For two weeks, our Higher team travelled through the southern suburbs of Cape Town with a simple mission: to create opportunities for young people to encounter the message of Jesus.
The tour took us into schools, communities and places where young people gather every day. We shared stories, music, encouragement and invitations. We spent time in school assemblies, connected with learners in their own environments, visited a girls’ home, and hosted an outreach alongside a block of flats in one community. Wherever we went, our goal remained the same: to meet young people where they are and invite them into something bigger than themselves.
At first glance, it may have looked like we were simply promoting a concert. But The Higher Tour has never been just about a concert. We were partnering with local churches to create moments where young people could hear the Gospel and, ultimately, find a place where they could continue growing in their faith journey.
One moment during the tour beautifully captured what partnership and long-term engagement can look like. One of our team members spotted a young boy she immediately recognised at the Friday evening concert. He didn’t attend one of the schools we were visiting during the tour, but she knew him from Respect ME sessions earlier in the year at another school. When she approached him, he instantly remembered her too. Their shared excitement quickly turned into curiosity when she asked how he had heard about the Higher Tour Concert.
He explained that a friend from his school had invited him to the event. That friend was part of one of our partner churches that had been journeying with us throughout the tour and helping to mobilise young people for the concert.
In that moment, the beauty of partnership became clear. Earlier in the year, this young man had encountered our team through Respect ME. Months later, a friend connected to a local church extended an invitation to the Higher Concert. Different people, different ministries and different moments all played a part in the same story.
On the night of the concert, he was one of twelve young people who responded to the Gospel and made a decision to follow Jesus. Even more encouragingly, he is now being connected into a local church community where he can continue growing in his faith and be discipled by people who will walk alongside him in the months and years ahead.
Kingdom impact rarely happens in isolation. It happens when ministries, churches, leaders, volunteers and young people each play their part. It happens when someone is willing to invite a friend. It happens when relationships are built consistently over time. It happens when we work together to create ways that move young people from hearing the Gospel to living it out in their corner of the world.
The Higher concert was the culmination of two weeks of mission, but it was never the finish line. The real win is seeing young people connected into healthy faith communities where they can be discipled, encouraged and equipped to follow Jesus for the long term.
As we celebrate the twelve young people who said yes to Jesus that evening, we do so with a deep sense of gratitude for our partner churches. From opening doors in communities, to joining us at outreaches, to showing up in force on the Friday night, they played an essential role every step of the way. We simply could not do this work without walking hand-in-hand with the local church.
One of the greatest privileges of The Higher Tour is not only seeing young people respond to the Gospel, but knowing that there are local church communities ready to welcome them, disciple them, and journey with them long after the music fades and the event is over.
This young man’s story reminds us that every invitation matters, every conversation counts and every partnership has the potential to change a life. Thank you to every church leader, youth leader, volunteer and young person who chose to be part of this journey. Together, we are creating opportunities for young people to encounter Jesus and find a community where they can belong, grow and thrive.
Written by Taryn Noah, Gilead Engelbrecht & Naomi Engelbrecht
