Fine Arts Festival | LA Assemblies of God

Not a talent show. A discipleship tool that happens to have a stage.

Fine Arts Festival belongs to Assemblies of God Youth Ministries, and its purpose is the same everywhere it runs: help a student find the gift they have, get better at it, and put it to work in a local church. The Louisiana vision goes one step further. Fine Arts works best when it is built into the DNA of a student ministry rather than bolted on in February, because the real work is the mentoring relationship that forms while a student prepares. April is the celebration of what has already been happening.

First

Discover

Most students have no idea what they are good at until someone hands them a category list and asks. A kid who has never spoken in public writes a short sermon. A kid who draws in the margins enters the gallery. Push a student toward something outside their comfortable space.

Then

Develop

You do not have to do all of this yourself. There are adults in your church who have not touched an instrument or a paintbrush in twenty years and would say yes if you asked. That is where the discipleship actually happens: in rehearsals, over shared interests, across generations.

Finally

Deploy

The piece does not stop at the festival. It goes back into a youth service, a kids church, an evangelism team, a Sunday morning. Fine Arts works when the gift a student found in April is still being used in November.

Pick your room

Eight divisions. There is one for you.

08Divisions

You make the piece and the piece goes on the wall. Art is the one division where the artist does not have to be in the room; the work speaks without you. Every entry carries a typed credit line on the back naming the medium and the idea behind it.

In Louisiana: participants check their own work into the Art and Writing Gallery on arrival. Some tabletop easels are provided. If your piece needs a floor easel, a shirt bust, or a hanger, bring it and label it with the participant name, church, and city.

National categories
- Apparel Design
- Fiber Art
- Graphic Design
- Fine Art Photography, Digital
- Fine Art Photography, Mobile
- Lifestyle and Ministry Photography, Digital
- Lifestyle and Ministry Photography, Mobile
- Photography, Film
- Visual Art, Painting and Drawing
- Visual Art, Alternative Media
- Visual Art, Three-Dimensional
The message is the medium. Preach it, sign it, film it, or teach it to a room of nine-year-olds. More youth pastors trace their calling back to a Short Sermon entry than to any other category on this page.

In Louisiana: Promo Videos and Short Films upload as MP4 by the March deadline, and can also be shown in the Gallery if you tell the coordinator two weeks out. A puppet stage and a full room blackout are not guaranteed, so ask early if your presentation depends on either.

National categories
- Short Sermon, Jr.
- Short Sermon, Sr.
- Short Sermon, Spanish
- Spoken Word
- American Sign Language, Solo
- American Sign Language, Group
- Children's Lesson, Solo
- Children's Lesson, Group
- Puppetry, Solo
- Puppetry, Group
- Short Film
- Promo Video
Worship with your whole body, solo or as a troupe. Praise Dance was added to the division for 2026, and Dance is one of the few places where a presentation may use English music, Spanish music, or both.

In Louisiana: the parquet flooring on the national equipment list is not provided. Contact the coordinator two months ahead to find out what surface you will be dancing on.

National categories
- Worship Dance Solo, Jr.
- Worship Dance Solo, Sr.
- Worship Dance Troupe, Small
- Worship Dance Troupe, Large
- Praise Dance Troupe
- Hip Hop Solo
- Hip Hop Dance Crew
Scenes, monologues, human video, musical theatre, and yes, stand-up comedy. A small ensemble is two to four students, a large one is five to ten, and Readers Theater is the friendliest door in the whole division for a group that has never acted before.

Musical Theatre is also one of only two places where the Louisiana secular music rule does not apply.

National categories
- Drama Solo
- Drama Ensemble, Small
- Drama Ensemble, Large
- Dramatized Quoting, Solo
- Dramatized Quoting, Ensemble
- Human Video Solo, Jr.
- Human Video Solo, Sr.
- Human Video Ensemble, Small
- Human Video Ensemble, Large
- Musical Theater Solo, Jr.
- Musical Theater Solo, Sr.
- Musical Theater Ensemble
- Readers Theater
- Stand-Up Comedy
Exhibition is where a network can run categories of its own, and Louisiana runs two: Small Group Curriculum and Personal Testimony. They cost nothing when added alongside another category, the top entry earns an Honorable Mention rather than an Award of Merit, and because they belong to Louisiana they do not carry a student to nationals.

They are also the two categories most likely to change how a student sees their own faith, which is what makes them worth the extra entry.

