national YOUTH event 2012 Imagine! Isaiah 43:19

Transcription

1 national YOUTH event 2012 Imagine! Isaiah 43:19 National Youth Event 2012 Abbreviated Highlights National Youth Event convened Tuesday, July 10 Friday, July 13, 2012 at Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN with 2,700 registered participants, only 300 shy of our 3,000 person goal. NYE 2012 witnessed an increase of registrants from diverse communities including a strong delegation of youth from Native American communities, Latin@, and African-American communities. NYE presented a strong representation of youth and young adult keynote speakers, liturgists, and involvement. This is in direct response to past NYE surveys where youth articulated their desires to be visibly active and hands on with planning and implementation. Literacy Labyrinth was designated faith, service and justice outreach with a collection of more than 3,000 books distributed throughout the Lafayette and West Lafayette areas. NYE 2012 witnessed a stronger collaboration between youth and young adults with the introduction of an all young adult program entitled MITT (Mentors in Training Team). The team was an exploratory program creating a space for young adults to engage NYE as leaders & mentors. Youth and young adults were instrumental in leading workshops, supporting labyrinth, service projects and launching MITT (Mentors in Training Team). The feedback received from MITT will help nurture future intergenerational collaborations in the future as it pertains to youth and young adults who are defined in the UCC as persons between the ages of (Youth) and (Young Adults). NYE 2012 celebrated an unprecedented recognition and affirmation of the gifts, talents and leadership of our StillSpeaking Youth who are the future today right now. Collegium of Officers and the Council of Conference Ministers of the United Church of Christ published a pastoral letter on the future and the relevance of the denomination and the youth who are its caretakers. The letter was disseminated to the wider church during National Youth Event! A survey assessing National Youth Event was made available to national staff members that participated at NYE2012. Additionally a survey was made available for members of the wider church that participated. The critical feedback received will undoubtedly be instrumental in the future development of NYE. Moreover, the feedback offers insight on measures Ministry for Youth may consider for youth programming, advocacy and outreach at large. The remainder of this summary will offer reflections by the Office of Ministry for Youth from the prospective of planning, organizing and implementation in collaboration with wider church and national setting partners. Page 1

2 Vision and Mission Upon start in the role of Minister for Youth Advocacy and Leadership Formation, the vision and hope for Ministry for Youth and all youth programming, inclusive of NYE, was to nurture, celebrate and build on a UCC legacy of faith, service, leadership and justice. Surveys and evaluation assessments completed prior to my hire indicated that faith and leadership formation were among the two key elements youth identified as invaluable in their connection with their faith communities. NYE was centered on this ideal. Additionally, National Youth Event was centered on the vision and hope of 1-Church. This is a concept that was immediately introduced upon my matriculation as Minister for Youth, demonstrated through countless meetings with covenanted ministry partners including partners in Worship, Music and Liturgy; Media and Technology; Justice and Witness; Global Ministry Partners; Volunteers and beyond. One of my top goals was to create a roundtable that brought together as many partners as possible to share in the vision within all forums of the church. Shortly after General Synod 28 in Tampa, FL, the collegium officers of the church affirmed the vision and hope for National Youth Event by appointing W. Mark Clark, Associate General Minister as the co-convener of National Youth Event. The collaboration was very instrumental in helping to expand the vision and mission within the national setting and beyond; supporting new efforts and initiatives such as scholarships, sponsorships and identifying NYE as a truly wider church event and not solely an event for youth. The collaboration modeled the vision that was in place that articulated a hope for unity in community. National Staff Roundtable The national staff roundtable had representation from every covenanted ministry of the national setting. The partnership was instrumental and key to the event s success. There is no fathomable way NYE could have been achieved without this table of collegial partners. There is not enough space to provide a comprehensive listing of ways the table supported NYE s foundation, but here are some areas in brief: Worship and Music Permissions for online, media and technological publication. Implementing the youth/young adult s vision for a Fish and Loaves outdoor communion. Service Projects throughout the Lafayette and West Lafayette communities. Implementing the Official faith, service and justice outreach conceptualized by the youth/young adults planning team: Literacy Labyrinth. Occupy Public Education Co-Sponsorship of Native American youth participants attendance at NYE. Developing workshops and afterhours activities. Supporting the visioning of incorporating Conference Ministers. Health, wholeness and wellness programming and outreach. Faith, Fit and Fun Extravaganza; Safe Space and First Responders The first NYE2012 full newsroom; live web stream and revamped NYE website. And countless more Page 2

