1. Registration & Payment
What are the registration fees for Momentum Youth Conference?
Refer to the Pricing Guide for the current year:
What are the payment dates?
Students:
For students to receive the lowest rate, they need to register and commit to a payment option by March 15th. They can
- Choose to pay the entire balance at the time of registering
- Pay the minimum deposit amount of $75 and agree to monthly automatic payment withdraws until the final balance is due June 15th or
- Pay the minimum deposit amount of $75 and agree to have the final remaining balance withdrawn on June 15th. (Refer to the Pricing Guide for specific fees)
Youth Workers:
The youth worker rate will remain the same until June 15th. After June 15th the youth worker rate increases by $75. Youth workers have the same payment options as students described above.
How do I register?
Online registration: Register for Momentum Youth Conference through buildmomentum.org/conference. You will be directed to UltraCamp, starting with creating a username and password to set up your family account.
NOTE: A parent or guardian needs to be the primary account holder. Each person registering will be asked to select their church from a dropdown menu, so they are placed with that group.
If you are the leader of a church that is NEW to Momentum Youth Conference, you must have your church added to our registration system before your students can register. Please do so by emailing the Registrar at registrar@buildmomentum.org
Is there a registration deadline?
Unlike previous years, due to the large volume of early registrants, we may need to cut off registration prior to the start of Youth Conference and not allow any walk-ins. We will give plenty of notice if this needs to happen. It is suggested that you register as soon as possible to secure your spot.
Can I pay with a check?
We no longer have the online option to submit payments via check and require all deposits and payments to be made via credit card or ACH (electronic checking). If for some reason your church does not allow you to pay via credit card (for yourself or volunteer adult youth workers) and needs to issue a check, please contact the Registrar at registrar@buildmomentum.org on how to do this. There is no charge to use ACH payments, but credit cards will incur a 3% credit card processing fee.
When are final balances due?
Any lead contact unpaid balances need to be paid upon arrival at Check-In. No keys can be given if there is a balance due on anyone’s account from your group. It would be helpful to pay those before you arrive. If you are planning to send in a check, PLEASE do not mail the two weeks prior to conference starting, as we pack up the office and head to campus early. You may bring it with you to campus.
What if anyone in my group registers and then needs to cancel?
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The required minimum payment of $75 is non-refundable and non-transferable.
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Student Refunds: A full or partial refund [minus deposits ($75) because they are always nonrefundable] may be given if a student has to miss attending Momentum due to the following situations:
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Medical emergency of the student, military call to duty, or a death in the immediate family, defined as parents, siblings, and grandparents. Reasons beyond the three reasons listed above are rarely given and are left to the
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Discretion of the Momentum Finance Committee. (While refunds for family scheduling conflicts or athletic scheduling conflicts are not eligible for refunds, these students may consider “transfer of funds” as listed below).
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A request for consideration of a refund of monies paid in excess of the $75 deposit must be submitted by completing the “Notice of Cancellation Form” on the forms page of buildmomentum.org/forms by midnight the day prior to the start of Momentum.
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While an e-mail or phone call to the Momentum office or Registrar communicating to indicate a cancellation and/or to inquire about this policy is welcomed, these forms of communication do not qualify as notification, and the Momentum office/Registrar is not accountable for processing the refund request. The individual canceling is responsible to complete and submit the “Notice of Cancellation” accompanied by proper documentation (as stated on the form) in order to be considered for a refund.
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Refunds are not guaranteed and will be left up to the discretion of the Momentum Finance Committee. If a refund is approved, it is payable in the same way the initial payment was received
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Credit Card accounts are credited the refund amount; checks are sent to those who paid by check.
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No refund of any monies will be issued if a participant cancels/leaves after the start date of Momentum Youth Conference.
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Student Transfer of Fees:
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Transfer of monies (paid more than the $75 deposit since deposits are always non- refundable/non-transferable) may be requested for students canceling who do not qualify for a refund as outlined above. The monies to transfer can only be applied to a new student’s registration account or a sibling of the canceling student. “New” is defined as a student who was not registered at the time of filling out the “Notice of Cancellation Form.”
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(The new student’s total registration fee will be based on the date of paying the initial $75 deposit)
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Adult Youth Worker Cancellation:
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Momentum values adult youth workers, who often have to take a vacation to serve at Momentum, if they need to cancel for any reason, a full refund (including the initial $75 deposit) will be honored.
