News and Views

By Alison Burdett

What happens when young people step away from their everyday routines and spend a weekend surrounded by thousands of others who are discovering what it means to follow Jesus?

For the Rev. Gay Green-Carden and the youth ministry team at Asbury Jessup United Methodist Church, the answer has unfolded over 17 years of attending IGNITE, formerly known as ROCK in the Baltimore-Washington Conference or Rally in the Peninsula-Delaware Conference.

Year after year, the church has brought approximately 40 to 50 youth and young adults to Ocean City, supported by a dedicated team of skilled servant leaders. What began as an opportunity for young people to experience dynamic worship and Christian fellowship has become a tradition of transformed lives, strengthened relationships and deepening faith.

When Asbury Jessup first began attending, many participants had never spent a weekend in a hotel, traveled without their families or worshiped alongside thousands of other young Christians.

“Many of our youth came from challenging circumstances and struggled to envision how much God truly loved them,” the leadership team shared. “IGNITE gave them the opportunity to see and feel God's presence in a way they had never experienced before.”

Over the years, the team reports that at least one young person has committed their life to Christ during each retreat season.

But some of the most meaningful moments happened outside the scheduled programming.

Each evening, Asbury Jessup's youth gathered in the hotel hallways for what became known as their “Bible Wrap-Up.” These informal conversations became sacred spaces where students could reflect on worship, ask questions, share personal testimonies and encourage one another.

“As a youth leader, I watched students shed tears of joy rather than tears of struggle,” recalled Olivia Allen. “They shared personal stories, encouraged one another, and expressed their faith in ways that were life-changing.”

Those connections often continued long after the weekend ended.

One young participant was so moved by the experience that she called her mother during the retreat and urged her to become a chaperone. She had met people who genuinely loved God and wanted her mother to experience that same sense of community.

Her mother accepted the invitation and has now served in that role for 10 years.

Another participant, Cameron, was wearing his IGNITE sweatshirt at a local mall when someone recognized him from Ocean City. The unexpected encounter rekindled a friendship that began during the retreat.

For Asbury Jessup, the impact of IGNITE has extended into the life and ministry of the congregation.

During one retreat, youth attended a session with Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling called “Keeping It Real with the Bishop,” where they could ask honest questions about faith and life.

Inspired by that experience, Asbury Jessup launched its own “Keepin' It Real” ministry, creating opportunities for youth and young adults throughout the community to engage in authentic conversations about faith.

The church has also made it a priority to sponsor neighborhood youth who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend. According to the leadership team, approximately half of those participants eventually became active in Asbury Jessup's youth ministry.

Yet perhaps the most profound evidence of IGNITE's impact comes from the individual moments that stay with participants long after they return home.

One young man recalled lying in bed during the retreat, listening to the peaceful rhythm of the ocean waves outside his hotel window. For the first time, he fell asleep to the sounds of nature rather than the police sirens and gunfire he regularly heard in his neighborhood.

“I felt the love of Jesus in my heart,” he shared. “I've never slept so peacefully.”

Years later, his words remain a powerful reminder that IGNITE offers more than inspiring messages and exciting activities. It creates space for young people to experience God's love, discover belonging and encounter a peace that can transcend their circumstances.

For youth leaders considering attending for the first time, Asbury Jessup offers simple advice: Let the Holy Spirit lead. Make time each evening for young people to reflect, ask questions and share how God is speaking to them. And bring plenty of snacks!

This January, young people will gather again in Ocean City for IGNITE 2027, January 22–24, under the theme “CALLED.” Grounded in Isaiah 43:1, the weekend invites participants to discover that they are known, loved and called by God.

For Green-Carden and the Asbury Jessup team, 17 years of experience can be summed up in one powerful statement:

“IGNITE is a fire that never goes out.”

Registration for IGNITE 2027 is just $65 per person through October 31. Learn more and register at IGNITEforYouth.com.