3 Vision and Planning National Youth Event 2012 s foundation was the Youth and Young Adults Vision and Planning Team. This team of 12 young persons from across the wider church identified the theme, logo, scriptural focus, daily themes and concepts for National Youth Event The team made recommendations for speakers, identifying qualities and hopes for these speakers and their hopes for the experience as leaders of their peers. The top goals of the youth and young adult vision team included: Diversity and Inclusivity. Highlighting and celebrating the gifts of youth and young adults. Introduce elements to NYE2012 that would create a welcoming space for all. Introduce elements that would challenge us to do the work even after NYE ends. The youth & young adult vision team created the new official NYE logo within a 30-minute session of collaboration. They not only designed it, but used their smart phones and tablets to actually put the design in format for reproduction. They further worked with PIC partners as needed to develop the logo so that it met the UCC branding standards. Music The music for National Youth Event 2012 challenged the community in many ways as you will see from some of the feedback provided through the survey. Many felt as if the music leaned too heavily in one cultural direction. Interestingly, while the House Band for NYE was a predominantly African-American band, the music shared was largely compiled using the UCC s Sing, Prayer, Praise Hymnal. Additionally, the uniqueness of the band was not that it was largely African-American, but that it was largely formulated by inner city young adults from the LGBTQ community seeking a safe place to witness for God. In observing the archives of NYE s past house bands, they all brought distinct sounds, genres and uniqueness. The music itself served as an opportunity to bridge gaps, pull in communities that would not normally attend NYE (because some have shared they never felt welcomed or affirmed at wider church events they felt invisible and unwelcomed), and to continue the great tradition of the UCC and NYE by introducing styles that are outside of our familiarity. You will note that they youth largely enjoyed the house band. The greater challenges witnessed with introducing new concepts were not with the youth, but youth leaders. One group leader actually shared with me that the worship was more rich than what I am use to. I don t know how to respond to this. The fact that many were challenged by the music was a testament to the need for such introductions of diverse styles that will continue to push us beyond the margins and celebrating new experiences. After all, is this not what we hope for our youth living in a global world? Page 3

4 Literacy Labyrinth The Youth and Young Adult Vision team conceptualized using the labyrinth as a tool to raise awareness around a cause while also nurturing their spirituality. They saw the two as being interconnected and unbroken. In collaboration with the national staff Ministers for worship and liturgy, the youth/ya s vision was actualized. Additionally, we partnered closely with United Way which helped us to identify a Literacy Coalition in the Lafayette area that sought books for various non-profits. National Youth Event collected over 4,000 books. A time lapse video and explanation of the labyrinth can be found at Additional Notable Highlights National Youth Event introduced several new concepts lifting up technology and an attempt to go greener. While some found the new concepts challenging, we believe the introduction will set precedence not only for future youth events, but future wider church events in general. Here are some concepts utilized: Eliminating paper forms for covenants, disclaimers, etc. and replacing them with electronic signatures. Creating on-line registration versus mailing in, faxing or ing registration forms. Traditional forms were still available if requested. Out of more than 2,000 registrants, Ministry for Youth did not receive requests for manual registration forms. Live web stream was introduced for the first time at NYE. DVDs and CDs were eliminated, allowing persons to obtain highlights and full versions of NYE worship and plenary services via the UCC s YouTube channel at no charge. Additionally, persons were able to share and obtain photos from NYE2012. UCC News and KYeP made daily coverage available to keep family and friends at home connected. An archive of all articles can be found at NYE found its way on Twitter and Facebook and each day, a collegium officer took over the NYE handle in what we called Collegium on Deck. The role of emcee was largely not needed as the use of well-produced video introductions allowed for an easier transition and flow during worship and plenary. Donors & Funding NYE was able to provide, through major sponsors, scholarships and assistance to youth groups seeking aid to attend NYE. The goal and vision shared and supported by the Collegium of Officers, was that no child should be turned away due to finances or needs. As a result of the generous sponsorships and matching donors, more than $20,000 in scholarships was distributed. For a listing of donors, please a request to youth@ucc.org or contact middletonw@ucc.org. Page 4

5 Collegium of Officers The Collegium of Officers played a very hands on role at National Youth Event and was visible throughout by participating in daily worship and plenary outreach. W. Mark Clark served as the co-convener for National Youth Event NYE. The collegium hosted Collegium on Deck, taking turns managing the Twitter account for The collegium not only supported the youth participants, but spent time with youth leaders and chaperones in the Adult Resource room hosted and provided by members of the national staff roundtable. The collegium also participated in afterhours activities that reached out to our participants. The collegium and conference ministers stayed on campus, dined in the halls, interacted with participants during workshops and on the lawn in between sessions and during down time. The collegium lead the closing of the event during the Fish and Loaves communion ceremony. The collegium and national staff members partnered to spread the word and encourage a broader participation and their endorsement was instrumental in NYE s success and on-going development. General Minister and President Geoffrey Black, in consultation with the collegium body and ministers for health, wholeness and wellness, submitted a formal letter to conference ministers on the UCC s commitment to comprehensive sex education and the tradition of condoms at NYE. Conference Ministers Conference Ministers brought great energy, excitement and wisdom to NYE2012. They hosted a series of Friday Breakouts or Faith in Community Breakouts the last day of NYE. Conference Ministers supported workshops earlier in the week and participated in the afterhours activities provided nightly. Conference Ministers were housed on campus, dined with the youth and interacted with participants throughout the event. Ministry for Youth and Collegium officers worked closely with conference ministers throughout the planning stage to keep them fully informed and involved in the development process. Additionally, a member of the national staff roundtable served as a liaison and point person pre-nye and once on site. Page 5

