Planted and Sent: Cultivating the Next Generation of New England's Youth
Students worship at the 2026 Youth Encountering Christ Conference in Danvers, MA
Youth Ministry in New England has been thriving since the beginning of the year, and we’re excited to share with you all that God has been doing among youth in this region.
God’s New Work at YEC
The year began with Youth Encountering Christ (YEC), the BCNE’s annual winter conference for teens in 6th to 12th grade on January 30 to February 1. 657 students, leaders, and staff gathered for worship, fellowship, and fun, and God’s faithfulness was evident throughout the whole weekend.
After decades in Sturbridge, MA, YEC moved to a new location: the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Danvers, MA. In addition to a new hotel, one-third were first-time students, and of the 42 churches represented, 8 were brand new to YEC!
At the last minute, our initial speaker was unable to travel due to flight cancellations. Still, God provided quickly and faithfully just two days before, and Pastor Tanner Turley from Redemption Hill Church in Medford, MA, stepped in to share messages tied to our theme of “Planted” from Psalm 1.
While God was faithfully providing a new location, a speaker, students, and churches for YEC, we were witnessing revival before our eyes as God drew students to Himself. By the end of the weekend, more than 55 students made first-time decisions to follow Christ, more than 80 recommitted their lives to Christ, and more than 30 sensed a call to ministry or missions! Praise God for the new work He is doing in the next generation in New England!
(To see more on YEC, watch the recap video here.)
Quest 27: Growth Through Servant Leadership
In February, Quest officially wrapped up its 27th year! Quest is a 9-month student leadership development experience for high school juniors in New England to learn what it means to become a servant leader. The final phase of the experience was a week-long mission trip where 17 students from 11 different congregations, along with 8 faculty, traveled to two locations: Scotland and the Dominican Republic.
The Dominican Republic team served alongside missionary Ina York to lay a foundation for a shipping container that will eventually become a rustic kitchen and storage unit to aid the ministry. Students also planned three afternoons of youth activities and “Kids’ Club” and shared testimonies and games with teens and toddlers from the surrounding villages of Cercadillo and Vietnan.
The Scotland team partnered with International Mission Board missionaries and Dennistoun Baptist Church, a growing church in Glasgow. The students spent time with their youth group, led a youth night, and participated in their activities. They spent time painting and doing construction to refresh their current facility, while also participating in street evangelism and prayer walking as they prayed for several new missions, including a new building, a larger temporary location, and a coffee shop for one of the church members.
Over the last 27 years, 588 students have gone through the Quest experience, and each year, God works uniquely in and through students to develop their faith, character, and leadership. Below are reflections from three students from each team, sharing how God worked in their lives through Quest.
Dominican Republic
Quest was an amazing experience that opened my eyes to what the Lord is doing in places outside of the United States. It really showed me how blessed I was back home. Being there and serving alongside the students was so much fun, and it was incredible to see God moving in so many different ways. Helping translate in Spanish, English, and even American Sign Language gave me a unique opportunity to watch connections happen and see how God was at work through our team and in the lives of the people we met. The trip changed me personally and reminded me how God can use each of us in ways we might not expect. -Melissa Prescott, Waterbury Baptist Ministries, CT
Quest was truly an unforgettable experience! What was amazing about it was seeing God at work outside my immediate bubble at home. One example of the many ways that I saw his presence in the DR was his protection and control over everything. One example of this was when our van didn’t start and we had to wait for it to get pulled up the hill and started again. God used that time to force our team to slow down, give up control to him, and God started the van again on his own timing. Knowing that He is working everywhere assures me that he’s working in me and with me as well. -Isaac Liaw, City on a Hill Church Brookline, MA
