The Sept. 19 gathering at the Urban League of Kansas drew an estimated 60 to 70 people. For founder Julianna Moore, 18, it was another way to bring young people together—and a reminder that ministry can happen beyond church walls.
Through Youth on Fire, Moore is creating opportunities for young people to build friendships, share their talents and lead. Faith is central to the organization, but regular church attendance is not required to participate.
Guided by the phrases “For Youth, By Youth” and “Igniting a Generation for Christ,” the group connects young people across Wichita schools and churches through revivals, service and community events.
“Young people are the next adults,” Moore said. “Being able to reach them before they get older is being able to impact their lives, so when they get older, they know how to cope with certain things.”
A Dream Becomes a Ministry
Youth on Fire began with a dream Moore had two months before turning 16.
She saw what appeared to be a meteor strike the ground. Fire spread from tree to tree. Moore understood the trees to represent young people and the flames to represent their faith spreading from one person to another.
At the time, she was hearing about young people dying by suicide and violence. Then the loss became personal: Her godbrother, a Wichita Northwest High School football player preparing for college, was killed by gun violence.
His death pushed her to act.
In 2024, Moore organized the first Youth on Fire revival at New Jerusalem Missionary Baptist Church, which her godbrother had attended.
“I wanted young people to know they have a voice,” Moore said.
Youth on Fire has since organized revivals, recreational activities and community events. Some gatherings have drawn an estimated 175 to 200 people.
Moore leads a five-member core team that includes MarTaveon Roberts, Dominique Profit, An’Teniya Miles and Lily Dennett. Roberts ministers through Christian hip-hop, Profit helps young singers develop their voices, and Miles, Miss Juneteenth ICT 2026, advocates for youth empowerment.
Roberts, 18, knows what one invitation can do.
The Wichita West High School graduate was already creating Christian hip-hop when Moore discovered his music online and invited him to perform at a Youth on Fire event. He lacked confidence about sharing his music publicly, but the invitation gave him an opportunity to reach people beyond his home congregation.
“If it wasn’t for Youth on Fire, I don’t think my gift would have gotten out there as well as it did,” Roberts said. “When Julianna called me, it wasn’t just one church congregation. It was people from other churches and kids from all around.”
Roberts, who attends Wichita State University and Rock Christian Fellowship, now performs and speaks at the group’s events. He also stresses preparation, consistency and commitment as the young leaders develop their programs.
He described Moore as someone willing to handle the work people do not see.
“She is quiet, but she is a soldier,” Roberts said. “She is willing to put in the actual work and not just do the fun part—being onstage or being in front.”
More Than a Choir
A connection made through Youth on Fire led to another opportunity for young people: Next Gen Youth Choir.
Moore invited Caiden Holloway, a poet and Northeast Magnet student, to read Scripture at an event. The two discovered a shared desire to unite young Christians through music and worship and co-founded the choir in 2025.
The organizations remain separate but connected. Youth on Fire organizes revivals and community outreach, while Next Gen brings young people together through music, worship and concerts.
Next Gen has approximately 12 active members representing churches across Wichita and welcomes young people ages 11 to 23. Singers are joined by a drummer and saxophone players. Profit serves as vocal coordinator, leading warmups and helping members learn songs and vocal parts.
Moore describes Next Gen as “more than a choir”—a place where young people build friendships and support one another beyond rehearsals and performances.
“More than a choir means that instead of just coming together to sing or go to different events, we can come together, have fun and make long-lasting friendships,” she said.
Members are encouraged to check on one another and address disagreements privately rather than embarrassing someone publicly.
“Accountability is pushing someone in the direction of how they could have handled something better,” Moore said. “Judgment is focusing on what they did wrong instead of helping them do better.”
The choir is preparing for its second annual Next Gen Youth Takeover Concert on Sunday, Nov. 8. The event will have a ’90s theme, with the message “Stepping Into the Promise,” based on Joshua 1:9 and its call to be strong and courageous.
Doors are scheduled to open at 5 p.m., with the free concert beginning at 6 p.m. The location has not yet been announced.
Next Gen is actively recruiting young singers to join the choir as it prepares for the concert. The group welcomes young people ages 11 to 23 who want to share their voices, grow in their faith and connect with other youth from across Wichita.
Concert rehearsals run Oct. 7 through Nov. 4, with Wednesday sessions from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Urban League of Kansas and Saturday sessions from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at St. Andrew’s Missionary Baptist Church.
To sign up or learn more about participating, message vocal coordinator Dominique Profit on Facebook.
Learning to Share the Work
Moore graduated from Wichita South High School and now attends Hutchinson Community College. Being away from Wichita has forced her to reconsider what leadership requires.
She stays connected through telephone calls, group messages and event planning, depending on fellow youth leaders and trusted adults when she cannot be there.
Balancing college, work and ministry has not been easy. Moore said finding people, resources, space and workable schedules has sometimes complicated events.
Parents, including Moore’s mother and Holloway’s parents, have provided support and supervision. Youth on Fire also needs adults, churches and community organizations that can assist with transportation, facilities, funding and planning while keeping young people in leadership.
Pastor Marquis Murphy of Word of Life South praised Moore’s efforts to bring young people together.
“Julianna Moore is a once-in-a-generation youth leader,” Murphy said. “Standing firm in her faith already takes courage, but even more so, she encourages other young people to share their faith through music, worship and bringing people together.”
For Moore, sustaining that work means learning to share responsibility.
“I am learning that leadership does not mean personally doing everything,” she said. “Sometimes leadership means building a team that can continue the work even when you are not physically present.”
