Network of Wider Church Youth Ministries Update
The Network of Wider Church Youth Ministers (NOWCYM) met in Atlanta following AM21. The role of NOWCYM is to coordinate with the Faith Info Team in the national office and also collaborate across conferences for youth ministry programs and resources.
Several initiatives NOWCYM is are working on:
1. In support of Rev. Trayce Potter, UCC Minister for Youth and Young Adult Engagement
Youth @ Synod – Rev. Trayce Potter, has organized a robust program for young people who wish to engage with the Synod program. In addition to experiencing worship and observing the deliberations of the church, there will be workshops and activities around homelessness in partnership with the Northeast Ohio Homeless Coalition and Wheeler Mission. This is a great leadership development experience for young people and can prepare them to serve as delegates at future Synod gatherings.
Re-Set for Renewal – Rev. Potter and NOWCYM will collaborate to provide a two-day virtual program in early March. The hope is to network, affirm, and equip all UCC youth leaders. Details will be announced in January and we ask that you encourage leaders from your conference to attend.
Data Hub info for yearbook to support Lilly Grant – The national office is working on a Lilly Planning Grant for the Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative. The preliminary task will be to gather statistics on ministry with children and youth in the UCC. Please encourage your congregations to update information as they complete the yearbook information and watch for follow up surveys.
2. Crossroads Anti-racism Training
NOWCYM has initiated a contract with Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training to develop teaching modules for faith formation and youth leaders. This will consist of videos followed by facilitated conversation for a total of six hours of contact time. Funding to develop the materials is coming from the National office as well as MN, MI, WI, SNE conferences. The expected release is late spring 2023 and a cohort of facilitators will be trained as part of the program development. The content will be made available to leaders in all conferences across the denomination for a minimal fee.
NOWCYM and the MN Conference are offering a nine-month cohort for Faith Formation leaders who wish to participate in Circles of Trust peer learning groups. This is an excellent opportunity, not only to build collegial relationships across the denomination, but also to gain skills for reflection, deep listening, and asking open and honest questions.
4. Planning for Regional Youth Events in 2024
In 2018, four RYE programs were offered: Mid Atlantic and New England Conferences at California Univ in Western PA; West Central Region at Grinnell College, Iowa; Great Lakes Region at Elmhurst College, IL; and Western and Rocky Mountain at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, HI.
NOWCYM assisted with collaborative program planning to develop themes, identify speakers and presenters, and contract with musicians. This effort helped ease the planning burden on each site and the group has begun similar conversations looking toward 2024.
Currently, there is a commitment to offer an event in the New England Region at Silver Lake Camp and Retreat Center in Sharon, CT in August 2024. Debby Kirk of SNEUCC is the contact person for this region. Great Lakes and West Central Regions are looking to combine and are currently exploring potential sites. Chapman University in Orange, CA has offered to serve as a site for the Southern California /Nevada region.
If there are other regions that plan to offer programs, NOWCYM would like to connect and support those efforts. A first step is to make sure that your conference can participate in the conversations. We invite you to identify a staff member or a local church leader who can represent you on the NOWCYM collaboration. Please send the name and contact information to Lisa Hart, co-moderator of NOWCYM.
Thank you for your support for youth ministry.
Blessings,
Rev. Kevin Brown, MN Conference, co-moderator of NOWCYM
For the NOWCYM Team