What is UNITED?

UNITED Johnstown is a Christian youth movement in the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, region that unites more than 80 churches, nonprofits, and local businesses. Each spring and fall, weekly night rallies attract hundreds of teenagers and youth groups to worship together and enjoy Bible-based, age-relevant messages by speakers from many different mainstream denominations.

How did UNITED get started?

In 2013, a vision was birthed in Pastor Jeremy Barkley of Oakland Church and a group of local ministry leaders to engage the next generation with a movement of unity and faith — a movement that actually empowers teenagers to bring revival to our region. And so UNITED Johnstown was born.

Each spring and autumn since, UNITED gathers youth ministries and teenagers from all over the region for three consecutive weeks for a unified time of teaching from the Bible, authentic worship, and real connection. What began with 6 collaborating ministries has grown to what is now 80+ churches, ministries, school districts, and businesses all “UNITED” under the banner of Jesus Christ and the cause of the Kingdom.

Is UNITED affiliated with a certain church or denomination?

Not really… and that’s the point! UNITED has never been about a single church or a specific Christian tradition; rather, our heart is to be an expression of Christian brothers and sisters uniting together. Much of the culture of UNITED stems from Ps Jeremy’s personal commitment to Jesus and to our region. He is set on seeing our people embrace the Kingdom of God, and he “majors on the majors,” something which has become integral to UNITED. As a ministry, we unapologetically and passionately adhere to mainstream Christian tenets. For a full list of what we believe, click here.

What can I expect at a UNITED event?

As a ministry for teenagers, you can expect high energy, loud music, and free food! Each event typically begins with ice breakers and giveaways, then transitions into meaningful worship facilitated by area worship leaders. Our heart is not to simply introduce “good music” to teens, but instead to connect worshipers to Jesus, so our worship is very raw and passionate, with songs that most churches would be familiar with. Our UNITED events also always include a Bible-based message by a speaker from an area church, with an opportunity to respond to what was said. The response times vary depending on the speaker but typically include the chance for a teen to receive prayer from a youth leader. An entire UNITED event usually lasts about an hour and half.

Who can attend a UNITED event?

While UNITED is open to the public, our ministry is aimed at high school and middle school students in the Johnstown region.

I want to bring my youth group. How do I get involved?

Awesome! There’s no registration or special hoops to jump through if you want your youth group involved. Simply show up as a group to any scheduled event! Most youth groups travel together in a church van. If you would like to be in touch with us for any reason, though, please don’t hesitate to reach out here.

I am a student, not part of a youth group. Can I attend?

Absolutely!