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2. Group & Church Info
What is a church account?
As the lead contact, it would be helpful for you to create a CHURCH/ORGANIZATION account with your church information. This will allow you to keep your financial reports separate from your personal registration account and easily allow you to make payments for others in your group. If you joined us at Momentum Youth Conference last year, you already have this account. For those who are new, a CHURCH account can be created by simply going to buildmomentum.org/conference and clicking the REGISTER NOW link. Select “Youth Conference Adult Youth Worker Registration.” It will prompt you to log in or create a “New User” account. Select “New User.” For Account Type, select “CHURCH/ORGANIZATION” and enter your Church information. To pay for someone in your group, see more information below.
Why does each church need a "lead contact" person?
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The Momentum Office needs a single source to communicate between their office and the local church’s group attending conference.
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A Lead Contact Person is needed regardless of the size of your group.
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It is a local church’s choice as to how they select an adult to serve in this role.
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Some select their youth pastor or main youth leader who is attending conference
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Others select someone who is not attending conference, but will serve as a communication link, such as someone on their church office staff or a parent of one of the students.
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The Registrar will give the Lead Contact a custom report link that allows them to view their entire group’s registration status. This is helpful in preparing numerous details to attend conference, such as:
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Balances due on registration
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Who has or has not registered – to help plan adequate transportation, provide sufficient adults to accompany the group; prepare housing assignments.
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Options selected by that individual (t-shirt size, breakfast, early arrival…)
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The Lead Contact will also be responsible to:
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Cover incidental charges from the University– such as damage to dorm rooms occupied by your group or lost dorm keys. The registrar will give advance notice before these charges are made to their Individual or Group accounts
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Provide emergency cell phone numbers for your group’s main contact staying on campus.
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Confirm that all their youth workers have a current background check on file
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How do I pay for other people (sponsorships)?
If you would like to pay for someone from your group, you can do this through your CHURCH/ORGANIZATION account. Log into your account and go to your home page. In the upper left corner, click on the dropdown menu button and select “SPONSORSHIPS.” Choose “Purchase a code to distribute.” Create a unique code (this will be the code your students or youth workers need to enter to redeem). If you have created codes in the past, it cannot be the same code. We suggest adding the year (i.e. 2025) to differentiate between previous years’ codes. Select the date you want this code to expire. Enter the claim value: how much the code is worth. Choose how many times this code can be used (typically 1 x per individual). Enter the total claim cap for this code.
For example, if you want to pay for 5 youth workers at $405 each, you will enter a claim value of $405 and cap the total at $2,025. This will allow your code to only be used so many times and then capped at your limit. Add to your cart and proceed to pay. You are welcome to create as many sponsorship codes as you would like, depending on their purpose. Any unclaimed money can remain in your account for other purposes, or you can request a refund at any time. To view who has redeemed your sponsorship codes, return to your Home Page and go to: Menu/Sponsorships/View Claims Against My Code.
You can view an instructional video on the sponsorship process HERE.
How do we use/apply sponsorships?
For students and youth workers to claim a code, they can enter it at any time in their Payment Section. They simply need to select the option to enter Sponsorship Payment. This can be used either when they initially register or can be claimed any time after their registration has already been made. If you as a church plan to do fundraisers, we would advise your students to register early to lock in the lowest rate, and then select the payment option of the final balance due on June 15th. This will give you and them time to enter in sponsorship payments with any funds raised.
How do I see who is coming with my group?
Each person registering for Momentum Youth Conference will be asked to select the church they will be attending with from a dropdown menu list. This will automatically put that person on your roster. You will receive an email alert each time someone registers under your group. The registrar has included the link to this report in the master Lead Contact Registration email. On this, you will find the registrant’s name, grade, phone number, parent/guardian name and contact info, balance due, and options they have added. You also can export this list into a PDF or Excel document. If you have any issues with this function, please contact the Registrar at registrar@buildmomentum.org and we will happily send you a copy of your roster or a new link.
Please check your roster often. If you find someone on your list who is not coming with your church or think someone is missing, please let us know. We can easily move individuals to their correct church.
How many adult leaders is a church youth group required to bring?
