Elev8 2026: Elevate the King — Two Cities, One Mission

This year, we are excited to announce that ELEV8 2026 will be taking place in two incredible cities — Durban, South Africa in July 2026 and Greenville, North Carolina in September 2026. For us, this is a truly significant moment. It marks the first time ELEV8 will be hosted on two different continents.

What makes this even more special is that we are bringing these two cities together for one shared purpose: to elevate the King.

For those who are new to Elev8, it is an annual worship evening that brings people together from all over to worship and praise God. It was formed in 2013 in Durban, South Africa, and for the past 13 years we have gathered year after year to worship and glorify God. Along the way, we have witnessed countless lives impacted, hearts restored, and people drawn closer to Jesus.

Those stories are not simply memories — they are the foundation of everything Elev8 has become.

There is something deeply powerful about people coming together from around the world to worship. Scripture reminds us, “All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name” (Psalm 86:9). As people gather in Durban and Greenville, they won’t just be attending worship nights — they will be stepping into a shared story that reaches across continents. A story where believers lift up the name of Jesus, worship the same King, and respond to the same call of God.

Communities thousands of miles apart will be united through faith, prayer, and worship. And through this journey, our prayer is that both cities will not only encounter Jesus in powerful ways, but will also come to know the beauty, culture, and heart of each other’s communities — all while being drawn closer to Christ and to one another in His love..

Elevate the King is our theme for this year because it captures exactly what God is doing among us. It calls us to place Jesus at the center, to lift Him high above every platform and personality, and to trust that when He is elevated, He will draw hearts, restore hope, and transform lives.

The South Africa Mission: Durban — July 25, 2026

On July 25, 2026, ELEV8 will host a one-night worship and outreach gathering in Durban, South Africa. We’re believing God for around 2,500 people to come together to worship the King. Last year’s Elev8 meant a lot to us, but this year our heart is to take what God has already started and go deeper — not just in worship, but in purpose.

We’re coming back to South Africa not just with a song, but with a calling to help in real ways.

While we’re there, we’ll be hosting our Blanket Drive 2026. At Elev8, there will also be opportunities for people to be baptized and to get connected to Bible college and discipleship classes — all through one event. Alongside this, we plan to give away school shoes to children and families who need them, because something as simple as shoes shouldn’t be the reason a child can’t go to school with dignity.

Highlights from Our 2025 Mission Trip

We’re also stepping into water projects, including water wells and JoJo tanks, in under-resourced communities around Durban. For many families, clean water isn’t guaranteed. It’s a daily struggle. Our prayer is simple — that God will use these water resources to meet a real need and to remind people that they haven’t been forgotten. This night in Durban isn’t just about worship. It’s about worship that turns into action. It’s about faith that shows up in practical ways. It’s about saying, in both words and deeds, that Jesus cares about every life, every hardship, and every community.

Our prayer is that people won’t just attend Elev8 — they’ll encounter Jesus in a real and personal way. And that what begins on this night won’t end when the lights go down, but will continue to change lives long after we leave.

Why Resources Matter in Durban

One of the most important parts of our South Africa mission is not just what happens on the stage, but what happens in people’s lives long after the worship night is over. Durban is a beautiful and resilient city, but it is also home to many underprivileged communities and people living on the streets. For them, resources are not a luxury — they are a lifeline.

July in South Africa is winter. The nights are cold, damp, and unforgiving, especially for those sleeping outdoors or in informal settlements. For someone living on the streets, a blanket is not just comfort — it is protection. It can mean the difference between getting through the night or falling sick. That’s why our Blanket Drive 2026 is not symbolic. It is urgent and deeply necessary.

Highligths

For families in underprivileged communities, survival often comes before long-term needs. Something as simple as school shoes becomes an impossible expense. Children walk long distances to school in worn-out shoes or barefoot, which affects their health, their confidence, and their ability to stay in school. By giving away school shoes, we are not just meeting a physical need — we are restoring dignity and removing a real barrier to education.

When people receive a blanket, a pair of shoes, prayer, or support, it sends a clear message: you are seen, you are valued, and you are not forgotten. This is where the gospel becomes tangible. Love is not just spoken — it is demonstrated.

Access to clean, reliable water is also one of the greatest needs in under-resourced communities around Durban. For many families, water is something they walk long distances for, wait in long lines for, or go without when supply runs out. In some areas, shortages last for months. This reality affects health, dignity, education, and daily survival.

That’s why water wells and JoJo tanks are a critical part of our mission — not as a project, but as a lifeline for communities that need it most.

The Greenville Leg: Fall 2026 Worship Evening

The Greenville, North Carolina leg of ELEV8 2026 carries the same heart and vision that began in Durban — to bring people together to worship God and elevate the King.

Planned for the fall of 2026, Greenville will host a worship evening centered on one powerful purpose: bringing people together from our city and state to worship God and lift up the name of Jesus. This will be a night where voices rise together, hearts are lifted, and Christ is placed at the center of everything. A night marked by unity, worship, and a deep hunger for the presence of God.

Highlights from Greenville Worship Evening

We are also excited to be launching our new worship album on this night — music that has been written in prayer, shaped in worship, and birthed out of our journey with God. These songs carry the heart of our theme, Elevate the King, and this moment will be about more than releasing music. It will be about lifting up the name of Jesus together and offering Him the sound of our praise.

This night will reflect the beauty and simplicity of the gospel — hearts aligned, voices lifted, Christ at the center.

Closing: A Call to Elevate the King

ELEV8 2026 is more than two worship nights in two cities. It is a step of obedience. It is a response to what we believe God is calling us to do in this season.

From Durban to Greenville, from worship to outreach, from blankets and school shoes to water wells and JoJo tanks, from baptisms to discipleship, from music to mission — everything flows from one simple purpose: to elevate the King.

We are believing God for countless lives to be changed for the better, for hearts to be restored, and for communities to be served in real and lasting ways. We are trusting Him not only for powerful moments of worship, but for long-term fruit through Elev8 Ripple, where people will continue to be supported, discipled, and connected long after the events are over.

This journey is not about building a name or creating a movement. It is about lifting up Jesus. It is about loving people well. It is about showing the gospel not only through words, but through action.

Our prayer is that everyone who encounters ELEV8 2026 — in Durban or in Greenville — will encounter Jesus in a real and personal way. And that what begins in worship will continue to bear fruit in lives, families, and communities for years to come.

This is our heart.This is our calling.This is our mission.

Elevate the King.

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