When you think of the word sanctuary, what comes to mind? A special room in a church building used for worship? A holy place where you can expect experiences with God? A protected natural area for plants or animals? Or something more metaphorical perhaps…like a community or place that provides refuge, protection, and a sense of safety?

Our worship, plenary, and learning opportunities at the 2026 Global Young People’s Convocation will share the theme of Sanctuary. This theme is a reminder that God provides safe spaces for people to gather, grow, and find rest that humanity can protect and care for.

As you look at the GYPC 2026 logo and imagery, you will notice how the Tree of Life’s intricate branches and roots tangle to support each other while still reaching out and growing. When you first step into our event location in Dublin, you will notice wood, trees, and natural décor. Our surroundings will remind us that a tree is more than its visible branches and leaves. Beneath the surface, unseen roots intertwine, sharing strength and nourishment across the whole forest. In the same way, the Church’s connectionalism ties us together in relationships that may not always be visible but remain vital. In an era that seems driven by disconnection and division, we find sanctuary when we return to faith connections and renew them with care.

Trees also tell the story of life in motion—migration, growth, pruning, and renewal. They mark the passage of seasons, shedding what no longer serves and budding with new life. Birds find homes in their branches; animals shelter beneath their shade; and people gather under them for wisdom, reconciliation, and peace. Across cultures and generations, trees have been symbols of belonging and of gathering. Sanctuary is a refuge and a place where conflicts can be resolved, where the dreams of elders are honored, and where hope takes root.

Scripture deepens this vision. As you pray in preparation for GYPC, consider the following scriptures:

• In the Song of Moses and Miriam (Exodus 15:13,17), God will plant the people in a holy dwelling, reminding us that sanctuary is both gift and calling.
• In the Parables of the Sower (Matthew 13:1–23), seeds fall into safe, prepared soil, showing how sanctuary nurtures beginnings.
• In the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew 13:24–30), God shapes and heals even amid challenge, reminding us that sanctuary is not the absence of struggle but the presence of care.
• In the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Matthew 13:31–32), small beginnings grow into shelter for all, teaching us that sanctuary can flourish from even the most modest start.

The Tree of Life reminds us that sanctuary is whole and circular—roots, trunk, branches, leaves, and seeds connected in one living system. It is not about focusing on one part but about seeing the whole. We, and indeed all life, are bound together in the shared sanctuary of our life-giving home.

GYPC will live into the idea of us coexisting with each other in God’s sanctuary. We will renew our shared calling as disciples, strengthen our connections across cultures, and grow in faith together.

Sanctuary is not only a safe place for us to be. It is a space we are called to create—for neighbors, for communities, and for the world. Like the Tree of Life, our idea of sanctuary calls us to be rooted in Christ, nourished by one another, and ever-reaching in love.