March 2025 News
We are saving your seat. No travel required!
That’s right! Did you know that most of our events are virtual? You can take a Summer Study course with a renowned YDS faculty or a youth ministry webinar with an expert in the field without having to get off the couch. We also have an extensive online library of resources for your youth ministry, Bible studies, and spiritual needs. Be sure to check it out.
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Dr. Joel S. Baden, Director of the Center for Continuing Education, was recently recognized by the Yale Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning for innovation in online continuing education at Yale Divinity School. Congratulations Joel! |
The Month of May Resources
May is when we celebrate Women’s History Month and Developmental Disabilities Awareness month. Resources are found below.
Women’s History Month Resources
- Youth Bible Study on Women in the Bible
- Adult Bible Study on Women in the Bible
- Tending the Sacred Selves of Adolescent Girls with Dr. Evelyn Parker
- Talking About Gender and Sexuality With Youth with Dr. Kate Ott
Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month Resources
- “Creating Communities of Inclusion and Belonging for Youth with Disabilities” with Dr. Erik Carter, Ph.D. video
- Belonging for People with Disabilities Resource
We are now accepting applications for the 2025-2026 Yale Divinity School Certificate in Youth Ministry Leadership! This is a nine-month, digital, cohort-based program where participants learn from select faculty and staff from Yale Divinity School and other leading institutions. The next cohort for this academic and practical primer on the themes relevant to leading resilient, healthy, theologically rooted youth ministries will run from September 2025 – May 2026.
For more information or to apply, go here.
From the YMI Director: Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Dear youth ministry friends,
Eight years ago, my family moved from our home in Massachusetts to begin a new chapter here in Connecticut. At the time of that move, we experienced all of the joy, excitement, upheaval and chaos that one might expect for a couple preparing to begin new careers, while also uprooting and replanting their two young children.
YDS Summer Study Registration is Open!
Register today for one or more of our 8 courses taught by renowned YDS faculty, which will take place online from June 2-6, 2025. You can view the list of courses and register at summerstudy.yale.edu.
Summer Study features a keynote lecture on Monday, June 2 with YDS Professor Bruce Gordon on “The Global Bible and the Necessity of Humility.” You do not need to be registered for Summer Study to attend the keynote. To join us for the keynote click here.
YDS CCE Congregational Partners Program
Ministry today is tough – don’t go it alone! Are you looking for an outstanding Bible study for your church or curriculum or best practices for youth ministry? Concerned about fundraising in 2025? The Center for Continuing Education at YDS provides a variety of free resources on our website. You can find them here.
And if that’s not enough, YDS CCE Congregational Partners receive the following special benefits:
- Early registration for all events (online and in-person)
- Bonus session for live, online Bible studies exclusively for congregational partners
- Exclusive “How to Use CCE Resources” Zoom conversation
- Consultation with Yale Youth Ministry Institute staff on your program
- Congregational Partners will be listed on our website
But that’s not all! In addition, you’ll receive:
- 50% discount on all non-certificate paid programs
- 25% discount on certificate programs
For additional information go here.
Love of Children Program
Our next two Yale Youth Ministry Institute events were made possible by the Justice and Local Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ, who awarded a grant from the Lilly Endowment through its Nurturing Children Through Worship & Prayer Initiative. This series allows the denomination to engage in thorough research to assess the state of Children’s Ministry in the United Church of Christ and then take that information and create a dynamic program to strengthen our local congregations in the work of children’s faith formation.
Information for our next two events are listed below. If you missed our first event in the series, “Context Matters: The Impact of Social Context on Emotional Growth” with Dr. Szu-Hui Lee, PhD, ABPP, you can watch it here.
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Filling Up Fast – Storytelling with Spirituality with Mark Yaconelli Through lecture, exercises, and discussion we will explore how both biblical and personal stories can become a “thin place” for encountering the Sacred and the depths of our human experience. |
The Meaningful Inclusion of Children in Worship: Theology and Practice with Wendy Claire Barrie Corporate worship is the work and the joy of the people of God, and when the body of Christ gathers, we are incomplete without the active presence and meaningful participation of children and youth. What can this engagement look like (feel like, sound like, smell like, taste like) in liturgy, and why does it matter to the formation of people of all ages? Canon Wendy Claire Barrie will lead this webinar exploring the theological whys and practical hows of incorporating children and youth into congregational worship. |
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Crafting an Easter Sermon You Can’t Wait to Preach Apply Backstory Preaching’s foundational sermon prep framework to crafting sermons throughout the Easter season you believe in and can’t wait to preach. In this process, rooted in prayer and practical tools, you will discover a framework you can rely on week after week to prepare sermons more efficiently and with more joy. You will discover how to experience sermon prep as a spiritual respite, versus as a purely academic exercise. |
Leadership Lessons from Thomas Merton: Riding a Wave of Joy What do Thomas Merton, Alexei Navalny, the Dalai Lama, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Willy Wonka (as played by Timothee Chalamet) have in common? They met the challenges of leadership and influenced and inspired many from a most unlikely stance: joy. In a world obsessed with struggle and sacrifice, joy is often seen as a frivolous distraction. But what if we entered leadership roles that recognized that joy is not the antithesis of change but the very fuel that propels it forward? How can we adapt a leadership style accordingly? In this course we will explore the radical yet potent idea that joy is the foundation for creating positive change in ourselves, in our parishes, and, perhaps, the world. |
| If you’d like to help support our mission, you can make a donation here. There is joy to be found in practicing generosity. Your gift will enable us to continue to provide the necessary tools and resources that support life changing ministries. | 
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