For the past two years, Youth Rally has returned to the Wisconsin Conference. This year the event is moving to Milwaukee SDA School (North Campus). Here’s what to expect and how to plan, this coming January 17.
Who is Youth Rally For?
The simple answer is: youth of all ages. “Youth” can have a pretty narrow definition in our church: usually referring to older teens. Youth Rally is less concerned with people’s age, however, and more concerned with providing a fun day of worship, connection, and service for Jesus. Primarily, the programming will be focused on the age group of 14-17. However, individuals younger will enjoy the program, as well as individuals in the “young adult” category (18-35), and even those who are young at heart (35+) will find something to enjoy. The point is: come to Youth Rally, bring your friends, and plan on staying all day.
When is the Event and How Much Does it Cost?
Youth Rally is one day only, taking place on Sabbath, January 17. It is a free event, which means that the whole day, as well as lunch and dinner, will be available to you, and you won’t have to pay anything. Programming will go from 10:00 am until 9:00 pm. There will be adult chaperones available, so for those who feel nervous about dropping their kids off for the day: we can pair them up with someone to keep them on track. However, if parents would prefer to stay the whole day with their kids, as mentioned in the section above, that is absolutely fine and we think parents will enjoy the day as well.
Do I Need to RSVP?
If you decide the morning of January 17 that you’d like to go to Youth Rally, that is fine and we’ll happily welcome you when you arrive. However, we want to encourage attendees to RSVP for two reasons.
- It will help us to know how many to expect. This will be super helpful to us as we purchase and prepare food for the event, come up with activities, and set up the space.
- We are giving T-shirts to anyone who RSVPs by December 21 (that’s this coming Sunday). If you don’t RSVP, we’ll still have some shirts that may could win as prizes during the day, however we can’t guarantee we’ll have your size. Signing up ahead of time, and by December 21, will help us ensure that we have a free shirt in your size waiting for you when you arrive. RSVP HERE.
Is There a Dress Code?
While this is a special church event, it is also focused on youth, and we want you to feel comfortable bringing your friends, even if they arent “church-y” people. So if you’d like to dress in your best Sabbath dressy clothes, go for it! But if you’d like to attend in your hoodie and joggers, that’s ok too. Just make sure you’re warm, as it will be January in Wisconsin. Outdoor activity will be minimal and limited, but you still may want to have a coat and warming accessories with you, just in case.
What Are We Doing During Youth Rally?
Ah, now here is where we get into the good stuff. We’re going to start the day with a brief Pathfinder march-in. So for those who are in Pathfinders, I know I just said there is no dress code, but during the morning service time, we’re encouraging you to wear your Pathfinder Class-A Uniform. Again, you are not required to! But for those who do come dressed in Class-A, you are welcome to participate in the opening ceremony as we kick off the festivities. Pastor Eric Jean-Baptiste will be calling the march-in, and it will be a fun way to start the day.
Once we get started, we’ll have fun praising and singing songs of praise to Jesus. Pastor Aseel Nazir and his group will lead us in fun songs that will get us moving and out of our seats as we worship.
Preaching will come from none other than Pastor Obed Salazar. He’s going to be speaking on the theme of our Youth Rally, which is POP: Pieces of Purpose. Digging into what it is that gives our life and journey purpose, and how we can fit into God’s plan for the world and our personal lives.
During the day, there will also be fun times where groups will break off for games, for service projects, for times of mixing and answering spiritual questions, and (of course) for meals.
Why Should Youth Go?
Every Sabbath is “adult” Sabbath in every church across Wisconsin, except the occasional 13th Sabbath, which sometimes is set aside as a “youth Sabbath.” Youth Rally is a special opportunity to encourage young people to worship God, serve the community, and connect with people in their age group from around the state. Since the event is free, it is not a drain on the wallet, and since it’s a one-day event on Sabbath, it’s time that would have been spent at church anyway, so it’s not a drain on time. During the day, we’ll be spotlighting various youth ministries and what they do, so that young people will better know how to get involved in year-round youth ministries, and they’ll get to meet young people and youth leaders who are connected with these ministries. Perhaps the real question is: why wouldn’t you go? For those who are concerned about a long drive: come when you are able to come. There will be nearly 12 hours of Youth Rally (10:00 am – 9:00 pm), so if you come a little late, that is OK. If you have to leave a little early, that is OK too (although we do encourage staying all day if you’re able to swing it!). If you want to make a weekend of it, there are plenty of hotels in Milwaukee, and plenty of people to stay with (nearly 1/3 of our Wisconsin Conference membership is in the Milwaukee area)–if you want to crash at a friend’s house. Truly, there are more reasons to go than not to go.
We’ll See You There!
Youth Rally 2026 is exactly one month away today! We’re excited to see you there. Please RSVP by this weekend if possible, so you can get your free T-shirt. In the meantime, enjoy more pictures from Youth Rally 2025.
Pastor Zack,
Youth Director