6 Faith National Youth Event 2012 was committed to not only helping youth identify their innate gifts to serve as leaders right now and as active members of the body of Christ; but to see themselves as servants of God in the world. National Youth Event 2012 was inspired by Isaiah 43:19, based on the assertion that God is and will continue to do a new thing through our youth, in our youth, and in ways beyond our imagination. National Youth Event 2012 challenged participants to see God beyond the traditional emblems or comfortable images we typically associate with faith. See God in a person living with a disability or who is differently abled; see God in a person who is bullied because she or he is gay or because the person s parents are gay; see God in unique sounds or ways of worship that is unlike your own; see God in in a person living with HIV/AIDS; see God in a person who looks differently or come from a different part of the world. One person asked, Where was the cross. But the cross was always present and visible in profound ways that was deeper than the tangible and deeper than the eyes can see. It was visible in the stories, the testimonies, the witness, the music, the silence, the tears, the joy, the dancing, the drumming, the communion, the spoken word, the workshops, and the coming together as ONE CHURCH in celebration of our youth. National Youth Event continued the great tradition of the UCC by not only affirming the diversity of interfaith practice, but also ecumenical practice. Youth were introduced to speakers, guests and friends from across the world with diverse cultural experiences and in workshops, some leaders came from diverse religions, too. Closing worship included prayers in different languages and from diverse religions. National Youth Event challenged participants to see the Christological framework of love, justice, community and servitude beyond worship and plenary, but also through service projects, afterhours activities, a youth rock out concert, an out of the box Fish and Loaves style communion, through activism, education and awareness and through living out their Faith wherever they are in the world. NYE 2012 hosted nearly 200 workshops over a course of two days and those workshops spoke of faith through fasting, through meditation, through action and through walking the labyrinth. Additionally, NYE offered a Transgendered Bible Study, worship and faith through theater; and workshops that lifted up theology through such films as Harry Potter. The cross was evident all around in the spirit of oneness, love, community and global interconnected. NYE will continue to be challenged to identify and incorporate expressions of faith that would speak to the great diversity that makes up the United Church of Christ. It is our hope and prayer that as we continue to go beyond the margins and challenge ourselves with new worship experiences, those new experiences will not only inform us as Christians, but become a part of us as sisters and brothers walking in faith and in love with one another, respecting and honoring the many parts that make up one body in our Great God. Page 6

7 Challenges Co-Convener W. Mark Clark identifies technology as a great challenge for NYE. Indeed, NYE experienced great challenges introducing its model for going paperless, building an on-line community via Twitter and also encouraging youth to actually bring and use their technology versus abandoning it during NYE. But as we emerge deeper into a world of technology, Ministry for Youth must recognize the great influence technology has on our youth. Further, our youth as young as 13 years of age have never known a society without Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Smart Phones and other mediums that undoubtedly influence them. Any new concept will always be a challenge. But the greater challenge is not exploring the new frontiers that our youth will not ignore and thus, we can t ignore either. We are challenged to continue to press forward in exploring and incorporating technology in the ways we worship, gather and practice faith. The challenge is doing so in a way that remains sacred, honorable, and responsible. Further, we must acknowledge that there is still a great gap and disparity in terms of accessibility. How do we bridge that gap and continue to learn and explore faith and technology as a tool of faith practice and formation? Another challenge is identifying new spaces and new ways to live out National Youth Event. Have we outgrown the college campus? Are their new spaces and new ways to explore faith in the world with our youth? How do we do this with families that want to share in the experience with the youth and not from at home watching via live web stream? As we look ahead, we hope to explore venues such as theme parks or in the heart of communities like Detroit, Michigan or New Orleans, LA where there remain a great need for volunteerism, community outreach and solidarity. NYE is challenged to push further outside of the box and identify new ways that will move us from off of campuses and into communities. Diversity and inclusivity remains a great challenge for this wider church event. NYE must continue to build bridges with the wider church so that it is a space where all of God s children feel welcome and affirmed no matter who they are or where they are on life s journey. How can we achieve this if we don t challenge the styles, sound, look, feel and experiences of worship beyond the familiar and comfortable? How can we achieve this if NYE continues to be viewed as a youth event versus a wider church event that welcomes and need the support of all of its members even if the children are not yours? We need the village and the challenge of NYE is to reach out farther into the hearts of the diverse communities across the world and build on partnerships from continent to continent, state to state and setting to setting. We witnessed great growth and presence in diversity and inclusivity at NYE, but there is tremendous room for growth. This will be a constant challenge and that is good, to be intentional and vigilant and authentic in these efforts. Funding is a great challenge. NYE operates off of an allocation of $2,000 per non-nye year for an outreach of roughly 3,000 participants. In order to secure strong programming, speakers, scholarships and outreach, this must be increased as NYE operates largely like a General Synod and thus, an operational budget of no less than $1 million is needed. Landscape. NYE was challenged in its partnership with Purdue University and looking ahead, we will work diligently to identify site/host partners that will provide stellar service, resources and accountability throughout the entire process from concept to implementation and post-event. Looking Ahead: Page 7

