For many teens and young adults in Dallas, celebrating New Year’s Eve was less about parties and fireworks and more about worshiping Christ. The Upper Room Church, based in Texas, hosted its yearly conference from December 29 to 31 at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center. The event concluded with a New Year’s Eve focused on testimonies, gospel sharing, and musical worship, where numerous Gen Z attendees dedicated the upcoming year to God. Reports indicate that roughly 7,000 people attended over the three-day event. The church refers to this as “consecrating the last three days of the year to God.”
On New Year’s Eve, Brian Barcelona, an evangelist who converted from atheism, delivered his final sermon. He urged attendees to fully commit to following Jesus without making compromises. Leading One Voice Student Ministries, Barcelona is also an author, and he encouraged the audience to share the Gospel with their families.
“I trust that people will give their lives to Christ tonight, but my real concern is whether your family knows Him,” he remarked during his address.
This wasn’t Barcelona’s first experience witnessing God’s work at the Upper Room conference. Earlier, in 2023, he received a concerning message from his sister seeking help due to her struggles with sex trafficking and fentanyl addiction. He brought her to Dallas for a later conference.
The scene was quite moving. “What praise will I learn in the next five days?” Barcelona reflected, sharing how his sister, after detoxing, came out of the hospital looking vibrant and hopeful. She ultimately chose to enter rehab, marking a significant turning point for her.
He shared another poignant story about his grandfather, who, after being diagnosed with cancer at 84, expressed a longing for faith in Christ, saying to his wife, “I want to walk down those golden streets you’re talking about.”
The Upper Room’s 2026 Year-End Conference is already scheduled for December 29-31 at the same venue.
Related videos
Thousands of students encounter Jesus and the high-low rhythm of the UniteUS movement sweeps college campuses
Photo courtesy: ©Facebook / UPPERROOM
