DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH, UNIVERSITY AND CAMPUS, AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRIES

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1 DEPARTMENT OF YOUTH, UNIVERSITY AND CAMPUS, AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRIES 2016 has been a year of trying some new things, succeeding and some learning from the challenges presented by others. It has been a year filled with the continued commitment from ministry leaders to engage young people and young adults all along the way of their faith journeys. It has also been a year of raising young people and young adults into greater levels of leadership in their respective communities. Youth Ministry From regular Diocesan Youth Events to support and training for adults who work with young people to curriculum resources, Youth Ministry in the Diocese of East Carolina seeks to serve all young people in grades 6-12, their parents and the adult leaders who work with them on a regular basis. ECYC (East Carolina Youth Council) Term Members: Mary Grace Blake - At Large Emily Gowdy Canady Program Officer Catherine Freemon - Trinity Deanery Tracy Hanson Adult Member Hannah Hutchens - Adult Member Ashley Porter - At Large Brian Randolph - Adult Member Cameron Rieman Lower Cape Fear Deanery Hannah Grace Ruiz - At Large Tully Ryan - Albemarle Deanery Julia Ross - Lower Cape Fear Deanery Will Sargeant - Trinity Deanery Elizabeth Scott - Upper Cape Fear Deanery Matthew Whiteman - Upper Cape Fear Deanery Whitney Williams - Albemarle Deanery The East Carolina Youth Council has grown this year to include 11 young people and 3 adults from all 5 Deaneries in the Diocese. The ECYC continues to take on more leadership in the department by designing and facilitating many of the youth events we offer. The EC Youth Council meets four times a year and all members participate in an annual planning meeting in August and also in the annual Diocesan Convention in February. Provincial and Episcopal Church Involvement 2 young people and 2 adults participated in the annual Province IV Youth Leadership Network Conference at Lake Logan Camp and Conference Center in the Diocese of Western North Carolina. In addition to meeting and learning from over 50 young people and adults from 15 of

2 the 20 dioceses that make up Province IV, the group participated in Art of Hosting training facilitated by the The Rev. Tom Brackett, Staff Officer, New Church Starts & Missional Initiatives for The Episcopal Church. Lift Every Voice 2016 Lift Every Voice, 2016 was sponsored by the Diocese of North Carolina and was held in Cape Town, South Africa July Over 90 youth and young adults from across the United States, Botswana and Cape Town participated in this conference that focused on South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation process, strengthening our "listening skills" of others' stories and discerning how to respond to these stories as disciples of change. Elizabeth Scott - Upper Cape Fear Deanery Emily Summerlin - Trinity Deanery The Rev. Sarah Smith - Lower Cape Fear Deanery Diocesan Events New Beginnings #51 This is event is for middle schoolers run by high schoolers and middle schoolers who have been participants before. New Beginnings seeks to help middle schoolers navigate the emerging world of changing relationships with friends, significant others, family and the world through the lens of their faith. This year we had a small team from our Diocese travel to the Diocese of East Tennessee and help them start New Beginnings in their Diocese. This year the event was the largest it had been in over 7 years, totaling more than 75 participants and team members. The event was April 8-10 at Trinity Center. Youth Leadership Team for New Beginnings #51 April Brown, St. Mary s Kinston served as Shepherd Joey Shields, St. Paul s Edenton served as Archdeacon Kim Willis, St. Paul s Edenton served as Co-Coordinator Hannah Hutchens, St. Timothy s, Greenville served as Co-Coordinator The Rev. Paul Canady served as Spiritual Director Amanda Buffa, Diocese of East Carolina Served as Musician Happening #67 & #68 This is a renewal based youth event for high schoolers that is run and supported by other high schoolers. Make a friend, be a friend, bring a friend to Christ. Happening provides a wellstructured environment of talks and activities for high school young people to explore, question and deepen their faith. Happening #67 was March 4-6, and Happening #68 was October

3 Youth Leadership Team for Happening #67 Nick Pollak Rector, St. James, Wilmington Elsa Ehlers Head Gopher, St. Paul s, Beaufort Mary Ashburn Mann - Chaplain, St. James, Wilmington Youth Leadership Team for Happening #68 Millie Cowden Rector, St. James, Wilmington Josh Gattis Head Gopher, St. James, Wilmington Caroline Balderson - Chaplain, St. James, Wilmington Cookie Cantwell, St. James Wilmington serves as the Happening coordinator The Rev. Tom Warren, St. Mary s Kinston Spiritual Director #67 & #68 The Rev. Jay Sidebotham, St. James Wilmington -Spiritual Director #67 Rachel Gore - Music Team Leader for #67 Patrick Pasquerillo and Rachel Gore - Music Team Leaders for #68 Ashley Simpson and Cody Rieman - Celebration Team Coordinators #67 Ashley Simpson Celebration Team Coordinator #68 Youth Paint Day at Episcopal Farmworker Ministry On Saturday, July 31 young people and adult leaders from Holy Trinity, Fayetteville, St. Andrew s On-the-Sound, Wilmington and Trinity, Lumberton gathered at the Episcopal Farmworker Minsitries office to begin painting the interior. The group painted the main boardroom and the hallway. There is still plenty of paint if groups would like to continue this work. Stephanie and Vince Rieman, St. Andrew s on the Sound - Event Coordinators youthreach 2016 In its sixth year, youthreach is for young people in grades 6-12 to focus on an outreach ministry opportunity inside the Diocese of East Carolina. In 2016 youthreach worked with the Interfaith Refugee Ministry. The 40+ young people and adults gathered at Diocesan House in Kinston for community building and worship. Then the group heard a presentation by Susan Husson, Executive Director of Interfaith Refugee Ministry. Following the presentation and lunch, the group gathered make toiletry buckets for incoming refugee families. Each bucket also included a handwritten note from each member of the small group working on that bucket. This meant that each bucket had 5 notes to accompany it. youthreach was hosted by the East Carolina Youth Council at Diocesan House Fall Youth Conference Designed for Middle Schoolers by the ECYC. ECYC members served on team along with other High School Young People. This year s theme was Walk in Love. The young people engaged in a program built on Ephesians 4:25-5:2 focusing on how anger and mistrust can divide us. Young people also learned ways they could learn to overcome their anger and mistrust to begin to walk in love with other people.

