It’s the week after Nazarene Youth Conference. You’re halfway through the summer, and more than 10,000 teenagers have just experienced one of the most unifying, inspiring, Spirit‑filled expressions of the Body of Christ in their young lives.
You made it home with every kid—always the first goal of any youth trip. There were bumps along the way, but the life transformations you witnessed in your students make every bit of the work worth it. The signups, fundraisers, parent meetings, student meetings, trip planning, and endless texts and emails about packing lists and departure times—everything mattered.
But let’s be honest. You’re exhausted. You’ve likely already led or attended summer youth events, church camp, district assembly, and now your second, fourth, tenth, or first NYC. To help you make the most of the months ahead, here are three simple but important ways to care for your students, nurture your own soul, and engage your church community.
1. Give your students time to talk.
Your teens just encountered God’s presence in a powerful way. Jesus said, “Where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Matthew 18:20), and we have seen for generations how God shows up when thousands of teens gather in his name at NYC. God was present in our services, the Experience, Ministry With Others projects and prayer walks, small group huddles, district debriefs, concerts, and conversations with leaders, old friends, and new connections.
You may have seen the Spirit moving in one or several students. Maybe they told you directly, or you overheard them processing with a friend. Maybe you sensed something stirring in a student who doesn’t easily express what’s happening inside. Some may have seemed distracted or unphased—but after attending nine NYCs, I can tell you: every person leaves knowing God was at work, even if they aren’t yet ready to respond.
Some may have seemed distracted or unphased—but after attending nine NYCs, I can tell you: every person leaves knowing God was at work, even if they aren’t yet ready to respond.
One of the most important things you can do now is give your students space to explore, examine, and express what they sense God did—and is doing—in their lives. Help them articulate what they felt, observed, heard, and experienced. Offer questions to guide their reflection. You can give them a list, send one question a week, or build it into your gatherings. The goal is to keep them reflecting, praying, and engaging with what God may be calling them into.
Some will process best in large groups, others in small groups, and some only in one‑on‑one conversations. Make room for all of it. The processing matters as much as the experience itself, because it helps translate a moment of encounter into long‑term transformation.
2. Give yourself time to breathe.
You need a break. NYC is life‑giving but also exhausting for a leader. You’ve spent seven days herding a small army of teenagers through airports, buses, trains, and the streets of Salt Lake City. Rest isn’t optional; it’s necessary.
You also need to reflect. Your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health matter deeply—not just for you, but for your teens, your church, your family, and your friends. Jeremiah 6:16 calls us to pause and realign with God: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”
So take a day or two—truly take them—to retreat and rest, reflecting on what God was saying to you at NYC. Ask where the good way is and walk in it.
3. Give your church a chance to listen.
Your church needs to hear from your teenagers. As youth workers, we’re regularly inspired by watching God move in their lives, but the larger church rarely gets to witness it firsthand. I implore you to allow your teens to share their stories— let your church hear how God moved. Invite the church to pray over your students, as God continues His good work in them. Be creative. Be intentional. Make this moment memorable, encouraging, and unifying for both your youth group and your church family.
Your church needs to hear from your teenagers. As youth workers, we’re regularly inspired by watching God move in their lives, but the larger church rarely gets to witness it firsthand.
If someone at church asks if you are enjoying a relaxing summer, I encourage you to smile politely, acknowledging internally that they may not really understand the demands of youth ministry, but take the opportunity to share one story of how God is at work in the lives of your students, even during “summer vacation”.
- 3 Simple Next Steps to Debrief NYC - July 14, 2026