EQUIP Aims to Take Youth Leaders Beyond

Youth leaders, volunteers, and officers from across the USA Southern Territory are set to convene in Charlotte, North Carolina for EQUIP 2026. The biennial event, scheduled for April 20-23, is a training conference designed for those passionate about discipling the next generation and will include general sessions, helpful breakouts, fellowship, and powerful worship.

The theme of this year’s event is “BEYOND,” with a focus on Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

“In ministry, we are called to look beyond the immediate. Beyond the moment. Beyond what we can see,” says Emma Edelman, territorial ministry leadership development and camp program coordinator. “Youth leaders are seed planters, often sowing truth, hope, and love into young hearts without ever witnessing the full harvest. But just like a seed buried in the soil, our work is not in vain. What we sow in faith, whether through a word of encouragement, a hard conversation, a creative lesson, or simply showing up, God grows in His timing.”

The conference includes four general sessions, each centering on a beneficial keynote message.

• Session I: Beyond the Planting – Rev. Eugene Cho, President and CEO of Bread for the World and founder of One Day’s Wages
• Session II: Beyond the Surface – Chap Clark, leader of ParenTeen and the Institute for Ministry Leadership
• Session III: Beyond the Moment – Andy Jung, Senior Director of the Fuller Youth Institute
• Session IV: Beyond Today – Growth That Lasts – Majors Matthew and Jamie Satterlee, Southern Territorial Youth Secretaries

Josh Griffin of Download Youth Ministry (DYM) will also join EQUIP 2026 as a special guest, leading breakout sessions as well as preshow activities. Each breakout session is led by an experienced ministry leader with a focus on relevant topics for all ages, including behavioral challenges, discipleship, planning, technology, events, resources, and more. EQUIP 2026 also endeavors to provide both practical tools and fresh encouragement for every stage of youth ministry.

In addition to general and breakout sessions, EQUIP 2026 offers three optional pre-conference tracks, focusing on Red Shield Youth Centers, Jesus Theater, and Trauma Informed Care Certification. Each of these tracks begins on Monday, April 20, with two of the tracks (Red Shield Youth Centers and Jesus Theater) spanning the entire conference, while the Trauma Informed Care Certification track takes place on only the opening day.

Registration for EQUIP 2026 opens on January 12 and will be available until March 20, with potential attendees encouraged to register quickly due to limited space. The registration fee is $175 per person, billed to each command, and the pre-conference tracks are an additional $50. This fee includes an opening reception, two lunch services, a final banquet, snacks, and beverages, with the pre-conference fee including an additional lunch. Hotel bookings should be secured through the official registration page to receive a discounted room rate. Full registration information is available here.

“We can’t wait to be together at EQUIP 2026, learning, growing, and encouraging one another,” Edelman says. “Together, we will explore what it really looks like to go BEYOND — beyond our timeline, beyond our reach, beyond ourselves — and trust God to grow the seeds we are planting.”