The YOUTH MINISTRIES DATABASE is currently being updated. This database is designed for adults with an interest in youth ministries – lay and clergy, paid staff and volunteer leaders. A “Youth Ministries Interest Form” is now available. CLICK HERE. Churches are welcome and encouraged to submit multiple people for this database.

Missouri Mid-South Conference Launches a “Youth Roundtable”

The new Missouri Mid-South Conference “Youth Roundtable” is taking shape and we are very excited about the road that lays ahead! The roundtable provides an opportunity for youth to discuss, share perspectives and find their voices around issues and efforts of the United Church of Christ at both the conference and national levels. The idea for a roundtable emerged out of the conference’s Youth and Young Adult Working Group (YAYA) – as members of this group work towards ensuring “fair and adequate representation by youth and young adults on boards, councils and committees throughout the life of the U.C.C.” (see the YAYA mission statement ). Are you (or do you know) a youth seeking to find or claim their voice in the life of our conference? Learn more about the youth roundtable by visiting their website: www.youthroundtable.weebly.com  and/or e-mail YAYA at yaya_mms@live.com 
 

Youth Roundtable Application Form

CYE Participants from 2009

Conference Youth Event 2009
“Plumber’s Theology” and the Kingdom of God
By Brad Boyd-Kennedy, Columbia UCC


Seventy-eight youth and their 24 adult advisors converged on Camp Mo-Val near Union, MO on Presidents’ Day Weekend to make new friends, renew old friendships, enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, and engage with the Rev. Steve Miller, from Vermillion, SD. Steve proclaimed to the participants that the Kingdom of God is not a far-off abstraction, but a dynamic, tangible reality – “Right here, right now, at this very moment!”

In order to help participants recognize that truth, Steve asked us to say “Yes” to the most important commitment of our lives: the choice to be connected to another human being, and thus establish and maintain the community that is Heaven on Earth. We connected to each other through participation in large-group sessions conducted by Steve: “The Creative Fire,” “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” “Clearing Space,” “Only What We Need,” and “The Seal,” which were each based on sections of The Lord’s Prayer. Through dance, rhythm, and song (in English and Aramaic), Steve taught us to interact with the other members of our family - the body of Christ. Then, in our small Family Groups, we worked to explore the things that might be blocking our “spiritual pipes.” We created individually-designed mandalas and paper sculptures, “discovered” our own Quadash (“Holy”) names, and made “Heart Bundles”—specially decorated paper bags to serve as receptacles for notes of affirmation written by our fellow participants. These activities enabled us to become aware of some of the things that may be blocking the Holy Spirit’s access to us and encouraged us to begin letting go of these “clogs,’ by entrusting ourselves to the care of God and reaching out to others in our community. This is the process Steve describes as “Plumber’s Theology.”

As a way to promote further insight, campers participated in two workshops. Each of us selected two from the six that were offered: Calligraphy, Spiritual Marketing, Poems as Prayers, Watercolor, Yoga, and Creating the Un-Lord’s Prayer (an exercise in seeing what the Lord’s Prayer is by imagining what its opposite might be). These workshops were opportunities to experience fellowship, deepen our understanding of the abundance and variety of the Kingdom of God, and stretch our spiritual resources.

Each day began with Morning Prayer and closed with Evening Prayer. These were moving and impressive times of resting in silence and being in communion with God—often illuminated only by the light of the fire or of a multitude of candles in the Fireside Room. We felt a tangible connectedness, to each other and to God.

A more exuberant highlight of our weekend was the Music Celebration and Radio Show - a “broadcast” carried to the far corners of the Fireside Room. Written and performed by participants - a core group were those who attended the Spiritual Marketing workshop - the script presented Station 200.9 “The Camp.” The program consisted of recorded songs and music, commercials (with audience response cued by cards made in the Calligraphy Workshop), and plenty of audience participation (like the all-camp conga-line dance done to the music of “Hot Hot Hot!”).

Finally, both the Saturday evening karaoke and the Sunday evening Music Celebration were introduced by an all-women praise band with members from St. Peters Evangelical UCC in Ferguson and First Congregational UCC in Lebanon. The band members presented a selection of songs, both energizing and meditative, and encouraged the audience to get to our feet and join in praising and thanking God for the many blessing we have been freely given - one of which is the fantastic experience of attending CYE 2009. As many of our seniors reminded us during their Senior Reflections, “Please, keep coming back to CYE!”


Comments from CYE Evaluations

“Great story telling, kept the group active and engaged….brought a lot of joy to our group!”
“(Prayer times with Steve) affected me in ways I didn’t expect it to.”
“Prayer times with Steve were the most significant moments of the weekend for me”
“I felt inspired. They (session times with Steve) got me thinking more than ever!”
“I really enjoyed (session times with Steve). A mix of fun, movement, and delving into the Lord’s Prayer, the meaning of the words and how this prayer fits into our lives.”
“The forgiveness lesson with Steve was deep and made me think.”
“I am closer to God than I’ve ever been. Thanks, Steve.”

In addition, there were positive comments about the food, new cabins, “Art as Prayer” sessions, and the opportunities to hang with friends and reconnect. It was a GREAT weekend and the vast majority of evaluation responses were positive. These were accompanied by helpful suggestions for next year.