8 Keep NYE Alive: Looking Ahead National Youth Event has inspired youth and adults alike to Keep Faith Alive and to Keep NYE alive beyond July 13. We will continue to post via social media, UCC News and KYeP stories and testimonies of how communities are doing just that. It is our hope that when youth, pastors, parents, and ministry partners of all ask, Now what? that they will pose that question to themselves and to their respective communities, taking on the challenge to keep the spirit of NYE alive as ONE church. The spirit of National Youth Event must be shared beyond the walls of the venue that hosted it. The story must be told and shared and witnessed. Thus, Ministry for Youth proposes that by 2019, National Youth Event merges with General Synod programming. Imagine 3,000 youth present at a General Synod. Please note, presently, Youth at General Synod occurs three days prior to General Synod. Additionally, the youth have asked for NYE to be held more frequently. This meets multiple needs: Promotes one church. Promotes family and community. Removes the challenge of youth groups choosing between attending NYE and Synod. Saves cost for families, congregations, associations and conferences. Allows wider church youth programming to occur more frequently. Please note the hope is also that General Synod would be increased to every three years versus every two years so that NYE is hosted every three years versus every four years as it currently stands. The model of Youth at General Synod 28 inspired National Youth Event and will continue to be a model at General Synod 29 in Long Beach. During GS, thanks to the feedback and recommendations by youth and group leaders of NYE, we will explore the following: General Synod & Youth@General Synod Eliminating youth specific service projects in order to fully support one church service model lead by Volunteer Ministries during General Synod. Inspired by intergenerational collaboration and interest from General Synod 28 in Tampa, including Flash Mob. Collaborating with General Synod planning team partners to incorporate intentional roles for youth & young adults during General Synod 29 including worship and liturgy, workshops Page 8

9 UCC Vision Plan & Initial Strategies The UCC s Faith In Project was formally launched at National Youth Event and served as a model for living out faith and keeping the spirit of NYE alive once the event ended. Thus, Ministry for Youth continues to explore other ways to keep NYE alive, but also, maintain the vision statement that youth are the future, right now. Our youth are living and breathing and actively engaged in the life of the church. While Ministry for Youth is highly invested and energized by all of the strategy goals, there are four goals that speak directly to its outreach and ministry outlook: Strategy #1 The Faith In Project Launched church-wide during National Youth Event Strategy #3: Mission 4/1 Earth: 50 Great Days Directly engages Outdoor Ministries Association and its commitment to ecological justice and earth care. Also a top focus for Council for Youth and Young Adult Ministries. Proposal submitted and OMA is now in conversation with J. Ben Guess on collaborating for 4:1. Strategy #4: Reading Changes Lives National Youth Event 2012 hosted a literacy labyrinth that spoke to this strategic goal and relevance to the mission and focus of youth ministry. Several back to school outreach hosted by local congregations and conferences include drives in support of classrooms, schools, students and teachers. Helps to close the gap as well between Children & Families and Youth Ministry. Strategy #8 Justice LED A resource in high demand by congregations seeking ways to introduce justice and faith to their populations including young adults and youth. A tool that is celebrated by Council for Youth & Young Adult Ministries. Expand and increase visibility of advocacy campaigns in partnership with covenanted ministry and young adult partners on topics inclusive of: On-Going Collaborations and Partnerships for Education, Advocacy and Outreach Justice LED Global Ministries Outreach & Volunteer Ministries Sharing of resources: JLED, OWL, Volunteer Ministries, Instant Recess Health, Advocacy and Wholeness HIV/AIDS Awareness Anti-Bullying Technological Accessibility Diversity and Inclusivity Socio-Economic Disparities Race & Racism & beyond Page 9

10 ADDENDUM Testimony and Witness As an addendum to this report, please also find the following documents: NYE 2012 Staff Survey NYE 2012 Wider Church Ministries Survey NYE 2012 Letter of Testimony and Witness submitted by youth participants, group leaders, national staff, conference ministers and families. CONTACT Waltrina N. Middleton, Minister for Youth Advocacy and Leadership Formation Page 10