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| Recap: State of the Youth 2009 |
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On Sunday, February 8, 2009, the Youth Ministry team and parishioners of all ages gathered to hear about Youth Ministry in 2009. The event began with some food and a mingling game called "No." No is a game we use often at the beginning of the school year. Each participant is given a wristband. The goal is to get everyone else's wristband by getting them to say the word "no." This game helps to break down barriers to communication. After we had our share of food and one more wacky game, we heard about the direction of the Youth Ministry for 2009. Our Youth Director talked about the "incarnational" focus of the Youth Ministry. Jesus is "God incarnate." Jesus makes visible the invisible God. In the same way, our ministry is designed to make visible the invisible: God, faith, community. Our Adult Mentor team was recognized for their part in making Christ known to the youth of our parish. We are very grateful for their leadership! Our High School Youth leadership team was recognized as well. A new development in our ministry, youth are taking on leadership roles in both the Middle School and High School Youth Groups. The High School Youth leadership team has already begun shaping Youth Group meetings. These student leaders are wrestling with tough leadership questions and learning what it means to lead in the example of Jesus. John 13:1-17 Next we heard from two students and two Adult Mentors. Sarah Reed (Class of 2013) and Laurie Adams (Class of 2009) shared their experiences of Youth Group and presented the basic format of a Youth Group meeting. Joe Knight, an Adult Mentor with the High School Group, shared about his experiences as an Adult Mentor. All three shared how the community has anchored their lives. Leslie Darr, an Adult Mentor with the High School Group, shared with us about a new process of calendaring in the High School Youth Group. Students participated in a forum to brainstorm and vote on events for 2009. The 2009 calendar is a reflection of this process. The event closed with Stephen Ashurkoff, Junior Warden, representing the Vestry, and Rev. Mary Kay Brown expressing their support and their thanks to the Youth Ministry team. The Youth Ministry continues to be in need of Adult Mentors. We have had 10 new students join the ministry since the beginning of January! Additionally, as a result of the survey from last month, we have determined that offering an additional night of the week for meetings would benefit a population of youth in our church. Without new mentors this task is impossible. Our Youth Ministry strives to maintain a 1:5 ratio of adults to students. When we cannot meet this standard, we become ineffective at the very least. We risk losing students or simply not connecting with them. If this sounds like too great a risk to you, please contact our Youth Ministry Leader, Jonathan Stube, to find out more information about volunteering. What could be more important than sharing Jesus Christ with the upcoming generation? If you'd like more information about the Youth Ministry, please visit the Web site or contact Youth Ministry Leader, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . View the State of the Youth Ministry 2009 presentation. |