Louisiana categories
- Small Group Curriculum
- Personal Testimony
Whatever you play, there is a category for it. The approved instrument list runs from tuba to ukulele and picked up kalimba and steel drums for 2026, and Percussion, Unconventional exists for the student who would rather build the instrument than buy one.

In Louisiana: six microphones are guaranteed. A larger ensemble that needs more should contact the coordinator at least two weeks before the festival.

National categories
- Piano Solo, Jr.
- Piano Solo, Sr.
- Piano Solo, Classical
- Guitar Solo
- Bass Solo
- String Solo
- Brass Solo
- Woodwind Solo
- Instrumental Solo, Folk
- Percussion Solo, Traditional, Jr.
- Percussion Solo, Traditional, Sr.
- Percussion, Unconventional
- Percussion Ensemble, Traditional
- Instrumental Ensemble
The biggest division, and the one most youth groups start with. Solo, ensemble, band, choir, rap, worship team, and Songwriting for the student who would rather write the song than sing someone else's. Choir is the only entry in Fine Arts that can carry more than ten students; it can take up to seventy-five.

In Louisiana: six microphones are guaranteed, and choir risers are not provided. A choir bringing its own risers needs to tell the coordinator two weeks ahead so the extra setup time can be built into the schedule.

National categories
- Vocal Solo, Female, Jr. and Sr.
- Vocal Solo, Male, Jr. and Sr.
- Vocal Solo, Classical, Sr.
- Spanish Vocal Solo, Female
- Spanish Vocal Solo, Male
- Vocal Ensemble, Small
- Vocal Ensemble, Large
- Vocal Ensemble, Spanish
- Choir
- Christian Band
- Worship Team, Small
- Worship Team, Large
- Worship Leading Solo, Jr.
- Worship Leading Solo, Sr.
- Rap Solo
- Rap Group
- Songwriting
No stage, no audience, no nerves. You write it, you upload it as a PDF before the deadline, and evaluators read it. Writing has the earliest hard stop on the calendar and the strictest rule about outside help: the words have to be yours, and you sign a statement saying so.

In Louisiana: bring one printed copy for the Art and Writing Gallery, in a folder, with separate folders for separate entries. Children's Literature is the exception to the upload rule, and it is read by three evaluators at once: one from Art, one from Writing, and one from Communication with a children's ministry background.

National categories
- Poetry, Jr.
- Poetry, Sr.
- First Person Essay, Jr.
- First Person Essay, Sr.
- Book Chapter, Jr. and Sr.
- Children's Literature
- Flash Fiction
- Mini Saga

Category lists follow the 2026 national rulebook. Louisiana runs most of them but is not required to offer every one, and the Louisiana handbook adds rules of its own, so read both before you commit a student to a category.

Handbook and rulebook →

Only in Louisiana

Two categories you will not find anywhere else.

Networks are allowed to write Exhibition categories of their own. Louisiana wrote two, and both ask a student to do something more personal than perform. Neither one advances to nationals, and neither one costs anything.

Small Group Curriculum

Write the first week of a six-week small group study, aimed at upper elementary, junior high, or high school. It is the category for the student everybody already looks at when a leader asks a question, and it hands them a real tool that a real leader could pick up and teach.

Length: 800 to 1500 words, plus a summary of all six weeks in 150 words or fewer
Format: PDF, uploaded by the March deadline
Must include: A central Scripture, a key point, an opener, the lesson with interaction cues, an application, and a closing
Optional: One single-page handout, which does not count toward the word limit

Personal Testimony

Tell your own salvation story in five minutes, quoting at least two Bible verses or verse sets from a set list, and finish by inviting someone to Jesus the way you would say it to a friend. No notes, no Bible in hand, no props, no track. It does not have to be word perfect. It has to be true and it has to be yours.

Time: Five minutes, with sixty seconds each side for setup and teardown
Scripture: At least two quoted verses or verse sets, NIV or NLT, references cited
Bring: Three typed copies for the evaluators, double spaced
Tone: Conversational. Tell the story without dwelling on the details of past sin or trauma.

Both are free when a student adds one alongside another category, so a student already entered in Vocal Solo can enter Personal Testimony at no extra cost. The top entry in each receives an Honorable Mention. Example entries live in the leader resources further down this page.

What the score actually means

Forty points, three evaluators, and one rung that changes the year.

