EPA & GNJ are blessed with lots of opportunities for youth to experience community, test out the waters of faith, and grow closer to their connection to God. In countless church basements, fellowship halls and youth rooms across both conferences young people are invited to play, ask tough questions, and explore faith.
Every year Eastern Pennsylvania’s camping and retreat ministry welcomes 20,000 campers into a vivid faith experience. In GNJ, youth and young adults, are invited to come to IGNITE, a faith-filled high energy youth weekend, where they can sing, dance, and play together with other Christ-followers.
In the constellation of youth and young adult programming, Camp and Retreat ministries at Carson Simpson, Gretna Glen, Innabah, and Pocono Plateau provide the opportunity for young people to go deep into the waters of faith, IGNITE provides a wonderful opportunity for young people to test the waters. This Friday night-Sunday morning event, with a Saturday only option, offers an opportunity for students to invite their friends to experience a faith-filled weekend.
Thousands of lives have been transformed through weeklong camp and retreat experiences and through faith-filled weekends. Today, we take a closer look at one of the stories of a group transformed through participation at IGNITE.
In 2024 Teaneck UMC dreamed of attending IGNITE. Rev. Jaeyoun Kim had worked with youth for years and knew how transformational a weekend away with other students who had faith lives of their own could be: “I wanted our youth to be able to worship freely, meet other students from different churches, and really feel the presence of God in a personal way.”
With the help of scholarships, and a dedicated fund set aside for youth programming, Teaneck UMC attended IGNITE 2024. It was everything Rev. Kim hoped it would be. The students loved their time at IGNITE.
“You meet a lot of new people, a lot of people from different churches. It made me feel like I had a really big family and I really like that,” gushed Ray Kwon. Kwakua Opoku-Amoah shared, “I like how the leaders went out of their way to bond with us and make a personal connection.”
The experience fanned the flames of the young people’s faith, and they came back energized to grow even deeper by restarting the church’s youth group.
After the conference, the group made a commitment to meet regularly on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. “We made a whole calendar of things we want to do,” shared Rev. Kim.
They didn’t just pick activities; the group decided to be serious about service. They made Christmas packages for a local shelter that included items that unhoused persons would need and they assembled Valentine’s Day packages for college students.
They also decided that they wanted to raise the money to attend IGNITE again the following year, so that other students could come on scholarship. Throughout the year they hosted bake sales, where the students made cookies, brownies, banana bread, and pineapple bread.
The congregation generously supported their efforts. When the students hosted a fundraiser at a local restaurant, church members who couldn’t make it sent money directly to the group.
“The whole church poured out their hearts,” shared Rev. Kim. She continued, “We have a lot of younger children, 5th-6th graders. The students can be a good model to them. We are so excited they are growing.”
IGNITE inspired the youth of Teaneck UMC to take ministry into their own hands. They planned their calendar year around service and fundraisers, doing everything they could to come back again.
They met their goal and returned to experience IGNITE 2025, this time bringing a friend of a student with them, Kayla Shaley. Kayla had never attended worship, but had hung out with the youth group students, helping them to bake for their fundraisers. They invited her to come with them and experience IGNITE, “We are praying that the Holy Spirit does something in her through IGNITE,” Rev. Kim shared.
By Saturday afternoon it appeared that those prayers were being answered. Kayla shared, “When I was younger, I used to go to church a lot. When COVID hit that changed a bit. Coming here reconnected my roots a bit, and it lights up my connection with God again.”
By the end of the weekend, the young woman sought out Bishop Moore-Koikoi and officially recommitted her life to Christ.
The youth ministry at Teaneck UMC looks dramatically different than it did a year ago. Through the spark provided by IGNITE and through the power of the Holy Spirit, something fresh and exciting is happening at Teaneck UMC.
In the words of a member of Teaneck’s youth group, “If you’re really struggling with your relationship with God, or if you just want to get closer, IGNITE is a really good place to start. It’s really fun.”
If you are hoping to draw students in your ministry closer to Jesus, IGNITE is a great place to start. October 9-11, 2026 may seem far away, but it’s never too early to start planning. Learn more about IGNITE and RSVP today to reserve your spot and receive an exclusive discount on registrations.