When is UNITE and who is it for?
The Missouri Conference’s UNITE 2026 will be held on July 11-15, 2026, and July 20-24, 2026. The programming for the two weeks are nearly identical. Both weeks will be hosted at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. UNITE is tailored for incoming 6th graders to graduating seniors with a schedule that is conducive for your whole group.

What should I expect at UNITE?
Expect an amazing and powerful week that will be transformational for your students and leaders. You will hear from great speakers, experience high-energy worship, share spiritual growth, choose from engaging and diverse electives, and play mega games, eSports and sports tournaments, swimming in the pool, and much more!

What is the 2026 theme?
In Tension will explore what it means to follow Jesus in a world that doesn’t always make sense. Rooted in the Beatitudes and the stories of Jesus, we’ll wrestle with the beautiful tension between strength and humility, power and peace, justice and comfort. Through worship, play and honest conversation, students will discover how God shows up right in the middle of life’s messiest contradictions.

How can I sign my students up?
Bulk-seat buy for 2026 is now available! What does bulk-buy mean? Each church has the opportunity to reserve a block of tickets for their group as early as October each year prior to the event. Then, parents and students will sign up with and submit payment to their local United Methodist Church. If your student doesn’t have a youth group, please contact us to explore potential accommodations. The UNITE registration price includes: housing in dorms on campus, all meals (day one dinner through day five lunch), a UNITE T-shirt and all activities. Churches are responsible for transportation and any meals along the way.

How should I prepare for the event?
Youth Leaders: First, pray for a great event! Next, select your week and register your group for bulk registration on our website. It is O.K. if your final numbers need to be adjusted; we will have those conversations in early spring 2026. Make a plan for how and when you’ll get your group to UNITE, then set a price for your students that includes transportation and any additional supplies you may need. Then, download the media package and begin conversations with your students, parents and leaders to get them hyped and excited for UNITE! Consider fundraising if that’d be helpful for your group, and reach out if you need advice. It is never too early to begin registration within your local church. As you invite adult leaders to join the trip, plan a time to meet together a few weeks before the event to be prepared as a team.

In early summer, begin to gather and organize required documentation: medical release forms, Safe Gatherings for each adult leader, and media releases for students and leaders, etc., so in-person registration and check-in goes smoothly. Keep an eye on your email as we share unique aspects of this year’s event and special materials to bring.

Parents: First, pray for your student! They are about to experience something incredible. Stay in communication with your student’s leader for group-specific information such as payment, when and where to meet, how to stay in contact, and specific additions to the packing list. Your leader will send you a link to fill out medical forms, media releases and any other documentation required for the trip, and please don’t wait to fill those out. Please also communicate any additional needs or accommodations that will make this experience better for your student.

How many adult leaders do I need to bring with me? What will they be doing/asked to do?
Conference Safe Gathering guidelines require one adult for every eight students. Your leader’s focus is to build relationships with your students and to help facilitate small discussions. UNITE’s small group curriculum is designed to empower students in a way that it can be student-led. You and your adult leaders are responsible for the safety, accountability and overall experience of the students in your group at all times. Be intentional to have fun and be present with them in worship sessions and experience God together! Keep an eye on your email in the months before the event for additional resources on how to prepare your leaders, connect prior to the event and even some tips on who you can invite. Please note that while the campus at CMU is accessible, the UNITE experience can be physically demanding for adults and students with a lot of walking, hills and long days.

While adult leaders are responsible for the overall supervision, safety and well-being of your students during the event, there is a nurse practitioner on campus that will be available to administer medication and respond to minor injuries. UNITE staff stays in constant communication with CMU during the event and are available to support and respond in emergency situations, and CMU security is always on campus and ready to respond.

How old do adult leaders need to be?
In accordance with Conference Safe Gatherings policy, persons supervising minors must be at least four years older than the oldest participant in your group. Ideally, your adult leaders would be at least 22 years old because some groups bring students up to 18 years old.

