A Season of Possibility

Dear Friends,

As a new school year approaches, we at Everstand (formerly United Methodist Home for Children) are inviting you to help us launch a season of possibility—for young people who need it most.

With some school supply categories rising more than 20% in cost since the pandemic, for the students we serve, many of whom face significant financial hurdles, this growing burden can make back-to-school season feel overwhelming.

Your support can be the difference between a student simply returning to school and truly thriving. With your generosity, we can provide the tools, support, and stability that pave the way for lifelong success. All donations make an impact—for example:

• $25 could help to offset the cost of essential school supplies, ensuring every student has the basics to start the year with confidence.
• $50 could sponsor one individualized tutoring session, building a strong academic foundation for a struggling learner.
• $100 could provide access to engaging enrichment opportunities like art, culinary, or horticulture programming.
• $250 could supply multiple students with backpacks fully stocked with appropriate grade-level materials.
• $500 could underwrite calming kits or sensory tools to support students coping with trauma or anxiety.

You have the power to ensure that the youth in our programs start this school year ready to succeed—inside the classroom and beyond. You can visit www.everstand.org/backtoschool to make a fast, secure contribution today. No matter the size of your gift, it will create a lasting impact on a young person’s life. If you prefer to support our youth by purchasing supplies directly, please use the link provided to access our Amazon wish list. https://a.co/3OcNDH6

Thank you for being part of the Everstand family. Your support makes all the difference—and we’re so grateful to have you with us as we begin a new school year full of hope and promise.

Warmly,

Laurie Anne “LA” Spagnola, MSW
President & CEO, Everstand

Board of Child Care Offering FREE Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) Trainings

Board of Child Care in Mechanicsburg, PA (formerly United Methodist Home for Children) understands the vital role that churches and church groups play in nurturing the well-being of our young community members. It is with great pleasure that we announce the availability of Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) training at no cost to our church and community partners, thanks to a generous grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

What is Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)? 

YMHFA is an 8-hour training program designed to equip individuals with the knowledge and skills needed to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders in youth aged 12 to 18. Our aim is to empower you to reach out and provide initial help and support to young individuals who may be navigating mental health challenges or experiencing a crisis.

Why is this Training Crucial for Church Communities? 

Churches and church groups often serve as pillars of support for youth in our community. The YMHFA training introduces common mental health challenges faced by youth, reviews typical adolescent development, and provides a 5-step action plan for both crisis and non-crisis situations. Armed with this knowledge, you can play an even more impactful role in the lives of the young people you encounter.

The Board of Child Care (BCC) Advantage: 

As a proud YMHFA training site, we are committed to creating a comfortable and respectful learning environment. Our courses, led by certified instructors, maintain an intimate class size of 30 people or less, ensuring a personalized experience for all participants.

What Will You Learn? 

Topics covered in the training include anxiety, depression, substance use, disorders with potential psychosis, disruptive behavior disorders (including ADHD), and eating disorders. This comprehensive curriculum is designed to empower you with the insights needed to make a positive difference in the lives of the youth you encounter. After completion of the training course, participations will receive a 3-year certificate from the National Council of Wellbeing.

How to Register:

In-person training is available to any organization or location within a 1-hour drive from our Baltimore (MD), Martinsburg (WV), or Mechanicsburg (PA) campus locations. Alternatively, we are happy to host your training at any of these three locations. Please visit the Contact Us page to see our specific location addresses. To get started, please visit the Youth Mental Health First Aid Training page of our website, or complete the YMHFA Community Partner Training Application. 

Thank you for your dedication to the well-being of our community’s youth. Together, let’s create a network of support that ensures every young person feels heard, understood, and valued.

Donna Phillips
Youth Mental Health First Aid Coordinator
dphillips@boardofchildcare.org
(443) 615-3151

Calvary Harrisburg Youth VIM Journey

By Lauren Bell, Calvary UMC Youth Group

In June, youth from Calvary UMC in Harrisburg went on a four-day woodsy retreat to Wesley Forest Camp and Retreat Center in Weikert, Pa. Previously, we would use trips to Wesley Forest as an escape from parents and school or as an opportunity to connect with nature, build friendships, and be closer to God. 

This past winter, Wesley Forest experienced a terrible storm which uprooted trees and left the camp in disarray. To ensure the safety of the summer campers and restore Wesley Forest to its former glory, we spent our retreat time helping to clean up and learning the importance of caring for the Earth.

Among the many jobs we completed were extensive yard work around Penns Creek Lodge, removing tree branches and other foliage from paths, and planting flowers around the entrance sign. We ensured that summer campers had clean facilities, like bathhouses and the craft cabin, and safe trails to explore the camp and experience the beauty of nature that surrounds them. 

We worked together on large projects helping build teamwork and strong connections with one another. When everyone relied on one another to accomplish a goal, friendship and understanding blossomed, and inside jokes abounded. 

