mission: hope

mission: hope

Building capacity for awesome, healthy, & intentional 21st century Unitarian Universalist youth ministry in New England

Youth Ministry Reflection Questions• Does your congregation have a youth group? If so, what are the types of activities that the youth group engages in?• In what ways are youth active in the larger

congregation?• In what ways are youth active in the wider

Unitarian Universalist community?• How are youth connected with people of different ages in the congregation?

elements of balanced

youth programming

Community

Building

Worship

Youth / Adult

Relations

Learning

Social Justice

Leadership

• Leadership• Community

Building• Worship• Youth / Adult

Relations• Learning• Social Justice

Web

of Y

ou

th

Min

istry

think about it……Prepare a specific list of activities

and actions that fit within your Web of Youth Ministry component

What components of the Web of Youth Ministry are well-represented in your congregation’s youth ministry?

What assets are youth in your congregation gaining through current activities and actions?

What components of the Web of Youth Ministry are missing from your congregation’s youth ministry?

What assets should your congregation place greater emphasis on developing in your youth?

Building Capacity• Will• Desire• Support• Volunteers• Resources• Time• Experience

----------What’s the

missing piece in the puzzle?

introducing….

Youth Ministry Facilitators

who they will be Identified leaders experienced in healthy and faith-full

youth ministry

Trained by district and national staff

Trained in revised Ministry with Youth Renaissance Module

Trained in pastoral care with youth

Receive additional training from Kim and Karen including systems thinking, spiritual leadership & healthy congregations

Belong to a learning community studying best practices and the future of youth ministry

what they will do Work with congregational sponsor of Youth Ministry (YM)

Event

Deliver resources from the district to support YM Event planning (fliers, mailing lists, timeline, etc.)

Review YM Event planning with sponsor to ensure it conforms to best practices

Look for places to build sustainable YM in the congregation beyond the YM Event

Ensure that adult participants are screened & given basic training

Evaluate YM program to share what worked well with sponsoring congregation and District

how it will work Congregational sponsor of YM Event will contact their District

Office, & a Youth Ministry Facilitator (YMF) will be assigned

Congregation can publicize YM Event through District websites and newsletters – parents & DRE’s will know these events will be spirit-centered, grounded in our faith, & conforming to best health and safety standards

YMF will attend the YM event to ensure best practices are followed, coach the event sponsor as needed, and to provide assistance in case of pastoral emergencies

YMF will submit an evaluation to the District so we can share successes and recommendations with congregations & religious professionals

why this and why now Youth Ministry is underserved, & many of our

congregations are understaffed, the result being that sometimes YM occurs at the margins of congregational life, when it happens at all

Districts are in a unique position to provide support for inter-congregational Youth Ministry events

Sustainable Youth Ministry will grow when we share and build capacity, as opposed to simply providing occasional youth programming organized by district staff

We can capitalize on a blessing of geography in New England

We believe a new era of Unitarian Universalist youth ministry is emerging, & we want to build capacity to receive and shape it

understanding a century of youth

ministry Youth Ministry

1.0

PredominantYouth CultureNeed

Identity

Cultural InfluenceOn Youth Ministry

Language and Topics

Key Themes

Evangelism and Correction

Ministry Driven by…

Proclamation



1.0Youth Ministry2.0


Identity

Autonomy


Language and Topics

Models and Success

Key Themes


Creating positive peer group

Driven by… Proclamation Programs



1.0Youth Ministry2.0

Youth Ministry3.0 – evolving….


Identity

Autonomy

Affinity


Language and Topics

Models and Success

Contextualization

Key Themes


Creating positive peer group

Community and mission

Driven by… Proclamation Programs Not driven, but Present

the future of youth ministry

21st century youth ministry is…

Deeply relational

Congregationally based

Rooted in our Faith

what will that look like?

What they dream be ours

to do;

Hope their hopes and seal them

true.

experilearn

New

En

gla

nd

.

Documents

mission: hope