouring alone, that the church really is alive, and that Jesus really is building his church. And that one day, all the scattered and weary and faithful saints will be gathered, safe, rejoicing and eternally home.
That’s what a number of people said this year’s Growing Young Disciples Annual Conference felt like to them. A glorious foretaste of eternity.
With over 400 children’s, youth, and family ministers in one place, being encouraged and equipped and thoroughly supported in their ministry, I found myself overwhelmed with gratitude. In a world that often treats Christian conviction as suspicious, or even harmful, it was thrilling to stand in a room full of people who are giving their lives to help the rising generations love and live for the Lord Jesus.
People sometimes assume the best parts of conferences like GYD are the big sessions. And yes, the Bible teaching was rich, and the singing was powerful, and the streams were challenging. But one of the most beautiful things I witness every year at GYD happens around dinner.
It sounds ordinary on paper. There are people queuing – juggling trays, finding seats, grabbing a drink. But as I wander around the room, I see the kind of fellowship that many children’s and youth ministers rarely get to experience in their normal week. I see people enjoying one another’s company, swapping ideas, comparing notes, talking through what they’re facing, and building each other up in the faith. Towards the end of the meal, I then start noticing pairs or small groups praying together before moving on to the next part of the programme. It’s so moving seeing people quietly depending on God together and bringing each other to the Lord in prayer.
I also love hearing the reaction of those who come for the first time. Many arrive with genuine trepidation, pretty unsure what they’re walking into. They don’t know if it will feel cliquey, serious or intense. And then they find a vibrant and warm fellowship of people who are all for them. One person said to me, “Every time you sit next to someone new, you’ve made a new friend.” That brings joy, because it’s exactly what we want people to experience at GYD. Not just great content, not just good organisation, but genuine Christian family.
This year, the main meeting room was absolutely buzzing. There was laughter, tears, deep edification in God’s word and glorious singing. It’s hard to describe the privilege of seeing a room full of children’s and youth ministers singing truth with conviction. It reminded me, at the start of a new year, why we do what we do.
1 Peter was expounded faithfully, and we were reminded of our status as exiled exiles, and of the joy and significance of being built into Christ’s church. One line has stuck with me, and I think it stuck with many others too: “You will not drive young people to holiness by guilt. You will draw young people by grace.” It’s a biblical truth: guilt might move you for a moment, but grace changes the heart, and makes holiness possible, and even beautiful.
As always, there was so much practical equipping across the other sessions, streams and seminars. We covered everything from caring for young people with mental health struggles, to helping children and young people form true friendships, to discipling young people in a pornified world. We dug into leadership training and talked about whole-church curriculum and how to think long-term. And I loved that the sessions weren’t theoretical, they weren’t content for a notebook that stays closed. These were tools and convictions that will be immediately useful in ministry.
We were full to capacity this year. We had loads of the old familiars, those who have become part of the GYD family over many years, but we also had a significant number of new faces too. Around 25% of conference attendees were there for the first time, which is remarkable and genuinely encouraging. People came from Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Sweden, South Africa, Singapore and America. Most were paid workers, but we also had a few wonderful volunteers.
Of course, a conference like this also reveals what many people are carrying. A lot of people are weary. Cost of living pressures are biting. Too many are still experiencing or processing the impact of poor leadership. Some are battling personal sin quietly, feeling ashamed and stuck. Many feel lonely in ministry, especially those leading small teams or serving in hard places. And singleness in ministry came up again and again, as a real and present experience for many. I don’t say any of this to be bleak. I say it because it’s real, and it’s exactly why a conference like this matters. Not because it fixes everything in four days, but because it reminds people that they’re not alone. And more importantly, it points them back to Christ, who really is enough.
If you came this year, thank you. Thank you for throwing yourself into the conversations, for praying with people you’d only just met, for singing your lungs out, and for sitting under God’s word with open hearts. And thank you for going back to the ordinary routines of children’s and youth ministry and keeping going, even when it’s costly and tiring.
And if you didn’t come this year but you want to in the future, the GYD team would love to welcome you.