I strive to be the little boy John 6 describes, with only his five small barley loaves and two fish, offering them into the hands of Jesus so that He can feed a crowd. Throughout my experience on Quest 27, I came to see that my little has boundless potential when placed in the right hands. During my time in the DR, I made a promise to God to step out of my comfort zone. Although I was hesitant to use my limited Spanish at first, once I did, God grew my little by giving me the confidence and ability to communicate and have meaningful conversations with those around me. My offering felt small and inadequate, yet once I placed it in Jesus’ hand for God's glory, He multiplied it in ways I never expected, teaching me that God does not search for perfection but rather submission. I will forever be in awe of the way God consistently provides with the little I have to offer. -Joanna Reiad, Lighthouse Church, MA
Scotland
On Quest, I was surrounded by people who spent so much time out of their lives to help serve. Before the trip, my life was filled with worldly goals, and I thought that would be how I would find fulfillment, not by doing something like laboring alongside some teenagers. But I saw the fulfillment people found in loving and serving the Lord. This caused me to awaken to how important God really is and how performing His will is more important than anything else in my life. Also, when I’m planning my future, the number one goal should be to serve the Lord. To put it in Paul’s words, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.” (Philippians 3:7) God showed me that all the superficial things I should be working to count as a loss next to the value of serving Him. -William Gaul, First Baptist Church Manchester, CT
Scotland was such a unique experience because it definitely pushed me past my boundaries to connect with people, but I think that just shows how God qualifies us for whatever His plan is, and we can leave it to Him to work through us. I was nervous at first, but Dennistoun Baptist was such a welcoming community, and the church was such an amazing representation of God’s work. During this trip, I saw God moving and changing the lives of my fellow Questies and me. Being able to serve as Jesus did, whether through sharing our testimonies or painting the sanctuary, made me feel joyous, as I got to serve the Lord and shine Jesus’ light onto others. I was amazed with how God used my teammates and how they were able to spread the Gospel, and just used their gifts to serve Him. This trip made me realize that serving God doesn’t just mean serving in church on Sunday or in missions, but we can serve Him in all aspects of our lives, and we can point everything we do to Him. Overall, Quest changed my perspective on what it means to serve with humility and revealed so much about how God moves, and it was truly a life-changing experience. -Tais De Souza, Nova Vida, RI
Through Quest, I came to understand what it means to truly spread the gospel: it’s not just saying it, but living it out, and interacting with different types of people showed me how I can better represent Jesus to people, both there and back home. It was truly one of the best experiences I’ve had. The people I traveled with, the new people I got to meet, and just having the radiating presence of Jesus’ love were so heartwarming and helped me understand how God can move even in another country. A moment I remember that really stuck with me was during Sunday worship. The church’s space wasn’t very big, and there was a good handful of people, but the space size didn’t matter to them; they were only there to worship the Lord, which I loved to see. Coming back home, I missed it, but most importantly, I am learning to apply what we learned in my daily life so God can truly bear fruit in my life. -Lidya Seifu, Ethiopian Evangelical Church, MA
(To read more about each team’s experiences on location, check out the Quest Blog.)
Up Ahead
There’s more coming for your youth and leaders to get involved in what God is doing around New England!
CheckPoint: Saturday, April 25, BCNE, Northborough, MA
Leaders, join us for CheckPoint on Saturday, April 25, for a day of learning, discussion, and connection with other youth leaders, pastors, and anyone involved in youth ministry.
Quest Recommendations: April 1-June 1
We are now accepting recommendations for the next round of Quest! Students must be recommended during their sophomore year by a pastor/leader/mentor, after which they would complete an application, attend CrossWalk, and, should they be accepted, continue in the program, which culminates with an overseas mission trip next February 2027. Recommendations open on April 1 and are due by June 1.
CrossWalk Summer Camp: July 20-25, Nichols College, Dudley, MA
CrossWalk, our annual week-long summer camp for youth in 6th (completed) to 12th grade, is coming up! Registration goes live soon, so stay tuned!
If your church would like to get involved in Youth Ministry opportunities, please contact me at rghobrial@bcne.net. I look forward to serving you and your youth! Renee Ghobrial is the Youth Ministries Director for the Baptist Churches of New England.