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YOUTH
AND YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY SUNDAY
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FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
What's
the Meaning of " Mind the Gap"?
Based on warnings
used in the subway system, the phrase "Mind the Gap" has
been adopted as the slogan for our Association's campaign to support
youth, campus and young adult ministry. We chose this slogan because
it's clear that we have a gap in our ministries; a gap in our intergenerational
community. The goal of the Mind the Gap! Campaign is to help elevate
the understanding in our congregations of the importance of Youth
and Young Adult Ministries. Youth and Young
Adult Ministry Sunday is an opportunity for each of us to support
the future of these vital ministries.
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What
is Youth and Young Adult Ministry Sunday?
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Youth and Young Adult Ministry Sunday is a part of the UUA's Capital
Campaign, the Campaign for Unitarian Universalism.
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The
goal is to raise 2 million dollars to support Youth, Campus and
Young Adult Ministries in the United States and Canada. Congregations
are aiming for an average donation of $50 per member.
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A
Sunday Worship Service in the Fall of 2002 focusing on these vital
and vibrant ministries, that includes a special collection. (The
date is flexible.)
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An
opportunity to Celebrate, Educate and Donate!
Why
was Youth, Campus and Young Adult Ministry chosen?
Very simply, because of the combined need and enthusiastic support
for Youth, Campus and Young Adult ministry right now. Perhaps this
is because we have a growing population of youth and young adults
that want to be involved in our faith; perhaps it's because more of
us understand that we must not lose our 18- to 35-year-old population
in the gap between youth and mature adulthood. Simply put, Youth and
Young Adult Ministry Sunday is a response to the needs and interest
of our congregations and members.
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What's
the meaning of, and difference between, Youth Ministry, Campus Ministry
and Young Adult Ministry?
Youth
Ministry
Youth Ministry refers to programming that serves Unitarian Universalist
youth between the ages of 14-20. These youth ministries are found
in many creative forms throughout the UUA: in Youth groups, Youth
advisors, Youth ministers, Coming of Age programs, social action
trips, Sunday school classes, youth teaching in Sunday school, overnights
or “lock-ins,” ritual or worship groups, youth theater
groups, youth choirs, youth conferences with other churches or districts,
youth on committees in the congregation, etc. Comprehensive youth
programming includes learning, worship, community building, social
action and leadership development.
For
more information and resources, visit the website of Young Religious
Unitarian Universalists at www.uua.org/YRUU.
Campus
Ministry
Campus Ministry refers to programming that serves Unitarian Universalists
who are attending colleges or universities. Campus Ministry groups
are a meaningful way to stay connected to youth who were raised in
the UU faith. They also provide a community for young adults, often
away from home for the first time, who are searching for a liberal
religious alternative from the faith in which they were raised. Many
congregations have started Campus Ministry Committees and are supporting
local college students who are helping to coordinate such groups.
Campus Ministry Groups include the following: weekly worships, campus
ministers, social action projects, social events, discussion groups,
trips to a local UU congregation, campus interfaith events -- and
the list goes on.
Young
Adult Ministry
Young Adult Ministry refers to programming that serves
Unitarian Universalists between the ages of 18-35 -- the age range
which has traditionally been most underrepresented in our congregations.
Young Adults need welcoming religious communities within which to
develop their spiritual identity, and congregations need young adults
– their energy & ideas, as well as their ability to bridge
the gap between the youth & adults. Young Adult Mnistries are
found in diverse forms: campus ministry, congregation based young
adult groups, worship groups, Soulful Sundowns, social action projects,
social events, young adults fully integrated into the life of a congregation,
and more.
For
more information and resources, visit the Young Adult and Campus Ministry
website at www.uua.org/ya-cm
and www.uuyan.org
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Aren't
youth and young adults the same thing?
Our society makes a distinction between children, youth, young
adults and adults. We define Young Adults as those who are ages 18
to 35 years old. We define Youth as those who are ages 14 to 18. Acknowledging
that these groups have needs that differ from older adults -- or from
children -- is the first step in ministering to them and retaining
them as vital members of our community.
Over many years,
the transitional period between childhood and adulthood has grown.
Young people are no longer "settled" by the time they are
16, 18, or even 25. Often, young adults cycle through jobs and move
frequently before ending up in a stable career and living situation.
How many congregations will you be a member of in your lifetime? If
you are a young adult -- between the ages of 18 and 35 -- the answer
is likely to be "many." If our congregations were better
equipped to reach out to you and offer an active ministry for young
adults, our membership would almost certainly be stronger and richer
in terms of interests and diversity. Many young adults are searching
for a spiritual home -- we are called to welcome them as they are,
with or without children. Doing so will enrich us all!
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What
is the difference between Youth and Young Adult Ministry Sunday and
our regular Youth Sunday/Service?
A Youth Service or Youth Sunday is our Association's tradition
of having youth put on one worship service per year. Youth and Young
Adult Ministry Sunday is a celebration & fundraising event that
is supporting our entire Association's youth, campus and young adult
ministry. It is an exciting collaborative effort involving youth,
young adults, and lay and religious leaders.
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Do
I have to wait till this event occurs to support Youth and Young Adult
Ministry Sunday?
No! There are several ways for your to participate.
Whether you hold a Youth and Young Adult Ministry Sunday in your
congregation or not, you can still make a contribution to this effort.
Every advance gift we receive helps us gather momentum, spread the
word, and allows us to show others that people know this is an important
ministry.
You can make an advance gift toward your congregation's Youth &
Young Adult Ministry Sunday any time leading up to your designated
Sunday. If you would like to make an advance gift, please contact
Coordinator Alison Miller.
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Where
is the money going?
· The money will fund programs that support congregations &
districts that want to start or develop existing Youth, Campus and
Young Adult ministries.
For example:
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$100
Sends one youth to a leadership or spirituality development conference
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$100
sends one advisor to a youth advisor training conference
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$100
provides an advertisement in a college newspaper for a UU campus
group
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$200
helps host a campus/young adult ministry workshop or training for
your congregation
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$500
provides a scholarship to the annual Youth and Young Adults of Color
Conference
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$500
helps send three young adults to ConCentric Leadership Training
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$500
sends a youth advisor to an advanced advisor training (30 hours
of training)
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$650
gets brings two Youth Program Consultants to your church for a weekend
to develop a plan for youth programs
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$1,000
sends one youth as a delegate to General Assembly
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$1,500
brings a big-name speaker to a campus for a high-profile gathering
event
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$2,000
funds two youth anti-oppression trainers to attend a youth conference
and lead a day-long workshop
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$2,500
pays for a regional campus ministry training weekend
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$3,750
funds a four-year grant to a congregation to pay a part-time Campus
Coordinator and provide a small programming budget for a campus
group
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$15,000
hires a half-time Youth Ministry Coordinator for a district or church
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$30,000
hires a continental Youth Advisor Coordinator
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$50,000
provides a grant to a church to hire a full-time young adult and
campus ministry staff person
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What
resources & support can we get from the UUA to have a successful
Sunday?
A Publicity
Resource Packet was mailed out to every congregation in the U.S. and
Canada. These materials are also available on our website.
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If
we have more question who should we contact?
You may direct all of your questions to Alison
Miller, the Youth and Young Adult Ministry Sunday coordinator
(phone: 617-948-6105), or to Kay
Montgomery, Youth and Young Adult Ministry Sunday Team Leader
(phone: 617-948-4304).
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