Case Study: How a Nebraska Youth Rally Sold Out Their Merch in 30 Minutes
Every year, thousands of students from across Omaha and the surrounding region gather for the One Youth Rally, a powerful event dedicated to worship, teaching, and uniting middle school and high school students in faith. This year, over 4,000 students filled the arena to worship Jesus together. Alongside the worship and messages, something remarkable happened—merchandise became a powerful ministry tool.
At Church Wear, we partnered with the rally organizers to design and produce a fully custom merch drop built from the fabric up. The lineup included t-shirts, hats, bracelets, and stickers, each intentionally designed to be both high-quality and affordable. The result? Every single piece sold out within 30 minutes.
Turning Merch Into Ministry
The merch wasn’t just popular—it became a way for students to carry the message of the rally back into their schools, homes, and communities. Shirts and hats showed up in classrooms. Stickers appeared on water bottles, laptops, and lockers. Everywhere students went, they carried a visual reminder of their faith and the experience they shared at One.
Parents and adults noticed the quality too. Many bought items for themselves, commenting that it felt like retail-grade apparel—not the kind of low-quality event merch people often buy out of obligation.
The Financial Win: $10,000 Profit
One of the biggest wins came in the numbers. The rally organizers made an upfront investment of $10,000 for the merchandise. By the end of the event, not only had they made back their entire investment—they had earned an additional $10,000 in profit.
That $10,000 profit is now being rolled into the next event, creating a self-sustaining merch model that fuels ministry instead of draining resources. The organizers were thrilled to discover that high-quality merch could both bless their attendees and generate meaningful revenue for future outreach.
Affordable Prices Without Sacrificing Quality
Too often, churches and ministries are forced to price t-shirts at $40 or $45 just to break even. That makes merch unaffordable for many attendees, and it leaves unsold inventory sitting in boxes.
By working factory-direct, Church Wear helped One Youth Rally cut out the middlemen and markups. That meant they could sell their shirts for just $25 each—a price point students could afford—while still generating a significant margin. Instead of charging high prices and struggling to sell, they priced affordably, sold out quickly, and doubled their investment.
Lessons for Other Churches and Ministries
This case study highlights several key takeaways for churches and ministries considering custom merch:
Merch is more than clothing. It’s a way for people to carry your message into everyday life.
Affordability matters. By cutting costs upfront, you can sell at lower prices and still make a strong profit.
Planning ahead pays off. With the right strategy, merch can become a self-sustaining revenue stream for future events.
Final Thoughts
The success of the One Youth Rally merch drop proves that custom church merchandise can be a powerful combination of ministry impact and financial stewardship. With the right approach, merch isn’t just an add-on—it’s a tool for evangelism, community-building, and sustainability.
If your church or organization is running events with 1,000+ attendees, there’s a smarter way to approach apparel. At Church Wear, we help churches and nonprofits save $8–$12 per piece (30–50%), deliver retail-quality apparel, and create self-sustaining merch cycles that bless both your people and your mission.
