Youth Conferences Across the Region

We are blessed to have clusters of congregations in our respective former districts (Central Midwest, Heartland and Prairie Star) who help to create, with youth and adult leaders, distinct structures for youth events in their respective areas. In FY14, there were more than a dozen youth ministry events across the region, serving just under 1,000 youth and adult leaders!

To enable and foster such a robust youth ministry experience, we are working with a variety of geographical structures for youth events, to keep them all engaging and safe.

 

Our MidAmerica regional staff members, Nancy Combs-Morgan, [email protected], and Dori Davenport Thexton [email protected], continue to work with congregations on developing sustainable youth ministry experiences, as well as continuing education training, such as the “New Youth Advisor Webinars" (Sept. 9th and 18th).  Nancy Combs-Morgan serves as advocate for the three area youth councils; both Nancy and Dori organize the training for the Con-Coordinators for the Central Midwest Area. Nancy works directly with the Con-Coordinators, and is the point person for congregational leaders who questions about youth conferences in the MA region.

You can always go to the MidAmerica Region Youth and Young Adult page for the latest!

 

Youth Midwest Leadership School

Dori Davenport Thexton, and a talented faculty of youth and adults, continue to enable this important leadership development experience for MA youth.
Location:  Beloit College.
Save the Dates:  July 12-18, 2015.  For more information on YMLS, contact:  [email protected]

Heartland Area Youth Council

HAYC is comprised of youth and adult leaders who are elected at the annual Bridging Conference, held each Spring, this year at All Souls Indianapolis, April 17-19. For more information on activities in the Heartland Area, contact:  Shannon Harper, [email protected], who has just started as a MA Youth Ministry consultant, to aid with youth ministry website communications. She will be working with Nancy Combs-Morgan on updates to regional youth safety/liability guidelines for youth conferences.

HAYC works with congregations to provide a host of engaging youth conferences and trainings. Currently all HAYC events are open to youth and adults from the entire MA region.  Here is what is still upcoming for Fall 2014:

10/24-10/26 – CONtagious, this high school youth conference is an annual event to kick-off the fall. Location, Unitarian Universalist Church of Indianapolis. More details and registration link. Questions: Shannon Harper, [email protected]

As more events are finalized for the Heartland area, we will continue to post updates for the Spring.

Northern Area Youth Council  (Central Midwest Area) – (congregations north of I-80)

Northern Area Youth Council (NAYC) is a youth-adult leadership group made up of members of the Unitarian Universalist youth community in the northern area of the MidAmerica region. NAYC helps ensure quality youth programing in our area. Current members are Phillip Berry from DuPage UU Church in Naperville, IL, Jack Spector-Bishop and Travis Black from Countryside UU Church in Palatine, IL, Tamara Bryant and Samantha Burden from First Unitarian Society of Madison, WI, Jennifer Dunmore from Second Unitarian Church of Chicago, Molly Freund from the UU Church of Rockford, and Connie Meade from Unity Temple in Oak Park, IL.

Congregations in the northern area submit an application to NAYC to request being a site of the northern Fall or Spring con. For more questions: Tamara Bryant, [email protected]

11/21-11/23 – CONsciousness Fall Youth Con, Brookfield, WI  Registration for the northern Fall con is open to youth and adults from the northern area.Con-Coordinator, Kim Tilford, working with the host congregation and NAYC. More details and registration links. For questions: [email protected]

Southern Area Youth Council  (Central Midwest Area)– (Congregations south of I-80)

11/14-11/16 -  CONcord Fall Youth Con, Springfield, IL

This is a joint effort of the congregations in Springfield, IL and Bloomington/Normal, IL. Registrations are open to youth and adults in the southern area. More information and registration.

Youth Ministry Trainings in the Region - open to all youth and adults from the entire region

11/7-11/9 – Spirituality Development Conference/Training

This training, with a cap of 40 attendees, focuses on building worship planning skills for youth and adults who will be providing worship for their congregations, youth groups, and at youth conferences. It will include a host of worship resources on new models of worship. Location: UU Church of Fort Wayne, IN.  Adult trainer, Nancy Combs-Morgan and Youth Trainer, Raine Miller, (HAYC member). More information and registration. For questions: Nancy Combs-Morgan, [email protected]

Prairie Star Area

There are many talented congregational youth and adult leaders who do plan and provide youth ministry events in the Prairie Star area, such as last year's DefCon in Des Moines, and UniCon in White Bear, MN.  These events are organized by the local congregation and will be posted on the MA Region site. Please be sure to send us your event information, so that we can publicize the conference. Send to: [email protected]