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Each group is required to have the following ratio of adults registered as “youth workers” for their students: 1 female youth worker for every 1-12 female students; 1 male youth worker for every 1-12 male students. (An additional adult is needed for every 1-12 students above this initial ratio). Note that “youth worker” is defined as an adult staying in the dorm with the students. Adults from the local church who are registered as Momentum Staff, Adult Guest Off-Campus, Crew (Volunteers), or an Exhibitor do not qualify for this ratio unless they choose to stay in the dorm with their students. Adult Guests or other adults from the local church who stay in nearby hotels or homes do not qualify for the above-mentioned ratio requirement.
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Note: Individuals wanting to serve as a “youth worker” during Momentum should be at least 21 years of age. If younger than 21, please contact registrar@buildmomentum.org to see if you might still qualify to serve as a “youth worker.”
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What if my group is unable to provide any Youth Workers to be registered to attend conference? (a youth worker is defined as an adult staying in the dorm with the students).
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Unfortunately, the students will not be able to attend conference. It is required to have an adult youth worker from each church registered to attend conference to shepherd their own students. Not only is this for the purpose of spiritual accountability but also legal liability.
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HOWEVER – there is an option for your church to consider that would allow your students to attend: contact another youth group attending conference and see if they would “adopt” your students for the week. Your students would become part of that group for the week – assigned to the same dorm, accountable/liable to that group’s leaders, as well as being shepherded by that group’s leaders. – If needed, contact the registrar at registrar@buildmomentum.org for assistance in identifying churches you might consider contacting for this purpose.
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Can a student attend without a youth group?
Unfortunately, the students will not be able to attend conference. It is required to have an adult youth worker from each church registered to attend conference to shepherd their own students. Not only is this for the purpose of spiritual accountability but also legal liability.
HOWEVER – there is an option for your church to consider that would allow your students to attend: contact another youth group attending conference and see if they would “adopt” your students for the week. Your students would become part of that group for the week – assigned to the same dorm, accountable/liable to that group’s leaders, as well as being shepherded by that group’s leaders. – If needed, contact the registrar at registrar@buildmomentum.org for assistance in identifying churches you might consider contacting for this purpose.
Is there any help for new groups attending Momentum?
- Yes. Momentum Offers a “New Church Discount”
- A “new church” is defined as one that has not had any students attend Youth Conference in the past three years of having a week-long Momentum
- Each person from the new group will receive free early arrival (a value of $27) so they can receive some special attention prior to the rest of the churches arriving. In addition to some special orientation meetings and tours, we will provide lunch on Tuesday for these groups.
- A new church will receive one free Youth Worker registration for every increment of six students who register and attend Momentum Youth Conference
3. Lodging & Meals
When is... Check-in? First/Last Night of Lodging? First/Last Meal? Opening/Closing Session?
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Check-in Hours: Tuesday (on the first day of Youth Conference) from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
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First night of lodging is Tuesday, the last night of lodging is Saturday.
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First meal is dinner on Tuesday and the last meal is breakfast on Sunday, depending on your breakfast meal plan.
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Opening Session is Tuesday evening after dinner. Closing Session is Saturday evening
Can my group stay in the dorm the night before conference begins?
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Yes, if you meet the eligibility requirements:
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Register for early housing by June 1 (see “b” below)
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Provide required youth workers to stay in dorms with your students
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Arrive for early arrival check-in hours from 8 p.m. -10 p.m. on Monday (the day before Youth Conference begins)
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Select the “Early Arrival” option during the registration process
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A $27/person “Early Arrival Fee” will automatically be added to your account. This covers your lodging for Monday evening. You are responsible for breakfast and lunch on Tuesday – either to purchase at the campus dining hall or make other arrangements. (Tuesday dinner is the first meal of conference). Meals need to be paid in advance of arriving on campus. The lead contact for each church can purchase these on their registration account. These can be purchased at any time. Contact the registrar for more assistance.
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If you would like to purchase meals in the campus dining room prior to the first meal of conference (Tuesday dinner), prices are as follows: Breakfast / $6.50 per person, Lunch / $8.75 per person,
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Groups arriving for early check-in who know they’ll want to eat in the cafeteria can purchase pre-conference meals on their registration account.
What is the breakfast plan?
All adult youth workers, staff, and volunteers (Crew) will receive breakfast at no cost. This is automatically included with their registration, so they will not see the option to add it when they register. Student registrations include lunch and dinner only and breakfast will need to be added as an option for $32. They will be given this option when they register. It can also be added or removed if they change their mind until July 1st when that information is sent to the University.
