1,337 Students Pack Kentucky Church as Youth Revival Breaks Records for Fifth Straight Year
Over 1,300 young people gathered at Hillvue Heights Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky as the Youth Evangelism Summit broke its attendance record for the fifth year.
Kentucky Baptist Youth Evangelism Summit Shatters Attendance Record With Over 1,300 Students
The Kentucky Baptist Convention's Youth Evangelism Summit (YES!) broke its attendance record for the fifth consecutive year as 1,337 middle and high school students gathered February 6 through 7 at Hillvue Heights Church in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The explosive growth is remarkable. In 2019, the event drew just 199 participants. By 2023, that number climbed to 828. Last year saw 1,253 attendees, and this year's 1,337 represents a continued upward trajectory that organizers say reflects a genuine spiritual movement among young people.
Matt Flanagan, Children's and Student Ministry Consultant for the Kentucky Baptist Convention, said the goal of YES! is to equip teenagers to know the Gospel, influence their culture, and go to their communities to reach people.
The Lord is doing a work within both Gen Z and Gen Alpha.
Flanagan described the movement as authentic faith rather than a return to previous generations' Christianity.
Shane Pruitt, National Next Gen Director for the North American Mission Board, led the main sessions. He urged students to anchor their lives in the true Gospel. The summit also featured 24 breakout sessions covering topics such as addressing doubts, purposeful online engagement, and spiritual disciplines.
Representing 79 church groups from across Kentucky, the students did not come for celebrity speakers or flashy bands. Instead, state student ministry leaders shared practical expertise on youth outreach, worship, and prayer.
More than 60 students indicated they were ready to speak with a ministry leader about salvation, and group leaders reported that additional spiritual decisions continued in the days following the event.
Record Breaking Youth Revival in Kentucky Signals Growing Faith Among Gen Z and Gen Alpha
The event was funded through Kentucky Baptist churches' Cooperative Program gifts, the Eliza Broadus Offering for State Missions, and a partnership with the Kentucky Woman's Missionary Union.
Student ministry leaders who attended praised the impact. Ben Fitzgerald of Yellow Creek Baptist Church in Owensboro, Dustin Rife of Immanuel Baptist Church in Corbin, Casey Puckett of Beaver Dam Baptist Church, and Jesse Wright of First Baptist Church in Richmond all noted the spiritual transformation in their students during and after the summit.
The next Youth Evangelism Summit is already scheduled for February 5 through 6, 2027.
The Crusader's Opinion
While the world tells us Christianity is dying, over 1,300 young people in Kentucky just proved that to be a lie. This is what revival looks like. Not manufactured, not celebrity driven, not propped up by TikTok influencers. Real teenagers, from real churches, gathering to hear the real Gospel. Sixty students stepped forward for salvation in one weekend. That is the Holy Spirit at work, and no amount of cultural rot can stop it. The next generation is not lost. They are rising.
Take Action
- Pray for the 60+ students who made salvation decisions at YES! and for their continued spiritual growth in their home churches.
- Support the Kentucky Baptist Convention's youth ministry efforts through the Cooperative Program. Learn more at www.kybaptist.org.
- If you are a youth pastor or church leader, register your group for the 2027 Youth Evangelism Summit (February 5 through 6, 2027) at kybaptist.org/youth-evangelism-summit.
- Invest in the next generation. Volunteer in your local church's youth ministry and disciple a young person in your congregation.
- Support Christian youth outreach through www.TheShepherdsShield.org to help fund initiatives that reach the next generation for Christ.
