Conference
December
28-30, 2026
January
16-18, 2027
Conference
December 28-30, 2026
January16-18, 2027
For more than 30 years, Strength to Stand has welcomed thousands of students to the Great Smoky Mountains and Pigeon Forge, TN for a life-changing conference experience. Our aim is to raise a generation to stand boldly for Jesus in the face of an ever-changing culture.
26/27
WORSHIP LEADERS
Charity Gayle houses a powerful voice that has a fresh yet reminiscent sound. She loves the Lord with a fierce faith and was raised in a home full of worship. Charity lives in Houston and leads worship with her husband, Ryan Kennedy. They are cultivating a movement for 24-hour prayer and worship called GatherHouse, and are continuing to write songs and spread the gospel in the US and globally.
Charity Gayle
STS Worship is a collective of musicians, worship leaders, and songwriters who serve the local church. Launched in 2020 as a ministry partner of Strength to Stand, STS Worship leads at all STS events in addition to DNOW weekends, conferences and camps, midweek services, and Sunday mornings.
STS Worship
LATE NIGHT
FEATURING KB
KB is a Dove Award-winning rapper, speaker, author, and podcaster known for his chart-topping albums and cultural impact. He cohosts the Southside Rabbi podcast, leads the global HGA movement, and released his debut book, Dangerous Jesus, in 2023 alongside His Glory Alone II. Above all, he values being a husband and father.
AND MORE TO COME…
COMMUNICATORS
Preston Perry
Preston Perry is an author, podcaster, poet, performance artist, teacher, and apologist from Chicago. By the grace of God, he has become a formidable communicator of the gospel.
His love for people inspires him to pair transparency and vulnerability with his creativity in a way that promotes freedom. Preston pursues engagement with people from various faith backgrounds.
December + january
SCOTT DAWSON
Scott Dawson is an evangelist who has a passion for sharing the Gospel with all generations and equipping others to do the same. He is a uniquely gifted communicator able to connect with those in all walks of life.
DECEMBER + JANUARY
Noah Herrin
Noah is a Nashville-based lead pastor, author, and communicator passionate about pointing people to Jesus. For over a decade, he has spoken to audiences worldwide, and in 2023 he and his wife Maddy planted Way Church, which has already seen over 1,000 people come to Christ. He is the author of Holy Habits and Welcome to Manhood, and together with their three children, they are committed to building the local church and helping others follow Jesus daily.
DECEMBER
Pastor Brian Mills is the Senior Pastor of Together We Church in Yukon, Oklahoma — formerly known as Trinity Baptist Church — where he has served with dedication since 2019. Under his leadership, Together We Church has become one of the fastest-growing churches in the United States, with many people coming to Christ and being baptized. A dynamic communicator and author of four books, he has traveled extensively, sharing his passion for growing lives devoted to equipping the church to live out the Great Commission and is joined in life and ministry by his wife, Jennifer, and their two children, Makana and Parker.
Brian Mills
DECEMBER
Tom Richter
Tom pastors Cullman First Baptist Church in North Alabama and travels to speak about Jesus. He previously served 14 years at New Hope Christian Church in Queens, NY. Raised in Murray, Kentucky, Tom holds degrees from Murray State University, Princeton Theological Seminary, and Beeson Divinity School. He’s married to Jackie with three children: Katie, Carson, and Anna.
JANUARY
Ed Newton
Dr. Ed Newton seeks to inspire people to become and make disciples of Jesus wherever they go. He is the lead pastor of Community Bible Church in San Antonio, TX, and holds his Doctorate of Ministry in addition to authoring several books. He and his wife, Stephanie, and their four children live in San Antonio, where he’s most likely shooting hoops with his son when he’s not preaching or writing.
JANUARY
FAQs
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Strength to Stand is a collection of student conferences, camps, and more pioneered by the Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association. For nearly 40 years, STS has worked to provide the next generation of the local church an atmosphere where they can experience salvation, participate in worship, and grow deeper in their faith. The primary audience served are ages 12-18 with hundreds of churches from across the Southeast.
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The Strength to Stand Conferences are designed to offer a well-balanced, intense conference that will challenge your students to go beyond the surface of casual Christianity and foster them into a lifetime commitment to Jesus Christ. Born of a vision to see thousands of students congregating in the Great Smoky Mountains, these conferences are designed for students yearning for a deeper, more effective relationship with Christ. In addition to discipleship, students will be given the opportunity to respond to the Gospel. We make no apology in confronting lost students with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
STS Conferences are held at the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge.
The conferences are under the supervision of the Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association, Inc., which is recognized by the IRS as a nonprofit organization. Since 1987, this Association has been actively involved in conference ministries throughout the United States.
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The Conferences target students from sixth grade through college. Due to insurance regulations, it is Strength to Stand's policy to require each person to be in the sixth grade or at least twelve years of age. Because we try to effectively minister to such a wide range of students, please refrain from bringing younger children unless you acquire special permission from Strength to Stand.
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We have flexible, tiered housing options that we are currently finalizing if you'd like for your group to stay in a conference hotel. If your group arranges its own housing accommodations, there's a $99 per person conference fee. Any group paid in full by October 14, 2026 for December Conference, or October 26, 2027 for January Conference, will receive $10 off per person.
To request a packet, or for more pricing information, please contact our team. -
To register for the Strength to Stand Student Conferences you can use the online registration forms above or the registration forms included in the info packet. To request an info packet click here. Due to insurance and safety regulations, armbands will be given to all attendees. Fill out the summary sheet and group leader agreement for the entire group. Make sure that you include your groups rooming list with your check. The hotel will not recognize your group as registered guests without a completed rooming list.
Send all forms, along with one check for your deposit or total amount payable to the Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association, Inc., to:
Strength to Stand
PO BOX 59405
Birmingham, AL 35259
We will receive confirmations until we reach our maximum capacity of meeting space. You may fax your reservation, including your American Express, Discover, Visa or MasterCard number, to 205.833.9138, or online here.
Any payments received within 30 days of the Conference are ONLY payable by church check, money order, cash, Discover/Visa/MasterCard or American Express.
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Student Pastor Stories