YPMC calling for student leaders
The Young People’s Ministry Council is comprised of student and adult youth leaders from around the Susquehanna Conference. The mission of the YPMC is to equip student leaders to empower their peers to make disciples. In May 2018 the YPMC will graduate two student leaders, who, while having not served many years, have made an impact on the lives of many of their peers.Hayden only officially joined the YPMC in the summer of 2017, but he has been attending Annual Conference for many years, making him part of the family by default. Hayden is a deep thinker, always smiling, and a marvelous musician. His positive attitude and willingness to do whatever is necessary has made him a valuable member of our team.
Alex has been on the YPMC since 2016 and has grown not only in leadership in our group, but also in his local church. At Annual Conference 2017, Alex accepted a calling into ministry and will be pursing that calling at Eastern University in the fall. We thank these talented young men for their service and commitment to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We currently have five rising seniors that will graduate and leave our team in May 2019. Several of these members have been with us since middle school, and have taken the YPMC in new directions. While we have a stable group of freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to continue the ministry, we are hoping to bring in more students to be mentored by our strong senior class.
Applications to join our leadership team will be available online at igniteyoungpeople.org from April 1, 2018, through July 1, 2018. We use applications to help the team understand the skills present and those that need to be developed in each applicant. We seek students who have been confirmed in the United Methodist Church and are members of a congregation in the Susquehanna Conference. We love to have students who have little experience leading, and those with lots of experience. We love students from big youth groups and students with no youth group at all. If you know a teenager God is calling to leadership, we have a place for them at our table. Please send us these leaders of our conference and for your church.
Youth Rallies
Over the past two months the Young People’s Ministry has lead two youth rallies in the southern and northern areas of the conference.We started the new year on January 7 with a youth rally at Shepherdstown UMC. There were 58 students in attendance, and they brought 25 leaders with them. Worship was led by Fishburn UMC worship band, consisting of four students and five adults. YPMC student leader Julia Briselli of Grace UMC Hummelstown delivered a message about the importance of staying connected to God. Throughout worship there were many opportunities for students to be in leadership with peers from their own district.
Following worship, the students participated in small group discussion and mission projects. The students prepared two quilts, which will be given to a VIM team going to Florida. The quilts are gifts to the families the VIM team is assisting. Students also made over 40 Valentine’s Day cards that were delivered to the United Methodist Home for Children in Mechanicsburg to be delivered to their residents. Through these mission projects, these students had the opportunity to be a part of the United Methodist connection far beyond their local church youth group. The YPMC tries to help demonstrate to students the breadth of the United Methodist Church and how their service and ministry here impacts the lives of others they may never meet.
February brought the YPMC to Shavertown UMC. The student and adult members of the congregation, along with Rev. Judy Walker, provided a hospitable environment to come into out of the ice and fog. Students from six area churches gathered with Kevin Witt and Emily Sliski from Camp & Retreat Ministries for high-energy icebreaker games and team building activities. Later, the gifts of the members of the YPMC were further utilized as Pastor Scott Miller and student leader Jacob Drexler led an acoustic worship service. Along with playing the cajon (drum box), Jacob also delivered the message emphasizing the importance of choosing to follow Christ even when times are difficult.
Again, students were separated into small groups to have discussion and participate in a mission project. Shavertown UMC member Cathy Berkey offered an information session about how their church supports children with hearing impairments at a specialized school in Dakar, Senegal, in West Africa. The attendees then had an opportunity to make prayer bead bracelets to be taken by Shavertown missionary Susan Roese and distributed at the boarding school in March. Students enjoyed the opportunity to make something themselves that would provide joy for someone their age half way across the world. We also celebrated the joy of supporting a local church in their mission to love children they may never meet.
The YPMC has one more Recalculating Youth Rally left. We hope that many of you will join us at Watsontown UMC, Sunday, April 8, from 3-7 p.m.
Registration will remain open until Wednesday, March 28, 2018. Holy Week is a busy week, but still remember to register at igniteyoungpeople.org for the youth rally.
Youth Rally Highlights