Parents: Let’s talk details.
Your best resource for most event details will be your local church leader! This may be your student’s youth director, a pastor or a really engaged adult volunteer. They will help you with vital information such as: registering your student, final cost and pay schedule, when and where your group will meet and return before and after the event, a packing list, roommate assignments, cell phone policies, accommodations specific for your student, etc. They will be your main contact before, during and after UNITE, so please stay in communication with them as needed!

Students and leaders will be staying in dorms on the Central Methodist Campus, and roommate assignments will be made by your church leader. For younger students, it may be helpful for them to know how to use a key, make a bed with fitted sheets and be prepared for a communal shower situation. If your student takes medication, please have these prepared to hand to your leader separately with detailed instructions. Medication will be administered by a nurse on campus as scheduled or as needed, and prepare your student to help remind their adult leaders for medication they need to take. If your student has dietary restrictions or other accommodations, communicate those with your leader, so they can let the UNITE team know and be prepared to care for your student!

Main Youth Leader: Let’s talk details.
You hold the responsibility of your group’s communication with the UNITE team and distributing any relevant information from the UNITE team to your leaders and parents. You also get to make decisions for your group such as: final cost, the cell phone policy, when and where your group will meet and return before and after the event, sharing the packing list and adding to it for group-specific needs, creating roommate assignments, communicating specific accommodations for your students and adults to the UNITE team, group expectations and consequences, any gatherings before or after the event, etc. Keep a close eye on your email for information in the months and weeks leading up to the event, including resources to share with adult leaders. If you have any questions, want to bounce around ideas or need any support, please reach out to the UNITE team!

During your UNITE event, you and your leaders are responsible for the students in your group at all times. Plan out ways to stay in contact with your students regularly so that you know where they’re at each day. Take care to make sure your students are making it to meals on time and taking any required medication with the nurse. Make a plan with your other leaders about how to do evening checks in the dorms to make sure everyone is safe and accounted for.

How is it different from other youth conferences?
UNITE is a uniquely United Methodist experience. We are intentional about creating a space for our students to grow spiritually, be empowered, feel encouraged and create opportunities to connect with other student voices across the Missouri United Methodist connection. UNITE places a special emphasis on student leadership and spiritual practices that students can take back to their daily lives. We like to call this experience our sandbox: a place for all to experiment, dream and encounter the Holy Spirit in fresh and ancient ways. Curious how to get more involved or have ideas to share? Reach out to the UNITE team to dream with us!

Where does UNITE find its presenters?
UNITE recruits a diverse and skilled group of people both locally and nationally who know how to resonate with a student audience. Many of these people have had experience in student ministries or just have a passion for young people to know and understand the Good News of Jesus. Each presenter is intentionally onboarded with information about our unique setting and encouraged to preach in engaging, participatory and innovative ways for students to feel a part of each session and to help broaden the imagination and permission-giving capacity of leaders attending.

What if we have a mission trip planned or mission trips are a big part of our youth group culture?
Great! We love that! UNITE is not meant to compete against or take the place of mission trips; rather, UNITE seeks to be another experience where your students can see God at work in their lives. There are plenty of churches that offer both a mission trip and a conference in the same summer, alternate experiences every year, offer mission trips during spring break, etc. The choice is yours as a church, and we encourage you to look at both if your schedule allows the unique opportunities each experience could provide.

How will this benefit my church?
One of UNITE’s biggest goals is to empower students to use their gifts, talents and passions for the local church. After the event, it is normal to see students seeking to get connected with ministries within the church and even create new ones. The energy that these students and leaders come back with will reenergize your church as a whole.

UNITE is also working to build a growing library of resources to support leaders wanting to bring a piece of the UNITE experience to their local church. See or remember something that you liked from UNITE in the past? Reach out, and we’ll be happy to share!

Who do I contact for more information?
Contact Missouri Conference Youth and College-Age Ministry Coordinator Rev. Angel Garcia at agarcia@moumethodist.org.