In the beginning, there was chaos—and then, creation.
That’s the theme that will guide over a thousand young people and leaders this fall as they gather for IGNITE 2025, the annual youth conference hosted by the United Methodists of Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey. Held October 10–12 at the Wildwoods Convention Center in Wildwood, NJ, this year’s theme, “Genesis”, invites attendees to rediscover God’s creative power—not only in Scripture but in the unformed, uncertain places of their own lives.
Registration is open now at ignitenj.org. Early bird pricing is through June 30, so register your students before they leave for the summer!
At IGNITE, worship is immersive. Stories are not told from the stage to the seats—they rise from within the crowd. And this year’s lineup of speakers and artists will challenge and inspire attendees to participate in the creative act of being Church.
A Visual Theology: Artist in Residence Carmelle Beaugelin Caldwell
New this year, IGNITE introduces an Artist in Residence, someone not only to speak but to co-create the experience. Carmelle Beaugelin Caldwell is a Haitian-American visual theologian and multidisciplinary artist whose work fuses vibrant color with layered theological depth. Her visual lexicon emerges from Caribbean traditions and Christian pneumatology—what she calls a “dialogue with Spirit.”
After earning a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, Carmelle founded BeauFolio Studio, curating collaborative experiences that merge fine art, spiritual disciplines, and play to foster creativity in sacred spaces. Her work has been featured in partnerships with Interfaith America, Flagler College, Duke Divinity, and A Sanctified Art.
Beyond her studio practice, Carmelle serves as Associate Director of the Missing Voices Project at Flagler College’s Center for Religion and Culture and serves on the board of Artworks Trenton.
Carmelle’s installation art and creative engagement practices will serve as a backdrop—and springboard—for student reflection all weekend long. Her opening message on Friday night will set the tone.
On her website Carmelle writes, “We were created to be creative and to create, even if it seems that we are creating ex nihilo, or out of nothing. In seasons of stuckness, we find ourselves seeking answers and ideas outside of ourselves (books, podcasts, experts, etc). Here’s the irony— these ‘answers’ were generated from a place of authentic creativity. Someone had to write the book, create the message, and start the podcast. Why do we seek creative answers by drawing out creativity from others when we have full-time, free access to creativity within ourselves? To be creative, to become an artist, all you need to do is create something.”
“At the Table”: Rev. Woo Kang’s Dinner Church
Woojin “Woo” Kang will preach on Saturday. He serves as Associate Pastor at The Nett Church and Lead Pastor of At the Table, a dinner church in Historic Norcross, Georgia, launched in February 2023. At The Table has quickly become a welcoming and transformative space, particularly for young people, to rediscover what it means to be the Church and belong to a faith community. Through innovative, asset-based approaches, Woo is dedicated to meeting the spiritual needs of the community in fresh and meaningful ways.
Woo will bring that same posture to Wildwood: “We’ve made church about programs,” he says, “but Jesus simply gathered people. I’m excited to see what God will cook up among us.”
“Never Alone”: Rev. Dr. Michael Beck on Creative Community
Michael Beck is a pastor, professor, author, and one of the rare leaders bridging frontline ministry with academic scholarship. Alongside his wife Jill, he has led multiple revitalizations and planted unconventional faith communities among those often overlooked. They currently serve as co-pastors of Compassion and St. Mark’s UMCs, where they lead Open Arms Village, a holistic recovery housing program, and oversee a network of fresh expressions—worshiping communities that gather in places like tattoo parlors, dog parks, burrito shops, EV charging stations, digital spaces, and recovery centers.
Beck also serves as Director of Fresh Expressions Florida, Director of the Fresh Expressions House of Studies at Perkins School of Theology at SMU, and Director of Fresh Expressions.
His most recent book, Never Alone, explores how churches can address the epidemic of loneliness with the Gospel’s radical promise of community.
Worship that Moves
It wouldn’t be IGNITE without DJ El Vow, a longtime favorite who returns to open the conference Friday night with high-energy beats and spiritual depth that gets teens dancing and thinking.
Main worship throughout the weekend will be led by Alexander Pappas, a renowned songwriter and worship leader best known for his work with Young & Free. Pappas co-wrote global anthems like Alive, Wake, Real Love, and Echo, and his live sets have become known for fusing raw faith with powerful artistry.
He’ll be joined by Tomorrow Has Come, a young adult worship team led by Andrew LaBar-Dietz, a United Methodist deacon from the Virginia Conference. The group led worship at Exploration 2024, GBHEM’s national discernment gathering, and brings a fresh, prayerful energy to the stage.
“Tomorrow Has Come led our worship time with excellence and grace,” shared Rev. Amie Stewart, Director of Conference Relations, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. “The music moved attendees to tears as we joined our hearts in song. The lyrics, instrumentals, and presence combined to create a holy atmosphere.”
A Genesis Moment
IGNITE is a place where faith is made real through music, worship, storytelling, and community. And this year, the theme of Genesis is more than a metaphor.
“In the beginning, God created something beautiful out of something that felt formless, messy—even a little chaotic,” said Eric Drew, Director of Next Gen Ministries and lead of the IGNITE team. “And that’s what many young people are facing today. The question is, what will God do with all of that?”
IGNITE 2025 invites students and leaders to be co-creators with God, to find faith not in what’s finished, but in what’s just beginning.
Register Before the Summer!
IGNITE 2025 is open to youth groups, individual students, and leaders from across the Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey conferences—and beyond.
When: October 10–12, 2025
Where: Wildwoods Convention Center, Wildwood, NJ
Register: ignitenj.org
Early bird pricing ends June 30!