move toward
International Youth Convention
History Celebrated, History Made
Confronted day after day with the palpable presence of God, students couldn’t help but consider the gravity of what God had done for them and the ready-to-be-unleashed potential of what they could do for God.
IYC2024 was a historic moment of life change for multitudes of students, thanks to the tireless work and planning of the Youth Ministry Team, the Student Leadership Team, and the funding and infrastructure of Church of God Ministries on behalf of the General Assembly.
respondents
More than 400 students attended the Emerging Leaders gathering at IYC2024. 259 of them felt a call to ministry and expressly requested the help of their state or region to pursue their call.
IYC LIFECHANGE STORIES
“I think I began to realize who I was at 18 years old. That I was an individual, but I was part of a larger family.”
– LYNN MENCHINGER
IYC1952 ATTENDEE
“God was like, ‘You have to make a decision right now. Are you gonna follow me? Or are you gonna do what you want?’”
– EMILY FERRELL
IYC2012 ATTENDEE
“God was like, ‘You have to make a decision right now. Are you gonna follow me? Or are you gonna do what you want?’”
– EMILY FERRELL
IYC2012 ATTENDEE
“I ended up accepting a call into youth ministry, and from there on out God has done nothing but amazing things in my life.”
– CHRISTIAN HARDIN
IYC2014 ATTENDEE
leadership pathways
leadership pathways
Gen-X ministers, Intern Academy, Trellis Churches, Leadership Focus, all four Church of God universities, and senior pastors serving in small to midsize congregations have collaboratively identified guideposts needed to clear a pathway to leadership for these students and the many more God is preparing for ministry:
- ICNU (“I see in you”) conversations
- Guidance from a model who follows Jesus
- Opportunities to serve
- Formal education
- Exploration through internships and residencies
- Placement in a local church
- Multiplication–pouring into the generations that follow
- ICNU (“I see in you”) conversations
- Guidance from a model who follows Jesus
- Opportunities to serve
- Formal education
- Exploration through internships and residencies
- Placement in a local church
- Multiplication–pouring into the generations that follow
In her own words
Rita Bullock, Pastor • Awake Church, Shelby, Ohio
“I am a pastor serving an averaged-sized church in Ohio and was humbled to be invited to participate in the roundtable discussion concerning a leadership pathway for those called to ministry. The need is high in the Church of God for men and women to say ‘yes’ to the call of ministry. The time with the group motivated me to pray for people in my congregation who should be coming with me in leadership. After a season of prayer, a few people stepped forward whom I had not imagined would be called to ministry and just needed the opportunity.
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Consequently, in the past year, our church has had three people enroll in Leadership Focus and five attend a class on preaching, with sermons to present at the end of 8 weeks. One of the young men who completed the preaching class was 17 years old and newly baptized. He has been an incredible encouragement for me and the congregation.
It is not always easy to invest in others. Having the roundtable discussions was the extra push I needed. It would be amazing to offer the opportunity for other pastors, like myself, to sit with the team and learn of the resources to grow the Kingdom of God.”
The seminal curriculum and preparatory pathway to credentialing for the Church of God, designed to frame and equip leaders for the present age.
With the implementation of Leadership Focus as the credentialing pathway for the Church of God over the past ten years, we have created a consistent, standardized process for all those who seek ordination to the Movement. Leadership Focus ensures our ministers understand and align with the doctrine and distinctives that make up the teaching tradition of the Church of God. Our mission: Partnering to develop healthy, growing, missional leaders to expand the Kingdom of God in the present age.
If we’re going to serve the Lord in fulfilling the Great Commission, understanding what we believe…is critical to being able to share the gospel with others.
– Dr. Jon Wallace
Leadership Focus candidate
Hundreds of Leaders Served
Spring 2025
- English Track: 275
- Spanish Track: 61
- Advanced Track*: 11
- Coaches: 70
*For those who are transferring ordination from another Wesleyan Holiness tradition, or those with advanced Seminary degrees.
*For those who are transferring ordination from another Wesleyan Holiness tradition, or those with advanced Seminary degrees.
Sustaining the ministry of early-career pastors through financial education, advocacy, and relief assistance.
Sustaining the ministry of early-career pastors through financial education, advocacy, and relief assistance.
“Sometimes we need a coach who can care about us to not feel alone in ministry. For the Church of God to have the CARE program has been a blessing for me, for my family, and for my church.”
–Elbin Morales, Pastor
Iglesia Fuente de Salvación, Decatur, Alabama
“In a society that desperately needs more young pastors, it’s incredible to have programs like CARE to support and encourage us.”
–Josh Falke, Pastor
Fairfax Community Church, Fairfax, Virginia
All of this is because of your generosity.
help us continue to move toward tomorrow
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