Digital Youth Event Brings Students Together

The Reset Student Movement took to Instagram and YouTube Live to help students reconnect to God and each other during this season of social distancing.

Our April Youth Workers Lunch with the Reset leadership team looked different than usual. Instead of meeting at a diner, we were meeting in a Zoom room. News had just broke that the timeline for social distancing was being extended, schools were remaining closed, and our youth events were being canceled. We agreed that something had to be done to show our students they weren’t alone. In just two weeks, Reset partner pastors worked with our team to plan, promote, and produce Reset Remote — a five-night youth event held completely online.

From April 15th-19th, Reset Remote reached over 1,000 views from middle and high school students. Youth pastors from eleven different churches invited their students to participate in the live stream games and sermon sessions. Our “Alone Together” theme was communicated in every segment as students were encouraged to stay connected to their youth leaders and friends during these challenging times.

Students shared their takeaways from Reset Remote on Instagram stating:
“Even when it feels like no one is there, I am never alone,”
“There’s a greater purpose for everything going on,”
“Even though I feel alone, I never truly am,”
“Don’t take anything for granted, especially the people in your life,”
“We are better together,” and
“What an awesome event Reset put on. I was so incredibly impressed with its impact on my life and other people’s lives. It taught me it is possible to be #AloneTogether, because of God.”

The three sermon sessions of Reset Remote featured 10 minutes of games and silly segments voted into the program by students, followed by a 15-minute sermon series on processing the pandemic. Session 1 included a message on perspective by Pastor Nate Fox from CalTab Church in Vestal, New York. Students were taught from the Book of Job while being encouraged to shift their focus from what’s been taken from them to opportunities God may be giving them. 38 students made the ‘Next Step’ decision to get reconnected with their community by joining the Reset Zoom Room discussion immediately after the session.

LFC Creative Director Jackson Garrell preached on processing pain during Session 2. Scripture from Romans 8 was used to deliver the hopeful message that God can bring great things out of grim circumstances. 39 students took the ‘Next Step’ of joining the Reset Zoom Room following this session to share what they’ve been going through and take it to God together in prayer.

Session 3 was taught by Pastor Josh Jenks of Grace Point Church in Vestal, New York. He spoke about praising God through this pandemic while teaching from Paul’s story in Philippians 4. Students related to the Apostle Paul’s isolated time in prison and 38 students were moved to join the Next Steps zoom room.

In between the three sermon sessions, we held a Family Game Night and a Q&A Session on Instagram Live to incorporate the fun games, humor, and community that are at the core of Reset culture.

Reset Remote brought churches and students together when the community was needed most. The engagement was incredible as the YouTube Live chat room was filled with thousands of comments by students who were interacting with the messages, saying hello to their friends, and sharing their feelings about each segment.

Thank you to the pastors who donated their time, Todd Davis who donated the studio space for live streaming, and everyone who supports the Reset Student Movement and Leaders Following Christ. Your generosity allowed us to reach students with God’s hope, love, and community when it was needed most.

View the sermon segments of Reset Remote by clicking on the video below: