Youth Ministry in the NNED
Did you know?
Our Youth Steering Committee is comprised of youth, adults, Ministers, and DREs from NH, ME, and VT. They are meeting under the capable leadership of our Consultants on Ministry to/with Youth, Rev. Jennifer Lentz and Craig Lentz. They share their thoughts and plans for moving forward.
Youth ministry flourishes when it
- Meets the spiritual needs of youth
- Is affirmed and supported within congregations
- Develops respectful and mutually accountable youth-adult relationships
- Is led by well trained and spiritually grounded youth and adults
- Finds opportunities to practice its values in the wider community
- Cultivates and empowers leadership skills in youth
Congregations, districts and the UUA have been urged through the passage of the Youth and Young Adult Empowerment Resolution at the 2008 General Assembly to support youth ministry with adequate funding, staffing and support.
District Youth Ministry
Congregational youth groups can also plan and host youth conferences with guidance and support from the district office. Youth conferences strive to build community, develop leadership skills, meet spiritual needs of youth through worships, focus on social action issues, provide workshops with various topics, and to have fun. Youth conferences are youth-led within a safe and covenanted community of youth and adults.
Best Practices in Youth Ministry
- Develop activities that allow/encourage discovery of youth’s gifts.
- Develop activities that aid in youth’s discernment of emerging faith identity/purpose in life
- Designing opportunities to put faith into practice (social justice projects/mission trips)
- Congregations model what they preach in ethics/values/faith/ways of being together
- Ministerial support and involvement are crucial
- Congregational support is obvious by providing leadership opportunities
- Youth integrated into the life of the congregation
- Consistency
- Honor youth traditions
- Have fun
- Empower youth
- Invest in and support youth staff/ministers
- Worship together often
- Ensure safety