All this hard work could not have been accomplished without the different skills found within each youth. From one’s knowledge of landscaping, to another’s understanding of gardening, as well as compassion, hard work, high energy, and an obsession with a leaf blower, job after job was completed beyond expectations. 

You may be wondering, “All this hard work seems exhausting and unfair for the kids”. Well, we found time to enjoy some fun, playing 9-square, spoons, gaga ball, and other games, as well as Bible study and, oh yeah, even a trip into town for ice cream! 

Every challenge, obstacle, or job was completed and overcome through hard work and determination from the youth and loving donations from friends, family, and other members of our church. The youth can honestly say that they had a blast and are looking forward to when they can do it all again. 

Calvary’s youth would like to thank Volunteers In Mission (VIM) for helping to organize the trip and the projects. And another thank you to the staff at Wesley Forest for hosting us. We’ll be back in the spring!

For more information about VIM and opportunities, contact

Michelle Schwartzman, VIM Coordinator
vim@susumc.org
Web: www.susmb.org/vim/
Facebook

U.M. ARMY - GOD @ WORK: CONNECTED

By Darlene Thomas

GOD @ WORK: CONNECTED was the theme for this year’s U.M. ARMY (United Methodist Action Reach-out Mission by Youth) mission weeks this past summer. U.M. ARMY is a national youth mission organization that offers youth mission opportunities across the United States each summer. U.M. ARMY is also a Volunteers in Mission vetted organization and can be found on the VIM website http://www.susmb.org/vim/

Several Susquehanna Conference churches were involved in this mission organization this past summer. The mission week was hosted by Trucksville UMC church. Four churches from our conference participated in the week: Trucksville UMC, Christ UMC (Mt. Top), New Creation UMC (Dover), and Shiremanstown UMC. In addition, two churches from Connecticut traveled to Northern Pennsylvania to join us.

Armed with hammers, paint brushes, yard rakes and other tools, this group of 44 youth and adults served the greater Trucksville area, helping both individual families as well as local social service organizations. We truly felt GOD @ WORK through everything we did – CONNECTING us with the community, new friends and our faith. In addition to the work we undertook, we also worshiped together each morning and evening, enjoyed wonderful food prepared by our awesome kitchen team, and had lots of fun with games, an end of week picnic, a visit to a local dairy farm including yummy ice cream and strengthened our walk with God through lunch devotions and a prayer journey. The highlight of the week was our Community Celebration Dinner, when we invited the neighbors we served to a dinner and program to celebrate the projects we completed and the lives we touched.

GREAT NEWS!! U.M. ARMY is coming back to Trucksville in 2023. We will be there the week of July 9 and we would love to have more churches from the Susquehanna Conference join us. Registration will be opening up on November 1, so please check out the U.M. ARMY Northeast website for more information. You can also contact Gina Grubbs at ginagrubbs@umarmy.org or Darlene Thomas at gabrielt0303@gmail.com to discuss the possibility of your group joining us.

Our theme for 2023 is GOD @ WORK: TRANSFORMING. Won’t you join us and help us continue to transform the Trucksville community and the lives we touch?

Camp & Retreat Ministry: Creation Speaks, Are You Listening?

Each year, the Camp and Retreat Ministry team selects a summer curriculum that staff and volunteers at each center and summer event utilize to teach campers about God, self, and others. We are so excited to announce that Creation Speaks is our 2022 Summer Camp Curriculum! As a curriculum intentionally designed to draw campers closer to the natural world, we know our beautiful outdoor camp settings will bring this nature-inspired curriculum to life for campers!

Creation Speaks invites us to look to God’s Creation, including each other, as we listen for God’s voice in the world today. By taking a fresh look at the Creation story, campers will imagine what each part might teach us about God and our place in the world. Light, water, earth, seasons, animals, humans, and even a day of rest will invite campers to listen for God, still speaking to them today.

Through our new understanding of the interdependence of all creatures and responding to our call as caretakers of Creation, we are moved to awe and wonder at the gift of Creation and the Creator.

If the people of God stop and listen to Creation, what might we hear? Shhhh, listen. Creation Speaks!

www.susumcamps.org

Growing Spiritual Transformational Leaders - Youth Ministry Listening Posts – What Did We Learn?

Youth attending Youth Rally at Lake Winola UMC

Kim Shockley, Coordinator for Pathways of Spiritual Leadership, Staff Liaison to the Young People’s Ministry Council

On October 22 and 23 I partnered with Kenda Dean and Trey Wince from Ministry Incubators to talk with youth workers from around the Susquehanna Conference. Considering that we met by Zoom, we had an energetic conversation that helped us to learn what is changing in youth ministry from the perspective of those who are leading.

All of the youth workers (paid and volunteer) were able to name young people who are recognizing God’s presence in their lives and have some sense of their giftedness and how God may want to use them daily. Even the pandemic has not stopped the movement of God through our young people!