Every presenting entry is scored out of forty by three qualified evaluators on four things: what you chose, how well you communicated it, your presentation and technique, and whether the whole thing worked. Here is the scale they are working from.

Up to 25 FairSomething got in the way. The evaluation sheet will tell you exactly what.
26 to 30 GoodSolid work with clear room to grow. Most first-year entries land here and that is fine.
31 to 35 ExcellentStrong on almost everything. Usually one or two fixable notes away from the top rung.
36 to 40 Superior with InvitationThe ticket. A Superior at the Louisiana festival is what qualifies a student for the National Fine Arts Festival, and it is the only score that can appear in a category's Top 3.

Two points come off per evaluator for every rule violation and every time violation, which is why the students who read the handbook tend to beat the students who only rehearse.

How the Festival Celebration works

Saturday afternoon closes with the Celebration. The Top 3 in a category go up on the screen, and the Award of Merit goes to the highest score among them. If nobody in a category earned a Superior, the category is not announced at all. If only one student did, that student is the top participant and the Award of Merit recipient. The student presentations during the Celebration are chosen from the Award of Merit recipients, and time means not everyone can present.

Students who advance are invited to the National Fine Arts Festival, part of the AG National Youth Conference. In 2026 that was July 27 to 31 in St. Louis, and national registration closed on June 4, well before most people expect it to.

National Youth Conference and Fine Arts →

Plan your weekend

Two days, and most of it is yours to shape.

Fine Arts is not a camp or a convention. Outside of the services you are in control of your own schedule. Once your presentation times land, look at the whole timetable and pick the categories and tournament rounds you want to watch. Meal breaks run long on purpose so your group can eat when it suits you.

Friday

April 10

12:30pmChurch check-in opensYour coordinator or youth pastor checks in the whole group at Guest Services
12:30pmArt and Writing Gallery check-inArt participants check in their own work
12:30pmWarmup rooms open
1:15pmParticipant orientation
2:00pmPresentations begin
6:00pmDinner on your own
7:30pmArts in WorshipFine Arts alumni and Louisiana Fine Arts leadership

Saturday

April 11

8:30amPresentations
8:30amArt and Writing Gallery opensLook but do not touch the artwork. You are welcome to read the writing.
12:00pmLunch on your own
12:00pmGallery pickup, until 1:30pmArt, Promo Video, and Short Film materials. Nothing left behind can be shipped.
2:30pmFestival CelebrationTop participants recognized, and student presentations

Times can shift to fit the presentation schedule. Arrive at your presentation room at least ten minutes before your slot, and if an earlier presentation ran long, do not panic; the evaluators will work you back in.

The practical page

Dates, deadlines, and what it costs.

Churches register first. Your church has to create its group before any participant can register, and one leader submits for the whole group. Students should not try to register on their own.

The calendar

March 12Early participant registration closes. Registering by this date is what gets you the reduced rate with the promo code.
March 19Participant registration closes.
March 19Uploads due by 11:59pm. Writing entries and Small Group Curriculum as PDF, Promo Videos and Short Films as MP4. Children's Literature is the one Writing category that is not uploaded.
April 2Attendee registration closes. Anyone twelve and older who is coming to watch registers by this date.
April 10 to 11The festival. The Assembly, West Monroe.
June 4National registration closes for students who advanced.
July 27 to 31National Fine Arts Festival. St. Louis, Missouri.

Dates shown are for the 2026 festival. Next year's calendar is published each fall when the national rulebook is released.

What it costs

Participant registrationPer student, before any categories$65
Participant registration, earlyWith the promo code, by March 12$55
Each presentation categoryPer participant, per category entered$12
Louisiana Exhibition categoriesAdded alongside another categoryFree
Esports tournamentPer game entered$15
Attendee, ages 12 and upBy April 2. Twelve dollars at the door.$10

Merchandise

T-shirt$25
Crewneck$40
Hoodie$45

Pre-ordered merchandise is handed to your leader in the festival packet at check-in.

Participants

Students in grades 6 to 12 who are presenting or submitting an entry. Read the rules for your category before you pick a piece, and remember your church has to create its group first.

Registration link Soon

Leaders

Youth pastors and Fine Arts coordinators. You handle the group, the category list, the uploads, and check-in at Guest Services. After the Celebration you get the link with everyone's feedback forms and certificates.

