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Visit the website for Ministries with Young People

In 2007, the Cabinet of the Florida Conference decided to make an intentional focus on Youth and Young Adults.  For the first time in (fill in number) years, every district made a cooperative effort to form a youth and young adult delegation to Annual Conference.  It was at a pizza party that a student addressed the gathering with her concern over the lack of conference level youth ministry.  Through the discussion that followed, the concept of the Network on Ministries with Young People was formed.  Under this new structure there are three tables; one each for Youth, Young Adults, and Adult Workers with Young People. 

Each of these tables operates independently as the goals and the nature of their ministries dictate.  In an effort to keep communication lines as open as possible, the leadership teams from each table are included in the plans, minutes, and (when appropriate) meetings of the other two.  The leaders from all three tables will gather once yearly to communicate goals and progress.  On the final day of Annual Conference 2007, this structure was proposed and approved, and action was taken shortly after to fit this structure into our standing rules.

Tasked at the end of annual conference with focusing on one goal and getting it done, each table went about things in ways unique to their ministry areas.  The Youth table met and wrote an operating procedure, chose “C.A.R.E.” for their purpose statement (Community, Advocacy, Restoration, Evangelism), and are planning the first annual Student Leadership Summit in Orlando this October (3-5, mark your calendars!).  Recognizing that ministry happens at the local church level and not interested in being event planners, the students decided instead to plan a training retreat weekend for the student leadership teams in the conference. 

The young adult team has concentrated on conversations and gathering information.  Meeting for the first time in May, the leaders of this table have chosen to train the current young adults who are within the church, and find new ways to reach those outside our walls as their goals.  The group is currently exploring the possibility of conference wide immersion trips for Young Adults, as early as Summer 2009.

The Adult Workers with Young People team has focused on creating networking groups of youth and young adult workers.  The team has crafted a three year focus plan, concentrating on connecting and networking in 2008; training in 2009; and resourcing in 2010.  This April three representatives from the table traveled to Washington DC for a General Board of Discipleship hosted youth worker training, in hopes of bringing information and training models back to the youth and young adult workers of the Florida Conference.

In the next year, we will continue to shape this Network to be a group that empowers local church ministries with young people, promoting the connection and ministering to young people across the state of Florida.