What will our rooming situation be?
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Indiana Wesleyan provides dorms with suites (two rooms sharing a bathroom).
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All dorm rooms will be set up to accommodate at least two individuals – with two twin beds. A few dorms have three twin beds in rooms. Everyone is responsible to bring their own linens, pillows, blankets, and towels.
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The Momentum Housing Team will assign youth groups a block of rooms in a dorm based on their group’s total registration numbers. Momentum has the right to block rooms at its discretion.
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Room blocking will be done to minimize having unoccupied beds while providing rooms that only have individuals from the same youth group.
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The Momentum Office will send the Lead Contact a housing worksheet, listing the block of rooms assigned to their youth group. The Lead Contact person has the freedom to choose how to assign both their adults and students to the individual rooms. The completed worksheet is only needed to be submitted at check-in. Students and Adults may not be assigned to the same room unless they are son/father or mother/daughter.
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Dorm housing assignments are based on the number of registrations received as of July 1. Deposits paid after this date will need to be prepared to be added within the previously reserved block of rooms for their youth group as the IWU liability team allows. If extra beds are not available in the initial block of rooms for your group, there is no guarantee that additional rooms can be added. The university has a limited supply of extra mattresses and air mattresses that would need to be placed on the floor allowing a third person to be lodged in a room. Lead contacts will be notified in advance of arriving on campus of these housing arrangements.
What if my group has incidental charges for room damages or lost keys?
- Each group will be required to give Momentum a credit card number to keep on file for any of these possible incidental charges. The Lead Contact for the church will be asked to provide the credit card information on the church contact form provided to them by the registrar.
- Lost Key Charges are assessed by the university and passed on to the Momentum registrar, who will charge your credit card number on file. Keys not returned to the campus at the end of the week will incur the following charges: $50 /key.
- Damage costs of the dorm rooms your group occupied will be charged to the credit card. At the start of the week, each occupant is given a “pre-existing room damage” card to fill out (inspecting their room for pre-existing torn window screens, carpet stains, broken furniture, etc.). After Momentum, the university inspects the rooms and any new damages not reported on the form will be the responsibility of the group who occupied the room.
- Damages to other campus property by anyone in your group will be charged to the credit card.
- It will become the responsibility of each group’s youth leader to decide how individuals in their group reimburse the credit card holder for these charges.
4. Transportation
What about transportation?
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Each group is responsible for their own transportation during the week for afternoon options.
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Limited Momentum transportation, for a nominal fee, will be made available for the
Wednesday–Saturday afternoon outreach opportunities. It is best if individual groups are able to provide their own transportation to go on these service outings. (such as local church buses/vans/cars)
What are the nearby airports? Will ground transportation be available?
- Momentum recommends using the Indianapolis International Airport (IND) or Fort Wayne International Airport (FWA).
- Early Housing Discount: Momentum is continuing to offer free housing on Monday evening to qualifying groups flying from the following time zones: Mountain Time Zone (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, UT, WY); Pacific Time Zone (CA, OR, WA); Alaskan Time Zone, Hawaiian Time Zone or an International Flight
- Refer to the Airport Pickup Request Form at buildmomentum.org/forms for shuttle details. This form must be submitted by June
5. Conference Experience
Do you have to complete the Authorization and Release Forms?
- Each online registration includes the necessary Authorization and Release Forms. You will be instructed to digitally sign the form online during registration.
- Adults are required to indicate on the form that they have read and understand the Momentum guidelines and liability information.
- The Lead contact will be required to verify that each of their youth workers has a current and complete background check on file.
- Students are required to indicate on the form that they have read and understand the Momentum guidelines. Parents/Guardians are also required to sign the form for anyone under the age of 18.
Is there a dress code?
- Yes. View the Dress Code HERE as well as other guidelines for areas such as attendance, attitudes, and more.
- We do not make the guidelines a focal point of the week of Momentum Youth Conference. You will not hear us make a major issue of rules from the platform during sessions. Momentum realizes that families and local church youth ministries have varying levels of practices/guidelines/policies. However, for the duration of conference, we are expecting everyone to be on the same page with the practices/guidelines/policies called “The Momentum Way.” All those registering Momentum have read and signed a statement indicating their willingness to follow those guidelines. Both the Student Guidelines and the Youth Worker/Adult Guidelines for Protection can be found by clicking HERE.