Leader resources →

Evaluators and volunteers

The festival runs on adults who know a craft and can give a student a useful note. Musicians, artists, teachers, communicators, and anyone willing to keep a room on schedule.

Email to volunteer →

Promotion graphics and videos →

New for 2026

There is now a controller in the building.

Louisiana is running an esports tournament alongside the festival for the first time, on both Friday and Saturday. It follows the AG Youth Ministries gaming ruleset, it is open to the same grades 6 to 12, and it costs fifteen dollars per game entered. If you walk past a match in progress, give the players room.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Sets of four randomly selected races at 150cc, normal items, no teams. Pro Controllers are provided, and you may bring your own.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Best of three, three stocks, eight minutes, items off. Stages are drawn at random from the legal list, and the loser of a game may switch characters.

Rocket League

Three on three, best of five. Bring your own account logins, and sort out your two-step verification before you arrive.

Gaming rulebook →

Read this first

The four things students lose points on.

None of these are hard. All of them cost two points per evaluator when they go wrong, and every one of them is avoidable in the week before the festival.

Introductory comments

Before any timed presentation you have to introduce yourself and name your piece and its writer. Fifteen to twenty seconds. It does not count against your time, and it is not the place for a testimony or an explanation of why you chose the song.

The clock

Setup, presentation, and teardown all have limits, and every room has an official timekeeper. Rehearse the setup, not just the piece.

Your own work

Scripts, songs, sermons, artwork, and writing should be created for this festival and not resubmitted from a previous year. The 2026 rulebook also added an AI policy: spellcheck and color correction are fine, generated writing, art, voices, and music are not, and you sign a disclosure at registration.

Bring the right cable

Presentations needing audio play through a 3.5mm jack, so bring a device with a headphone jack and the track already on it. Bluetooth speakers are allowed at this festival for one thing only: showing a Promo Video or Short Film in the Gallery.

The Louisiana secular music rule. Outside of Musical Theatre and Classical categories, secular music is not allowed in a Louisiana presentation, and a student who uses it is disqualified from advancing and from the Award of Merit in that category. Secular means music by an artist, or lyrics, separated from glorifying God. Choose artists who identify as Christians and whose work consistently points to Jesus, because it is the lyrics and the life of the artist that decide it. Classical pieces, instrumental scores, and ambient tracks such as lofi are fine, but an instrumental that points listeners back to a secular song is not. When you are unsure, ask the coordinator before your student spends three months on it.

Some things have to be arranged in advance.

These cannot be sorted out on the day. If any apply to your students, email finearts@laaog.org well before you arrive.

Two monthsDance flooring. Parquet is not provided, so ask what surface your troupe will be working on.
Two weeksA puppet stage for Children's Lesson, which is not guaranteed.
Two weeksA room blackout for a black light presentation. The venue may not allow a full blackout, and you will need to bring supplies and help.
Two weeksMore than six microphones for a large ensemble, worship team, or band.
Two weeksChoir risers, if your choir is bringing its own, so setup and teardown time can be added.
Two weeksShowing a Short Film or Promo Video in the Gallery.

New for 2026. Every participant and attendee aged twelve and up receives an access badge or wristband that has to be worn the whole time, and anyone twelve and up who did not pre-register pays twelve dollars at onsite registration. Warmup rooms are limited this year and are booked through a signup that opens to leaders, so book early. And if something goes wrong during a presentation, do not approach the evaluators or staff: fill in a Solutions Form using the QR code or at Guest Services, and the Evaluator Coordinator will come and find you.

Everything in one place

The documents you actually need.

The Louisiana handbook carries rules that exist nowhere else, and following it is the responsibility of every leader and every participant. Start there, then read the category rules for whatever your students are entering.

Ask anybody

If you are unsure about a rule, the best move is to ask.

If you have never run Fine Arts in your church and the category list looks like a lot, start with one student in one category and send an email. The Fine Arts team would rather help you plan it in October than fix it in March, and if they cannot answer something they will point you to whoever can.

Shauna Vosberg

Fine Arts Director, Louisiana Network

finearts@laaog.org →

Direct numbers for the rest of the Fine Arts Lead Team, covering presentations, venue, logistics, hospitality, and esports, are listed in the handbook.

Networkinfo@laaog.org · (318) 445-6238
MailP.O. Box 346, Woodworth, LA 71485
Office300 Bayou Clear Road, Woodworth, LA 71485

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