As a worship leader, there’s no better moment than when the people I’m leading sing out so loudly that we don’t need the microphone.

As a youth evangelist, there’s no better moment than when witnessing youth come into an encounter with the Person of Jesus and joyfully open and surrender themselves to Him for the first or the hundredth time.

This October at Exalt North, I was blessed to experience both moments together. As soon as Jesus in the monstrance was placed on the altar, the 2,000 teens filling Minster Elementary’s gym streamed down from the bleachers, fell on their knees, and filled the floor before the altar, their eyes and hearts fixed on their Living Hope.

This night is a highlight of our ministry year, marked by a dynamic speaker, worship through music, and—most importantly—the exposition and adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist. It’s the annual Exalt North event hosted by the Center for the New Evangelization and local parishes. As a former Catholic teenager myself, these “mountaintop” experiences are very familiar. And as I move from participating to leading, they are no less critical for the Church’s next generation, providing spaces where God’s glory and presence are well stewarded and invitations are made for a powerful and personal encounter with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

As one student testified after Exalt, “When Father Ethan walked in with the monstrance, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. The words of the music … were just really inspiring and helpful with trying to connect with God.”

These moments are invitations and opportunities for conversion. Exalt North is a collaborative effort by a community of parish evangelists to bring youth to the mountaintop but also stands out in its ongoing accompaniment down the mountain into the foothills, plains, and valleys of their daily lives.

At the event, one student expressed her revived desire to invest in having a personal relationship with Jesus: “I know what it was like to have God in my life at one point and … especially lately, it’s been super distant. But tonight, I feel like I’m ready to go right back into our relationship,” she said. “I’m ready, coming back stronger than ever.”

However, accompaniment with adult missionary disciples is key for preventing students’ mountaintop encounters from fading into the background when the valley casts shadows on their daily paths. Ignoring or being dismissive of young people’s real struggles and daily small moments is a disservice to them.

Events like Exalt have prompted parishes across the archdiocese to facilitate more Eucharistic encounters. Young people are encountering the Person of Hope daily, but they need adult disciples to love and accompany them for the encounters’ impact to last. Thus,relationally-based evangelization methods are growing in prominence and success.

“You can just tell that they’re hungry for Jesus, and they just don’t know where to get it,” said Natalie Ashbaugh, a parish youth evangelist at Holy Cross, Fort Recovery. “So, they’re going for all of these youth ministries, and it’s just beautiful to see. Showing them that they can be young and have fun—and be Catholic—is just really important.”

So, let us hope in the young Church, but also do our part to accompany them toward Jesus Christ, the Living Hope of every generation. ✣

Audrey Melton is the Associate Director for Youth Evangelization at the Center for the New Evangelization.

This article appeared in the December 2025 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.