Is there a packing list?
Please refer to the Packing List PDF.
NOTE: There have been several additions to the “DO NOT PACK” list from this University:
- Candles, oil lamps, or open flames of any kind are not permitted on IWU’s campus without authorization from the Director of Event & Conference Services or designee
- Glitter, confetti, and other similar items may not be used at any time while on campus without authorization from the Director of Event & Conference Services or designee. Excessive housekeeping charges may be incurred for the clean-up of these items.
- “Water-fighting” or practical jokes using water or any other liquid substance in university buildings or outdoors is prohibited.
When distributing the packing list, be sure that your group, especially students and their parents, are aware of what attire NOT to pack. The dress code can be found on the form: Momentum Youth Conference Student Guidelines Agreement Known as the Momentum Way.
How do you handle food allergies?
If you have anyone in your group with food allergies/sensitivities, the University Cafeteria Staff is having a 4 PM “Special Diet” meeting in the cafeteria on Tuesday, the day Youth Conference begins. They will give information on the options available and where to find those in the cafeteria. IWU is very good about providing gluten-free and dairy-free options. Students and adults are also welcome to bring any of their own food with them to have in the dorms or store in the common lobby refrigerator.
Are there accommodations for students with sensory issues?
We have observed a growing number of students who find it difficult to remain in the sessions with the level of lights and audio due to various sensory processing differences but were able to return to the Main Session when the Guest Speaker was speaking. We are now providing a Sensory Room, located on the balcony, for these students. It will include a large screen TV to allow viewing, and audio at a low volume of what is taking place in the session. A youth leader will need to always accompany them.
Any student leaving the session for anything other than the Sensory Room mentioned above or for the restroom facilities, should be accompanied by a youth worker. This includes visiting the First Aid Station in the lobby.
What activities are available for students during free time?
- The largest block of time for free time is in the afternoon. Youth groups are free to choose how to use the time (including many of the options listed below). Momentum encourages youth leaders to consider scheduling their group to have different experiences throughout the afternoons of the week, such as:
- Fun Group Events available on campus,
- Mission opportunities available to serve people in nearby communities.
- Organized Sports Tournaments – soccer, basketball, volleyball, dodgeball, and more
- Video Games and eSports tournaments
- Art Electives available on campus
- Open Play activities
- Area attractions. No Momentum transportation is available for this option; groups will need to provide their own transportation.
Can someone visit for one or more days of conference? (Day Guests)
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Yes! The Day Guest option to attend Momentum is primarily made available for individuals who are not familiar with the conference to have an opportunity to experience what it is like – with the hopes that in the following year, they would consider attending the entire week. In addition, parents of students who are attending conference often wish to visit their son/daughter during the week.
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Pre-conference registration is not required. However, all guests visiting campus are required to check-in at the Momentum Office as soon as they arrive on campus. Guests are required to register each day they arrive on campus.
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Fees associated with Day Guests:
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Admittance to Main Sessions is $20 per person (Adult or Student (7th grade and up).
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Main Session Seating: Day Guest seating is only available in the balcony (and not on the main floor). If Adult Guests have children younger than 7th grade, they will need to be seated in the designated are for families with children. Children are not permitted to be seated on the main floor level or in other areas of the balcony.
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Payment is due at the time of check-in, made by check, cash, or credit card.
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Meals in the dining hall need to be purchased separately. See “Day Guest” on the Policies page at buildmomentum.org for costs. e. Lodging on campus is NOT available, nor is it allowed for liability reasons. Adults or students visiting Momentum are not permitted to stay overnight in the dorm with any registered Momentum attendee. i.e. youth pastors/workers are unable to grant permission for other students or adults from their church to stay in the dorm with their registered students/adults.
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Be sure to read the complete list of information/policies for the Day Guest option – found HERE.
6. Resources & Support
Do you have any promotional materials?
As you advertise Momentum Youth Conference to your group, we wanted to provide you with access to logos, graphics, and video content. You can find all that HERE in a Google Drive. If there is something you think would be helpful to have, please let us know and we can have our marketing and communications team develop that.
Do you have other questions?
Forward registration questions to: registrar@buildmomentum.org
Forward general conference questions to: youthconference@buildmomentum.org