Gathering gives youth time for celebration, saying farewell
Gathering gives youth time for celebration, saying farewell
A UMNS photo by Maxim Kostrioukov
From
left: Julie O�Neal, Ciona Rouse, David Moreno, Lillian Smith, and John
Miyahara participated in the final meeting Aug. 6-8 in Nashville.
From
left: Julie O�Neal, Ciona Rouse, David Moreno, Lillian Smith, and John
Miyahara participate in the final meeting of the Shared Mission Focus on
Young People and the United Methodist Youth Organization Aug. 6-8 in
Nashville, Tenn. The two groups will be replaced by the Division on
Ministries with Young People which was approved by 2004 General
Conference in April. A UMNS photo by Maxim Kostrioukov. Photo number
04-335, 8/11/04
Aug. 11, 2004
By Kathy L. Gilbert*
NASHVILLE,
Tenn. (UMNS)— A bunch of young dreamers got together recently to
celebrate a new beginning and acknowledge an ending.
The
final meeting of the Shared Mission Focus on Young People and the
United Methodist Youth Organization was held Aug. 6-8 in Nashville. The
two groups will be replaced by the Division on Ministries with Young
People which was approved by 2004 General Conference in April. The first
meeting of the new division, which is part of the Board of
Discipleship, will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 2.
Eight
years of planning by the Shared Mission Focus on Young People and 28
years of ministry by the United Methodist Youth Organization were
celebrated with a closing worship ceremony that included the releasing
of a white dove.
“The
final meeting was bittersweet,” said Jay Williams, who has been
co-leader of the group since 1996. “We rejoiced for the General
Conference’s affirmation of eight years of dreaming and hard work, but
we also lamented because our team has become family.
“In our closing worship we released a dove--a reminder that this process has been a movement of the Holy Spirit.”
While
the two groups will no longer exist, their “marriage” results in “a
‘new thing’ for youth and young adult ministry in the United Methodist
Church,” he added.
Max
Kostrioukov, Toledo, Ohio, who has been on the team for the past four
years, said he remembers sitting around the table with the other members
wondering “How are we going to ‘develop comprehensive strategy for
ministries with young people?
“But
look at things today. There are so many things that have been done so
many things that have been accomplished,” he said. “But there is still a
long journey ahead.”
A UMNS photo by Maxim Kostrioukov
From left: John Miyahara, David Moreno and Lillian Smith at the final meeting in Nashville.
From
left: John Miyahara, David Moreno and Lillian Smith participate in the
final meeting of the Shared Mission Focus on Young People and the United
Methodist Youth Organization Aug. 6-8 in Nashville, Tenn. The two
groups will be replaced by the Division on Ministries with Young People
which was approved by 2004 General Conference in April. Many team
members offered gifts to the Division symbolizing dreams dreamed by the
team members--a painting, a picture, a plant and two DVDs. A UMNS photo
by Maxim Kostrioukov. Photo number 04-336, 8/11/04
Analisa
“Ani” Trejo, current president of the United Methodist Youth
Organization, said creation of the division “really affirms that God has
truly been working all of these years through people all over the world
to make this happen.
“To
say this is the work of the Holy Spirit is a bold statement, but I
truly feel like the Holy Spirit has moved through each one of us that
has helped to make this happen, including those who voted to have this
division at General Conference.”
Fred
Cloud and Tip Rice, members of the denomination's Joint Youth Staff
(Field/Editorial) in the l950s and l960s, were special guests at the
weekend meeting.
“When
Dr. Cloud and Mr. Rice visited our meeting, we were reminded that the
dream for ministries with young people was birthed long before most of
our team members were born,” said Ciona Rouse, staff director of the
Shared Mission Focus on Young People.
“In
their eighth decade of life, they (Cloud and Rice) stopped by to say
‘we want to join you to make this an inter-generational commitment with
young people, middle-aged and seniors, building communities of mutual
respect and love for one another and God,’” said the Rev. Mary
Council-Austin of the Wisconsin Conference and an adult representative for the team.
“They
inspired us to return to our communities and as we gather youth and
young adults, invite also the stories of the old, and who knows, amid
the stories we may discover manna to nourish us all,” she said.
“At
this point we have crossed the threshold of all the work we have done
as far as this team is concerned but I know we have carried the dreams
of so many people-- it is not just our dreams,” added Julie O’Neal,
co-chair of the Shared Mission Focus on Young People. “The division is
not the end and it is not the only answer. In four years, 10 years, 50
years, the dreams are going to change.”
“I
would say that this is only the first step,” said Trejo. “We need
the church to trust that we are ready to be used by God in so many ways
that we would be willing to take on what are commonly ‘adult’
roles. We plan to give the church new energy and ideas of ministry
that is relevant to our generation.”
Rouse
explained that the new division would offer resources, trainings,
networking and financial support for local ministries.
“I
love that the denomination has proclaimed that they are ready to be a
church for all people, stepping out and doing something new with youth
and young adults,” she said. “The division is going to need the prayers
of the church. It will need churches to be open to new ways of being in
ministry. Local congregations may have to change their views of the
roles youth and young adults have in their congregations.”
*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer.
News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.