WMP Youth and Young Adult

From Evolve - Naramata, November, 2009
Evolve…Faith, Self and Community by Missy T On November 13-15 over 200 youth, young adults, youth leaders and ministers gathered at Shaughnessy Heights United Church for the first ever Evolve Conference. Replacing the traditional Junior and Senior youth conference held in Naramata in November. Evolve was the theme – to Evolve your faith, yourself and your community. There was a 50+ leadership team, with leaders from all over BC as well as two from the USA, to help explore the theme of Evolve with the youth and young adults. The weekend was broken into stream time, worship, workshops and a little bit of free time. Whenever I had to pop into that stream every single youth was engaged and obviously having a great time. Another group that impressed the entire planning team was the youth adult stream. We weren’t sure we’d get many young adults as there aren’t too many programs for them within the church but we had 34 young adults who were excited about being at the event for their own stream, but who also stepped up and helped with the younger youth if they saw it was needed. Many of the ministers from BC Conference were present. Our own minister Rev. Scott served as one of the chaplains for the weekend. Gordon How, Marion Best and Wally Hargrave came as the Elders for the event, which was amazing. Having them there in that role just fitted the conference with a calming effect whenever they were around. Youth enjoyed being able to talk with them, be in their workshops or if they needed a bit of grandparent support. All three were grateful for being involved & have all wished to be involved again. We also had current BC Conference President Dan Chambers at the event, which helps bring in the workings of the church, which isn’t just at the congregation level. It was only the second time a BC Conference president has attended a youth conference, and hopefully we’ve started a tradition of Presidents attending. Although the weekend was essentially only 50 hours, it was an amazing, grateful, exciting weekend, one that the planning team is hoping to repeat again, perhaps next year! Workshops offered ranged from games & crafts to conflict resolution with Marion Best and Poetry with Ray McGinnis. The music leadership was lead by Revolve, a band started from BC conference youth. They lead the music during all worship and gather times, as well as participated in a Saturday afternoon concert with the band Rebel Messiah. A highlight for me included taking pictures of the weekend for the closing slideshow. I was at the event as the main office coordinator which at times meant I was the photographer as well. We thought that a lot of youth would be complaining about the conference not being in Naramata but when I was asked to go around to streams or workshops to get a few quick pictures it was amazing at how engaged all the youth were, the junior youth especially since they were our largest group with 65 participants.

Evolve…Faith, Self and Community
by Missy T

On November 13-15 over 200 youth, young adults, youth leaders and ministers gathered at Shaughnessy Heights United Church for the first ever Evolve Conference. Replacing the traditional Junior and Senior youth conference held in Naramata in November. Evolve was the theme – to Evolve your faith, yourself and your community. There was a 50+ leadership team, with leaders from all over BC as well as two from the USA, to help explore the theme of Evolve with the youth and young adults. The weekend was broken into stream time, worship, workshops and a little bit of free time.

Whenever I had to pop into that stream every single youth was engaged and obviously having a great time. Another group that impressed the entire planning team was the youth adult stream. We weren’t sure we’d get many young adults as there aren’t too many programs for them within the church but we had 34 young adults who were excited about being at the event for their own stream, but who also stepped up and helped with the younger youth if they saw it was needed.

Many of the ministers from BC Conference were present. Our own minister Rev. Scott served as one of the chaplains for the weekend. Gordon How, Marion Best and Wally Hargrave came as the Elders for the event, which was amazing. Having them there in that role just fitted the conference with a calming effect whenever they were around. Youth enjoyed being able to talk with them, be in their workshops or if they needed a bit of grandparent support. All three were grateful for being involved & have all wished to be involved again.

We also had current BC Conference President Dan Chambers at the event, which helps bring in the workings of the church, which isn’t just at the congregation level. It was only the second time a BC Conference president has attended a youth conference, and hopefully we’ve started a tradition of Presidents attending.

Although the weekend was essentially only 50 hours, it was an amazing, grateful, exciting weekend, one that the planning team is hoping to repeat again, perhaps next year!

Workshops offered ranged from games & crafts to conflict resolution with Marion Best and Poetry with Ray McGinnis. The music leadership was lead by Revolve, a band started from BC conference youth. They lead the music during all worship and gather times, as well as participated in a Saturday afternoon concert with the band Rebel Messiah.

A highlight for me included taking pictures of the weekend for the closing slideshow. I was at the event as the main office coordinator which at times meant I was the photographer as well.

We thought that a lot of youth would be complaining about the conference not being in Naramata but when I was asked to go around to streams or workshops to get a few quick pictures it was amazing at how engaged all the youth were, the junior youth especially since they were our largest group with 65 participants.