There are several ways in which youth ministry and a local churches ability to impact young people is changing. Most of our youth workers have indicated that the number of students and adult volunteers has lessened. We all know this and recognize it in the participation of all church events. That doesn’t minimize the discouragement that our youth workers feel! In some ways, this lessening has been happening before the pandemic as families have fewer children and younger families struggle with the demands of raising children in our hectic society.

One of the most significant changes that many of our youth workers noticed is that their students are mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausted. One even suggested that there should be a social worker who comes to meetings to help keep an eye on the health of the students. Where are the support systems for helping our young people thrive in today’s world? Helping our youth workers practice a listening ear and a caring attitude is one of their best ways of doing ministry.

Youth at Spry UMC, York

Some of the more positive changes that our youth workers are noticing is that students love the opportunity to serve their communities – building sheds, serving meals – young people show up for these events more often and more consistently than they come to youth group meetings and worship. These event help youth workers to build relationships with their students and the students among each other. Adding a brief lesson and conversation to these events seems to work well! Just because we may not see these young people in worship on Sunday morning doesn’t mean that they aren’t actively being Jesus’ presence in the community!

Also, students will bring their friends when they are doing the kinds of activities that are helping them to develop as persons. One youth worker shared their emphasis on understanding personalities and giftedness as being a very positive experience for their teens.

In order for the Susquehanna Conference to offer youth ministries that thrive into the future, we all need to be praying for our youth workers and the young people they minister to. If you have a school in your community, then you have young people for which to pray!

 For those of you who have active prayer lives, consider this daily prayer:

“Holy God, watch over our young people. Keep them safe from the chaos of life during these strange times. (Name those young people whom you know!) I ask that Your Holy Spirit breathe inspiration into the lives of our youth workers, pastors, and church leaders (Name those you know) so that we can courageously make decisions that uplift our young people as leaders for today! Help me to see how I can be a positive influence on the life of a young person today. Amen.”

As you pray, listen for God’s message, and share it with your church leaders. Share it with me – kshockley@susumc.org or 407-276-5114. Every renewal of any kind always starts with prayer and recognizing the work of the Holy Spirit among us. Let’s continue the conversation as we look for ways to actively support our youth workers and our young people! 

God’s Army is Coming to the Susquehanna Conference

United Methodist Action Reach-out Mission by Youth (U.M. ARMY) is a national youth mission organization offering summer mission opportunities for youth, young adults and adults across the United States. U.M. ARMY works with VIM at both the national and local conference level to ensure quality, faith-based, mission weeks.

Last summer, U.M. ARMY had to re-imagine our mission models so we could still answer the call to serve while working within the COVID guidelines. We did this, through God’s blessing, by creating LOCAL and VIRTUAL models. These models provide a balance of gathering across church groups for social interaction, showing God’s love in a hurting world, creating opportunities for spiritual development and encircling safety around everything we do.

We held one of these LOCAL mission weeks in the Susquehanna Conference last summer with great success and many blessings. Due to the ongoing concerns with the pandemic, we have decided to move forward on this LOCAL model again this summer. EXCITING NEWS! We are offering two LOCAL models in the Susquehanna Conference this year. We already have some youth groups lined up to participate in both weeks; however, we have plenty of room for your group to join us in this “day camp” model.

The theme this year is: GOD @ WORK:CREATING. Each day begins with morning worship to get us focused for the day, followed by service work out in the local community. All projects will either be outside or at a local community service organization with strict COVID guidelines. Each team shares lunch together with guided devotion discussion related to the weekly and daily themes. After a day of service, we gather again for group building activities and closing worship. During the week, we will experience a prayer journey that provides a time of personal reflection and time with God.

Each person is asked to eat breakfast at home, bring their own lunch each day, and eat dinner at home. Water supplies will be provided, along with pre-packaged snacks. We are hoping to offer a closing picnic at the end of the week, if we feel we can serve and eat food safely.

We will be at the following locations/dates this summer:

FISHING CREEK SALEM UMC (Goldsboro, PA) – July 18-23 

CHRIST UMC (Mt. Top, PA) – July 11-16 

NO WORRIES if you live too far away or if these weeks won’t work for your group. U.M. ARMY is also offering VIRTUAL opportunities this summer. These weeks still provide an opportunity to serve in your local communities in a day camp model; however, worship and interactive activities will be held virtually with other youth groups participating during your same week.

Won’t you join us to help share God’s love and experience God’s creation? God is already at work creating our mission work within the Susquehanna Conference. We just need to be His hands, feet and heart by answering the call to serve.

For more information on U.M. ARMY, please feel free to access our website: umarmy.org

To explore opportunities for your group, please contact Darlene Thomas, Regional Director @ darlenethomas@umarmy.org or 877-771-9484 ext. 1108