4 East Carolina Youth Council served as Design Team. The Rt. Rev. Robert S. Skirving served as Chaplain. Alex Haralson, Diocese of East Tennessee served as Musician. Fall Conference, New Beginnings and Happening would not be possible with out the continued support, guidance and work of Mary Beth Bradberry, the Camp Trinity Director. She is in an invaluable asset to both of these events and all youth events in the Diocese of East Carolina. University and Campus Ministry Campus Ministry in the Diocese of East Carolina continues to grow and change. The dynamics of all three groups change each semester as new students come in and other graduate. All three groups have been active. In July Alfreda Gee, Campus Minister in Wilmington and the Rev. Donna Kraus, Campus Minister in Greenville attended the Campus Ministry Conference held by The Episcopal Church just outside of Baltimore. In addition, this year Donna was also named the President of the Religious Life Council on the campus of East Carolina University. Pamlico Deanery The Rev. Donna Kraus a Lutheran Pastor in Greenville serves as the Campus Minister for The Well: ELCM. The Advisory Council has representation from both Lutheran and Episcopal students, St. Timothy s, St. Paul s, and Our Redeemer, Lutheran. They meet once every other month and more often if needed. Pastor Donna sends out weekly and maintains regular office hours on campus for students and faculty. She also maintains an office at Our Redeemer Lutheran. Highlights from this year include: An Evening with Bishop Skirving An Evening with Bishop Tim Smith, Bishop of the Lutheran Synod of North Carolina Cross Campus Ministry Retreat in April with UNCW and UNCP Pumpkin Carving with the Hillel Students (Jewish group) Advent Worship and dinner with the Presbyterian, Baptist and Methodist Campus Ministries An Evening with Buddy Payne from Camp Trinity Thanksgiving dessert for residents of University Towers Officers Steven Rogers - President Melissa Glen - Vice President Andy Jones - Secretary/Treasurer Lower Cape Fear Deanery ECCO - Episcopal Campus Christian Outreach changed its name in January to help more students identify that Episcopal was also Christian. The name change has certainly helped some

5 students more readily identify ECCO as a Christian group on campus. In addition the leadership of the group decided on a theme for the Academic Year. What Feeds You? The group is using the metaphor to talk about a variety of ways we are both physically and spiritually feed as well as using in their new logo and as a way to draw in new students. In addition, ECCO campus ministry won a $3,000 grant from The Episcopal Church to support an initiative that would not have been possible given that we had not included it in the 2016 budget. Highlights from this year include: January Pilgrimage Retreat to Charleston, SC Cross Campus Ministry Retreat in April at the Outerbanks with ECU and UNCP A group of 5 students who remained local over the course of the summer met weekly for dinner and conversation Back to Campus Prayer Walk at UNCW -written and led by Lindsey Harts, a student in the ministry Went to Washington, DC to serve at the Welcome Table Ministry at Church of the Epiphany. This trip and experience was fully funded by the Campus Ministry Grant. Outside of the grant the group agree to raise the funds to pay for The Welcome Table s weekly breakfast. That fee is $500; the group actually raised $1100 supporting an addition breakfast! The Advisory Council meets bi-monthly and representation consists of students as well as clergy and lay representatives from Church of the Servant, Holy Cross, St. Andrew s-on-the-sound, and St. James and are looking to expand the group to include some other parishes in the Wilmington area Officers Juliana Rankin - President Gabby Austin -Vice President Ashlyn Park - Secretary Lindsey Harts - Treasurer Upper Cape Fear Deanery The Rev. Gene Wayman of Trinity Lumberton has taken on the main role as Campus Minister for this group given the upcoming departure of The Rev. Volley Hanson from St. Mark s Lutheran, Lumberton. This group is in somewhat of transition due to this leadership shift and the graduation of several active students. ELM has some new students meeting with them for pizza and conversation monthly. The Advisory Council for ELM at UNCP meets three times a year or as determined by the students.

6 Highlights from this year include: Cross Campus Ministry Retreat in April with the other Diocesan Campus Ministries Coffee & Compline Monthly Pizza and conversation Volunteering at the Episcopal Farmworker Festival Young Adult Ministry The program officer is working directly with some young adults who are planning to graduate from college in the spring of 2017 who are interested in pursuing wither the Young Adult Service Corps or the Episcopal Service Corps. We continue to support parishes actively engaged in ministries with young adults. Respectfully submitted, Emily Gowdy Canady Program Officer for Youth, University & Campus, and Young Adult Ministries